Sport is an extremely effective tool to build self-esteem, inspire and educate young people. KIA and its chosen partner Sporting Chance, recognise this and have initiated a programme which aims at using the power of football in extremely humble environments to educate children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Through the KIA Charity and Care Street Soccer campaign, disadvantaged children from around South Africa will be given the opportunity to participate in street soccer leagues as well as an accompanying health education programme.
The KIA Street Soccer programme , which targets children under the age of 13, will give participants in four main urban centres the opportunity to get active, develop self esteem and equip them with the knowledge to stay healthy for the rest of their lives.
The KIA Street Soccer programme will include three phases, the first being the health education programme which is in an ‘edutainment’ form and focuses on three core areas which have been identified by the South African Government as being of vital importance:
• Nutrition – what to eat and how to eat healthily, drinking plenty of clean and safe water
• Hygiene – washing hands, keeping your body clean and covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough
• Being Active – how to lead an active lifestyle in order to prevent obesity
The second phase is the KIA Street Soccer league which will take place in communities around Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg for over two months leading up to the start of the FIFA World Cup.
Respective PSL clubs in the four areas, namely Ajax Cape Town, Orlando Pirates, AmaZulu and SuperSport United have joined in the programme to impart their technical expertise and to nurture any promising talent.
KIA Street Soccer teams will include both boys and girls, with the team formation ensuring that one-third of the team is made up by girls (two players per team).
Fair Play will be encouraged throughout and a team will be awarded a fair play award for the way they support, encourage and induce their teams into the genuine spirit of football, sport and fair play.
The KIA Street Soccer league and the accompanying Health education sessions will act as the qualifying factors for phase three of the programme whereby KIA will be distributing up to 4,000 match tickets to the FIFA World Cup to KIA Street Soccer participants.
The FIFA World Cup™ - A new ‘Sporting Chance’
Sporting Chance has a proven track record having implemented similar programmes around South Africa. This new programme will use the excitement generated by the FIFA World Cup to further strengthen the organisation’s mission: ‘To provide the children of South Africa with a Sporting Chance’.
Objectives:
• Emphasise to children the value of sport and physical activity in building a bright future.
• Use sport and the FIFA World Cup as a vehicle for building self-esteem and educating children about the importance of health and nutrition.
• Develop and nurture individuals to serve as future role models for their communities.
