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South Africa Background

While apartheid has ended in South Africa, its effects are still felt, as the country remains divided by social and racial classes. Few structures exist that bring cultures together or that provide mentorship and guidance to the country's youth.

PeacePlayers International-South Africa (PPI-SA) is breaking down racial barriers, educating children about health issues, and providing alternatives to crime. It is investing in young South African adults in the KwaZulu-Natal province to serve as role models in order to positively effect change and to strengthen their communities.

There are many obstacles that face children growing up in KwaZulu-Natal. Over 5 million people in the region are infected with the HIV virus and over one third of young people between the ages of 18-36 will die from the disease. For the vast majority of our children, discussion of HIV and Aids is taboo, making open dialogue and awareness about the epidemic difficult. Crime, drugs & alcohol abuse, and school dropout rates are extremely high, and there is a lack of constructive outlets available for children.

PPI-SA addresses the issues that are crippling South African communities. Our efforts are breaking down racial barriers, educating children about health issues, and providing alternatives to crime. We are investing in young South African adults to serve as role models and to strengthen their communities.

Since December 2000, PeacePlayers International-South Africa has:

  • Taught the game of basketball to over 25,000 children from the city of Durban, its suburbs and its surrounding townships
  • Actively involved 7,000 10-14 year old boys and girls from 60 schools who participate in inter-community leagues, life skills clinics, court launches, tournaments and clubs
  • Trained and employed 200 young South African adults to serve as coaches and youth mentors
  • Built 45 outdoor basketball courts each of which is affixed with HIV/Aids awareness message
  • Held 11 tournaments each involving over 2,000 children who participate on mixed teams
  • Developed and implemented a program-wide HIV/Aids Awareness initiative in partnership with Harvard University 's School of Public Health and the University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • Become a registered charity in South Africa led by an active board of directors
  • Enlisted funding from the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, the South African government and several corporate sponsors

Program Activity

PPI-SA's local staff works with partnership organizations to administer and expand the program in Durban and its surrounding areas. Together they are:

  • Bringing together thousands of children from different backgrounds to play basketball and to forge positive relationships that transcend race, culture and religion;

  • Developed and implemented the Leadership Development Program community based initiative that aims to extend PPI-SA’s reach to older children who have graduated from the primary school program

  • Facilitating the acquiring of critical leadership tools through the Leadership Development Program for young adults so that they can make a positive difference in their communities and on the lives of the children with whom they work;
  • Utilizing the expertise of academics and community leaders to effectively educate children about HIV/Aids and other critical health issues;
  • Constructing basketball courts at clubs and schools where the program operates;
  • Building community ownership and sustainability

“I see it [PeacePlayers International] restoring hope and the passion for life that our generation is just losing”

Emmanuel Madondo -- Program Manager, PPI-SA and PPI-NI

Program activity includes:

  • Schools Program – Our coaches and administrators work in schools from the city, the suburbs, townships, and the rural areas to teach the game of basketball and encourage participation outside of school hours. Each school is assigned 2 coaches. The coaches work with sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys and girls after school twice a week during the school day. Interested children are invited to participate on the school team as well as in junior clubs, life skills clinics and tournaments in which children of different backgrounds are involved.
  • Pairing of Schools – Our staff facilitates links between schools from different communities by pairing up schools for yearlong (and hopefully lasting) partnerships. PeacePlayers International-South Africa facilitates weekly and bi-monthly programs for children from these schools to play basketball together in a festive atmosphere. At past sessions, schools have exchanged gifts and held welcoming parades. For many of these children, these events have provided the first opportunity for meaningful interaction with children of a different race and, in many cases, their first experience in a township, suburb, or rural area.
  • Life Skills Curriculum - The PPI-SA Life Skills program is training young South African adults to be peer mentors/ role models while educating thousands of children about HIV/Aids and other critical health and social issues by using an innovative and alternative methodology. Through local and international partnerships, the PPI-SA Life Skills team has developed and implemented a unique program wide “life skills” curriculum. The curriculum addresses important social issues in appropriate ways for these 10-14 year old boys and girls and provides them with the knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes and self-images that will enable them to lead healthy, productive lives. What differentiates our program from others is that our coaches have now established strong relationships with the kids they work with outside the classroom. We have trained our coaches as mentors/ role models to their children. The information they are taught to present is done so through open discussion outside the confined classrooms that encourages participation and interaction. A bond of trust has been formed which allows our coaches to reach their kids where others programs do not. The Life Skills program covers HIV/Aids awareness, Drugs & Alcohol awareness, Racism and Diversity, personal Development and Conflict Resolution.
  • Rural Outreach Program – In 2004 PPI-SA has expanded to the rural communities of Molweni and Umbumbulu, working with over 1,500 grade 6 and 7 boys and girls. We have celebrated 8 court launches (4 in each location). All 20 PPI-SA rural coaches are trained to lead life skills sessions with their kids using their PPI-SA Life Skills manuals. Their sessions are held at least once per week before practice. As their Life Skills sessions typically take place several times per week, our coaches have greater opportunity to pass on important information. Each site has also seen the formation of powerful HIV (+) positive public speaking workshops with peers from the community. Our children are facing the reality of the Aids epidemic by discussing it openly with their community leaders.
  • Leadership Development Program – The LDP is community based and aims to extend PeacePlayers International-South Africa’s reach to older children who have graduated from the primary school program and who want to remain involved. LDP has two main focuses. The first is to help children develop leadership skills so that they can become the future coaches for the program. By involving them in an ongoing training program, we will teach children the importance of giving back to the community and living healthy lives. The second is to further develop an exciting basketball league that keeps children active in their community and away from possibly harmful behavior.
  • Basketball/ Life Skill Clinics – PPI-SA facilitates monthly clinics that combine fundamental basketball instruction with life skills workshops. We partner with professional organizations that facilitate workshops in conflict resolution, HIV/Aids awareness, drugs & alcohol abuse, education, and health issues. The clinics involve between 50-100 children and are held on Saturdays at several venues. The participants are drawn from schools and clubs and are placed into small, diverse groups.
  • Tournaments – PPI-SA holds 2 major tournaments per year. These tournaments bring together thousands of boys and girls from Durban, its suburbs, the surrounding townships, and rural areas. We engage the community’s assistance in planning these events, which draw thousands of spectators. Past tournaments have been recognized as the largest cross-cultural youth sporting events in the history of KwaZulu-Natal. These tournaments are typically held each year on the first Saturday of June and the first Saturday of November.
  • Construction of Courts – Over the past five years, PPI-SA has overseen the construction of 45 outdoor basketball courts. These courts provide a safe place for children to play, which is a rare commodity in most of the communities in KwaZulu-Natal. We build courts at or nearby the schools and clubs with active programs, since most do not have gymnasiums or outdoor baskets. HIV/ Aids awareness slogans created by the community are placed on each backboard that we raise.

HIV/Aids Awareness Program

April 2003 marked the initial implementation of the current PeacePlayers International-South Africa (PPI-SA) HIV/Aids Awareness Program. This HIV/Aids peer education program involves each of our 85 PPI-SA coaches mentoring their kids on the many important social and health issues they face every day. PPI-SA is using the sport of basketball as a tool to grab the attention of the youth involved in our program, and in turn provide them with valuable life skills information necessary to leading long and healthy lives. It is well documented that the global HIV/Aids epidemic has the most severe infection rates in South Africa, specifically where we are based in the KwaZulu Natal province. Thus, it is imperative that today’s youth have as much information as possible to prevent the continued spread of this deadly virus. Our learners need our help now, as this epidemic is showing no signs of improvement. For more information, click here.