our 9th sports outreach starts to provide themba to those in hillside!

following quickly on from our eighth club comes the news that we have been able to set up, or at least reestablish, our ninth sports club. this 'new' club is run in an area called 'hillside' and whilst this was an area where we have worked before we did have to merge two clubs together about two years ago and the children from hillside were expected to be picked up and transported to siteview.

although siteview is less that a mile away from hillside and should be within walking distance for those children they are from different cultural backgrounds and felt slightly 'excluded' from the merged club. therefore it is with great joy that we have been able to reestablish their original club, which has been running for a couple of weeks now, and we are seeing lots of boys and girls attend this club which takes place each and every monday afternoon.

we want to thank themba (yes that's the name of one of our mentors..obviously meaning 'hope') for his enthusiasm for reestablishing this club which is in the area where he lives and therefore he is continuing to be a role model to the younger children who attend his club...well done themba!

sports outreach year ends at the beach....

kids eating pancakes at strand

our rooidakke and iraq clubs at gordons bay

the children who attend our sports outreach programme are now on their summer holiday's and to celebrate the end of another amazing year we have taken around  70 of the 250 children who attend our seven weekly clubs to the beach over the last four afternoons...

...i know that sounds idyllic but to have the worry to ensure that not only do the children travel safely down the long and winding mountain pass that we have to negotiate between grabouw and the seaside town's of strand and gordon's bay but also make sure that they all have a great time playing in the water, which for some it might be the first time they have ever visited, then its not all plan sailing!

beach 'water' football!

however everything went well, the weather was fantastic, the sea a perfect temperature for the kids to enjoy a dip and food provided by the dutch students, pancakes (pannenkoeken), which for some children were the first time they have eaten such a delight was all very special.

our amazing HAN students yoram and annemeik did such a good job throughout the last five month and it was great to share this time with you guys, we will miss you both loads! thanks must also extend to our longer term volunteers, tim and jacque who made sure that the children enjoyed their special days.

digging holes to holland!

it was a great end of the year for our sports mentors as well, we have been working hard with these guys as they serve us so well through the year, you guys rock.....we will now be taking a well earned break from the sports outreach until the middle of january!........

pancakes on the beach!

....more news will follow then as we seek to extend the work we do into new areas to bring 'new hope through sports' into our poorest communities of grabouw.