Three coaching staff of Stellenbosch NGO training4changeS have just returned home from Bandung in Indonesia, thanks to the support of the Fifa Community Foundation Programme.
Quinton Allies, Lorenzo Claassen and Azola Vetezo jetted off to the east on Tuesday 3 October and returned on Wednesday 10 October.
According to Daniel Thomae, international director, co-founder and manager of training4changeS, the NGO was established in 2013 to use sport as a catalyst for holistic community transformation and to intentionally equip young leaders with essential life skills and values.
“Training4changeS has become a global leader in using sport for good. Our work is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of Fifa. We provide a unique blend of high-level soccer coaching alongside quality education inside and outside the classroom. We build long-term mentoring relationships with children and young people,” he explained.
The purpose of the trip to Indonesia is part of a learning exchange with the organisation’s partners Inspire Indonesia. Support from the Fifa Foundation Community Programme enables the NGO to provide more in-depth support to children from Khayamandi, Cloetesville and other Stellenbosch communities, and also enables the NGO to provide transformational capacity building opportunities for their staff.
“Training4changeS and Inspire Indonesia are part of the Common Goal community of football for good organisations. Staff from Inspire Indonesia visited Stellenbosch last month to share their Pledge United Curriculum for addressing GBV through soccer. When the coaching staff returns to Stellenbosch they will apply their learnings to strengthen the work we are doing around Stellenbosch,” Thomae said.
“Our long-term relationship-based approach in Stellenbosch has clearly demonstrated high impact in communities marked by aspects such as unhealthy lifestyles, inequality, unemployment and violence. The strength of our approach is also reflected in our strong network and track record of true collaboration – both locally and globally.”
The trip to Indonesia has given Claassen his first opportunity to board a plane and travel outside of SA. “I am grateful to training4changeS for helping make this dream come true. The people we met in Indonesia were very friendly,” he said.
“It was nice to experience new cultures. I was inspired by some of the coaches we met, which encouraged me in my role as a coach but also in my effort to be a father figure to the boys I work with. As a parent I would encourage more parents to get involved with training4changeS and support the work we are doing to empower children through sport.”
Thomae emphasised that they create anti-racism safe spaces for holistic care through daily sessions that combine futsal coaching, education outside the classroom and academic support at their Futsal Academy in Stellenbosch.
“We provide primary and high school learners with ongoing individualised academic support to help ensure all of the boys achieve literacy and numeracy. We partner with The Reggie Meyer Education Fund to provide bursaries that help our kids access top quality high school education at Calling Academy,” he related.
“We also strive to equip young people with tangible skills for work so that they will be able to access, retain and excel in their desired field of employment.”
- For more information on training4changeS, contact Thomae on info@training4changes.org or 071 474 6554.
