Thanks to our generous supporters, United Through Sport has been able to transform countless young lives across local communities, providing opportunity and fostering leadership.
Your recent or ongoing contributions have gone a long way in helping us provide essential resources, education, and opportunities for our beneficiaries. We are thrilled to share some inspiring stories of change that your support has enabled.
From Zwide to National Captain
Lelethu Nono
“United Through Sport’s support is what allowed me to become the person that I wanted to be, irrespective of the environment that I grew up in”.
At just 16 years old, South Africa’s U16 national captain, Lelethu Nono, began his journey at Emsengeni Primary School in Zwide Township, one of the most underserved communities in the country.
It was here, through United Through Sport’s local programme, that Lelethu first accessed structured sport, consistent coaching, and a safe environment to grow. Like many children in Zwide, his future depended not only on his talent, but on whether opportunity would reach him. Through regular coaching, mentorship, and academic support, he began to develop the discipline, confidence, and belief needed to pursue a different future.
As his potential became clear, he was supported in securing a bursary to Grey High School, one of South Africa’s leading and most prestigious schools. The transition required resilience. He entered a new academic and social environment, far removed from the community he had always known, but met these challenges with determination. He committed himself fully, maintaining strong academic performance while continuing to develop on the field.
His progress was immediate. He was named Best Forward of the Season in his first year, and in 2025 was selected to represent Eastern Province at the prestigious U16 Khomo Grant Week, competing among the country’s top young players.
Today, Lelethu stands as captain of South Africa’s U16 national team, a milestone that reflects years of consistent support, guidance, and opportunity. His journey did not begin in elite facilities or established pathways. It began on local community fields, where access to structured sport made progression possible.
Your support has played a direct role in making journeys like Lelethu’s possible. By helping create access to coaching, mentorship, and long-term pathways, you are enabling young people from communities like Zwide to progress far beyond the limitations of their circumstances.
Lelethu is not only leading his country, he is demonstrating what becomes possible when opportunity is given the chance to reach its full potential.
From Participant to Professional
Sinovuyo Stamper
“They’ve helped me a lot. I don’t know where I would be without United Through Sport.”
Sinovuyo Stamper’s journey with United Through Sport began as a child growing up in Kwazakhele, where access to structured sport and professional opportunity was extremely limited.
He first joined United Through Sport as a young participant in his local community, attending regular sessions that provided not only sport, but mentorship, structure, and belief in what was possible. At the time, he was one of many children benefiting from a programme designed to reach those who would otherwise have no clear pathway forward.
As he grew older, his commitment and leadership potential became clear, and he was supported in transitioning from participant to coach, beginning his professional journey within the same programme that had once supported him. With no formal qualifications at the outset, he relied on consistent guidance, training, and opportunity to build his skills and confidence.
Through United Through Sport, Sinovuyo has since gained accredited First Aid certification, a SACE-accredited Physical Education qualification, formal cricket coaching certification, and is currently completing the FIFA Auxiliary Programme in Sports Management at Nelson Mandela University. These globally recognised qualifications represent a transformation from community participant to qualified professional, creating long-term employment and career stability.
As his development progressed, so did his impact. He established new football programmes, built competitive school teams, and revitalised cricket across multiple hub schools, creating opportunities for hundreds of children growing up in the same community he once did. His work is now directly shaping the next generation.
Today, at 25 years old, Sinovuyo stands as a qualified coach, mentor, and respected leader within Kwazakhele. He has moved from being a beneficiary of opportunity to someone who now provides it to others.
Your support has made journeys like Sinovuyo’s possible, not only helping a child access sport, but enabling a full pathway into qualifications, employment, and leadership. This is the long-term impact of investing in local young people, creating sustainable change that continues to multiply across communities.
Sinovuyo’s journey reflects what becomes possible when potential is supported early, consistently, and close to home.
Continue Creating Change
The stories above represent years of consistent investment, guidance, and belief.
From community fields in Zwide to national captaincy, and from local participation in Kwazakhele to professional coaching and qualifications, these journeys are only possible because supporters like you choose to invest in long-term change.
Your generosity does more than fund sessions. It creates access. It builds confidence. It develops leaders. It establishes sustainable pathways that continue long after a child first joins a programme.
Thank you for standing alongside United Through Sport and the communities we serve. Your support is not only transforming individual lives, it is strengthening entire communities for generations to come.
If you would like to continue making an impact, or increase your support, you can set up your own fundraiser or donate now.
Together, we can ensure that opportunity continues to reach the young people who need it most.