The Fisher Foundation delivered a unique initiative during the first week of April by having former Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs legends, Neil Tovey and Doctor Khumalo, conduct a football coaching clinic in conjunction with a soccer festival at the Hluhluwe Primary School in the Hlabisa District, northern KZN. The festival was a resounding success with more than 140 children enriched by the experience. The Big 5 Hlabisa (S.A.F.A.) local football association and the Dept of Art, Culture and Sport were represented at what was a day of fun, learning and skills programmes, overseen by Tovey and Khumalo.
The Fisher Foundation delivered a unique initiative during the first week of April by having former Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs legends, Neil Tovey and Doctor Khumalo, conduct a football coaching clinic in conjunction with a soccer festival at the Hluhluwe Primary School in the Hlabisa District, northern KZN. The festival was a resounding success with more than 140 children enriched by the experience. The Big 5 Hlabisa (S.A.F.A.) local football association and the Dept of Art, Culture and Sport were represented at what was a day of fun, learning and skills programmes, overseen by Tovey and Khumalo.
Rationale
The Fisher Foundation’s reasoning behind this football festival was to bring joy and inspiration to communities that border our national parks and protected wildlife areas. While the foundation is focused on conservation education among these communities, there is a need to include the communities at large in such festivals. One child who is inspired to follow a career in football, or any other sporting code, is one less child left vulnerable to poor life choices.
How it played out
The day kicked off with the Bafana legends imparting gems of advice by coaching the local coaches. Thereafter, there was a series of stations at the festival where the children rotated to learn a variety of skill sets, including lectures on life skills, drug awareness, bullying, and making the correct choices for their lives, all with the emphasis on choice and consequence.
The follow-on programme
Tovey and Khumalo then joined the Fisher Foundation’s 3-day conservation education camp at the White Elephant Research Centre in the Pongola Game Reserve. The selected group of Grade 7 learners visited a rhino orphanage and enjoyed an elephant experience where they had an opportunity to feed and touch a large male tusker – a memorable and rare lifetime interaction.
Additionally, subjects in the immersive educational camp were tutored by experienced educators from our partners, African Insight Academy, and included tracking, basic food webs, introduction to mammals, vulnerable species and a boat cruise on the majestic Lake Jozini.
Subjects covered
Additionally, subjects in the immersive educational camp were tutored by experienced educators from our partners, African Insight Academy, and included tracking, basic food webs, introduction to mammals, vulnerable species and a boat cruise on the majestic Lake Jozini.
Future custodians
Finally, empowering these vulnerable fence-line community children is a key focus area in the Fisher Foundation’s deliverables and the 13–14-year-olds are at a critical time in their lives when their world views are being formed. A shift in mindsets at this juncture can lead to these youngsters becoming future custodians of our gifted natural heritage. If only one youngster goes on to become a conservation warrior or policy maker in government, we, at the Fisher Foundation, will have achieved our goal.
Acknowledgements
Grateful thanks to our main sponsor, City Logistics, and to the following, who also deserve special mention:
Inkosi Mdletshe
Anna Nyman – Football for Life
S.A.F.A. Big 5 Hlabisa Local Football Association
Dept of Art, Culture & Sport – KZN
Thanda Private Game Reserve
Zebra Hills Private Game Reserve
Noel Otto
Zululand Rhino Orphanage
Bayete Zulu Elephant Connections
Musa Sangweni
Umbro
Alpha Security
S.A.P.S. Hluhluwe
Dept. of Health KZN EMRS
The Richard Fisher Foundation is a registered NPC in South Africa: ‘2022/546868/08’
Registered with the Dept. of Social Development as a Non-Profit Organization: 281-660 NPO
