United Through Sport South Africa Launches Girls’ Empowerment Programme

/0 Comments/in , /by

UNITED Through Sport recently launched a brand-new programme, GirlsUnite, at Astra Primary School in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, to empower young girls from the community.

The focus of GirlsUnite is to help girls cope with some of the challenges they face through structured Self-defence, Literacy and Counselling sessions. The girls’ empowerment programme is for girls aged 10 to 13 years old, from Bethelsdorp and surrounding areas.

“While we are piloting the programme at Astra Primary School, we hope to extend the programme in the years to come, as this has been identified as an important need in the areas where we work,” said United Through Sport Director Nick Mould.

United Through Sport currently runs a Junior School of Excellence (JSE) Programme for primary school children to receive extra academic support, further sports development and mentoring. The JSE programme is based at Astra Primary School in Bethelsdorp and Isaac Booi Primary School in Zwide.

United Through Sport’s JSE Programme offers an environment of safety and positivity and a beacon of hope for many young children growing up in the surrounding community. As an added investment into the girls from the school and surrounding community, United Through Sport launched the girls’ empowerment programme GirlsUnite.

Because of their socio-economic environment, many of the girls in the JSE programme have challenges preventing them from attending afternoon classes, and learning at school, including physiological (reproductive needs), safety at home and on the way to school, as well as personal needs related to self-esteem and self-actualisation.

The GirlsUnite Programme is a one-year project, made possible by EMpower’s Bright Promise Awards, from the Estee Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation. Nelson Mandela University’s Psychology Clinic, which is based at the Missionvale campus, is partnering with United Through Sport by offering counselling services for the GirlsUnite Programme.

Counselling and group sessions have started at Astra Primary in the school’s library room as well as a converted container, which was donated by Siyaloba Training Academy. When the container is not used for counselling, it functions as a “girls-only” space used for extra reading sessions and informal mentoring sessions.  Other than girls from Astra Primary School, girls from the surrounding community will also make use of the girls-only space and drop-in counselling services.

UTS Caribbean Volunteer Running Saint Lucia Marathon For Beneficiary

/0 Comments/in , /by

Following a tragic car accident, Garvin, a young beneficiary from our Vide Boutielle after school football programme, was left fighting for his life, surviving on only two pints of blood. After weeks on life support and multiple operations he is now in a much more stable state.

Garvin will now require a long course of physiotherapy, and the lifesaving medical treatment has come at great cost to the family. Our Saint Lucia staff and volunteer team have been fundraising in a variety of ways to alleviate the financial pressure on the family. But one of our current volunteers is going that extra mile:

Rugby coach Bryn Owen-Conway will be running a Marathon on Sunday 26th in order to raise much needed funds for the cause and will be accompanied along the way by our friends and team. He has set an overall target of £2000, which will go a long way towards covering the current medical debt, providing Garvin with a wheelchair and the physiotherapy course that we hope will eventually get him back playing for our partner: Shamrock Football Club!

Donations can still be made via Bryn’s Total giving page: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/runforgarvin

 

Hockey Star Makes High Performance South African Squad

/0 Comments/in /by

DUE to an injury she played just one and a half matches during a national tournament, yet still made such an impression on the selectors that she was included in the South African Girls Hockey team. Kiara Meyer, a United Through Sport Senior School of Excellence beneficiary who is currently in Grade 10 at Alexander Road High School in Nelson Mandela Bay, was selected to the South African Under 17 High Performance Training Squad following the National Under 18 Hockey Tournament recently, where she represented the Eastern Province Under 18-A team.

Great was her disappointment when her hand got fractured on the very first day of the tournament, after playing just one and a half games of hockey.

“I got injured when one of my teammates accidentally hit me. I had to wear a brace for 4 weeks. I expected to just go home after the nationals and had to watch the rest of the games on the side-line. I was really happy when I heard that I still made the South African team,” Kiara said.

The High-Performance Training Squad continued after the national tournament and the selected girls practised stick work, one-on-ones, running and fitness.

“I made a lot of new friends and despite my injury, I learnt a lot during the training squad, especially from the other players,” Kiara said.

Known for her perseverance and grit, Kiara is a star on the sports field where she plays for her school’s First Hockey Team. Her goal is to make the Under 18 Girls Hockey team next year to represent the Eastern Cape, and we will certainly keep our eye on this talented young player.

Kyra Jurgens from Pearson High School, who also represented the Eastern Province Under 18-A team at the National Under 18 Hockey Tournament, was selected to the South African Under 18-B side. A total of 13 beneficiaries of United Through Sport’s programmes in Nelson Mandela Bay, including Kyra and Kiara, were selected to represent the Eastern Cape in either rugby or hockey.

“We are exceptionally proud of these young sport stars, particularly Kiara who showed true sportsmanship on the hockey field. While we pride ourselves on unlocking sporting opportunities for the talented children who participate in our programmes, it is equally important for us to nurture well-rounded children who show leadership and character on the sports field,” said United Through Sport Director Nick Mould.