Development Talk

Gugulethu youth take part in development

 

July 19, 2010

A Gugulethu Youth discusses some key issues. Photo: Gugulective via Flickr

A Gugulethu youth discusses some key issues. Photo: Gugulective via Flickr

The youth of Gugulethu are very involved in political and civil society organisations. In fact, the majority of youth participate in development issues in this township situated 15km from Cape Town. This is exceptional in an era where youth are often thought to be apathetic.

The involvement of youth in the community of Gugulethu is largely due to the work of the Gugulethu Youth Development Council (GYDC) which has been operating in the area since 2008.

The Municipal Wards of Gugulethu came together to form a relevant vehicle that will help youth to take active part in development. They looked at the challenges that are faced by today’s youth and established the Council.

The Council members want to see young people of Gugulethu working and going to tertiary institutions. Their goal is to inspire youth to be  energetic, passionate, focused and hungry for success.

GYDC is an umbrella organisation that represents youth from different sectors for example Sports, Politics, Arts and Culture, Safety and Security, Social Services, Health, Education and Agriculture, to name a few.

The goal of this organisation is to promote and protect different cultures in Gugulethu. The Council is very committed to this goal; in 2008 they mobilised young people from high schools and primary schools to march against xenophobia.

Youth development is of great importance to Creative Consulting & Development Works. Two of our team members have been trained to deliver life skills education to youth; we were contracted by the City of Cape Town to present a cultural diversity workshop to disadvantaged youth; and we have also before worked with Mamelani Projects, which runs youth development programmes.

Filed under: civil society,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,cultural issues,development,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Employment,Government,inspire,politics,South Africa,sport,Training,xenophobia,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 4:15 pm

Gugulethu youth benefit from Sports Development Programmes

 

July 14, 2010

With their boot on a soccer ball, Gugulethu youth feel on top of the world. Photo: 1happysnapper via Flickr

With their boot on a soccer ball, Gugulethu youth feel on top of the world. Photo: 1happysnapper via Flickr

Every child has a dream of becoming something in life, but an impoverished background or lack of resources in their community could make it impossible to fulfill those dreams. Faced with these challenges, they sometimes lose hope to an extent that they believe drugs and alcohol abuse, crime and violence are the only things left for them.

How do they face these challenges?

Youth staying in Gugulethu experience these challenges, but they can see light at the end of the tunnel, because of sports development programmes in the area.

What were they doing during the Soccer World Cup?

The youth were very active during this 2010 FIFA World Cup. They played against youth from other areas that face similar problems, such as Mitchell’s Plain and Manenberg. The medal a player receives after a match is one of the reasons that they keep on going to soccer fields every day.

How do they benefit from sport development?

These youths believe there are many opportunities to improve their lot through football, and make their dreams a reality. Anam Mxokozeli, one of the Gugulethu soccer stars went to Ajax Cape Town for trials. He was delighted to have that opportunity and he believes that one day he will play for big soccer teams.

Role of their coaches

The coaches are not only training these young boys, they are also guiding and supporting with them with social problems. They teach them how to react to difficult circumstances and also help them with their school work.

Even thought the FIFA World Cup has come to an end, Creative Consulting & Development Works hopes that the youth now has an even greater interest in soccer and that it will continue to have a positive effect on their lives.

Filed under: 2010 World Cup,children,civil society,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,development,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Hope,Inequality,inspiration,poverty,South Africa,sport,violence,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 9:16 am

The vuvuzela phenomenon

 

July 1, 2010

Three fans blow their vuvuzelas at the Fan Park in Nelspruit. Photo: Coca-Cola South Africa

Three fans blow their vuvuzelas at the Fan Park in Nelspruit. Photo: Coca-Cola South Africa via Flickr

For many South Africans, going to the stadium without a vuvuzela is like going to school without your books. The vuvuzela is a funnel shaped instrument that is blown by South African fans during the soccer matches and it is believed by many fans that it heartens South African players, especially when they have the opportunity to score a goal.

There has been some controversy in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, held in South Africa, about this horn. At the beginning of the World Cup there were calls for the instrument to be banned in stadiums, but FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Twitter that he would not dream of suppressing fan culture in any country. Now one sees many tourists walking around in South Africa with a vuvuzela in their nation’s colours.

Where does it come from?

A man at the Khayelitsha fan park blows his vuvuzela. Photo: Coca-Cola South Africa via Flickr

A man at the Khayelitsha fan park blows his vuvuzela. Photo: Coca-Cola South Africa via Flickr

According to Wikipedia, the Vuvuzela, also known as Lepatata (its Tswana name) is an air horn, approximately one metre in length, commonly blown by fans at soccer matches in South Africa.

According to southafrica.info the ancestor of the Vuvuzela is said to be the Kudu’s horn (called ixilongo in IsiXhosa and mhalamhala in Tshivenda), which was blown to summon African villagers to meetings.

The origin of the name “vuvuzela” is disputed. It may originate from the Zulu for “making noise”, or from the “vuvu” sound it makes. According to Wikipedia the vuvuzela was originally made from tin and became popular is South Africa in the 1990s where it was often blown in matches between big South African soccer teams Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

Different people claim to be the inventor of this instrument. Wikipedia says South African Kaizer Chiefs fan Freddie “Saddam” Maake claims he made an aluminum version of the vuvuzela from a bicycle horn in 1965 and he has photographs of himself holding this invention in the 1970′s, 1980′s and 1990′s. The Nazareth Baptist Church has also claimed that the vuvuzela is a holy instrument used in their church for decades. The plastic factory Masincedane Sport has mass-produced the plastic vuvuzela mostly used at soccer matches today.

A variety to choose from

Zakumi, the 2010 World Cup Mascot with a Kuduzela or Zazu. Photo: Media Club South Africa

Zakumi, the 2010 World Cup Mascot with a Kuduzela or Zazu. Photo: Media Club South Africa

There are different types of vuvuzelas, some made of plastic and others are truly works of art, covered in beads.

According to vuvuzela.com the new Sockzela is a vuvuzela covered with a removable fabric sheath in the colours of a specific team participating in the World Cup.

The Zazu or Kuduzela is a curved vuvuzela inspired by the horn of a kudu and developed into a designer musical trumpet by world renowned South African Industrial designer Brian Steinhobel.

According to Media Club South Africa there are even innovative people who are making vuvuzelas out of kelp found on South African beaches!

Different people have different views about the Vuvuzelas. Some like it because they feel that it is a symbol of support and that it shows unity among the fans. Some people hate it, because they feel it keeps people from paying attention to the game; they only focus on the noise made by the vuvuzela.

Like it or not, the vuvuzela is a part of South African soccer culture, so go to the stadiums or fan parks and show our visitors how to blow that vuvuzela.

Watch this video of a British television station’s explanation of the vuvuzela.

Filed under: 2010 World Cup,Africa,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,cultural issues,design,development,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,Entrepreneurs,nationhood,South Africa,sport,Videos — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 10:29 am

Interesting read: Development and Dreams

 

September 8, 2009

Dev&Dreams 

A lot of very interesting reads can be found on the Human Science Research Council’s (HSRC) press website- many of which can be partially downloaded for free!

Click here to browse the numerous publications. You are able to browse the HSRC publications by category or discipline of interest.

The website homepage has an extensive list of categories, for example: Development Studies, Education, Gender Studies, and so forth. Titles relevant to your particular discipline of interest are grouped under the respective category. This category grouping is valuable in terms of providing the reader with the current research trends and findings within the chosen discipline.

Development and Dreams (2009) is one title which may be particularly relevant to organisations working within the development sector.  This book, about the increased role that sport is playing in development, is important in the context of South Africa hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

The prevalent use of sport as a medium for development is demonstrated in a recent evaluation of the South African based Stars in their Eyes Project, conducted by Development Works. The project is a joint initiative between the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport and the Netherlands Stars in their Eyes Project. The project is conceptualised upon the model of using sport to drive sustainable community development.

Filed under: 2010 World Cup,Book,development,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,Research,sport,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:40 am

Increase the priority of sport in schools

 

June 30, 2009

Children from Hout Bay are kept off the streets with soccer, in the Stars in their Eyes project.

Children from Hout Bay are kept off the streets with soccer, in the Stars in their Eyes project.

Ironically, even though South Africa will be hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup in less than a year, physical education is deprioritised in schools across the country. The benefits of sport for one’s well-being are disregarded.

This was the opinion of guests at a colloquium hosted by the Social Transformation Programme  of the Department of the Premier, on Thursday the 25 June. The goal of the colloquium was to address the issue of how sport could contribute to social transformation.       

 The colloquium consisted firstly of a panelist discussion, where key stakeholders and academics working within the arena of sport and transformation put forward their views on sport as a mechanism for social transformation. Both the achievements and challenges at a policy level and grassroots level were raised.

Following the panelist discussion the floor was opened to the guests for comments. The floor’s diverse composition made for an insightful discussion. An interesting point to arise from the discussion is the fact that physical education is no longer included in the South African school curriculum.

Sport has many benefits and should be practised in schools.

Sport has many benefits and should be practised in schools.

Luckily, with South Africa’s responsibility as host of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, sport has been pushed up the priority list, for example with the Stars in their Eyes project that aims to uplift children in priority areas through soccer. However, sport needs to be prioritised even more. South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup should be used to put sport back into schools.

 While doing an evaluation of the Stars in their Eyes project, Development Works explored the many benefits that sport has for children. It does not only keep them physically healthy, but also keeps them from the streets, gangs and drugs, builds their self-esteem and teaches them to work hard within a team. This is very necessary.

Filed under: 2010 World Cup,children,colloquium,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Policy,social transformation,sport,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — @ 12:38 pm