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South Africa

PeacePlayers International - South Africa (PPI - SA) is an independently registered charity (NPO No: 024-786-NPO / PBO No: 930023713) in South Africa that uses basketball to help the young people of KwaZulu-Natal overcome the two greatest threats they face today – HIV/AIDS and a lack of viable educational and employment opportunities.

In response to the staggering toll of HIV/AIDS on South Africa, and KwaZulu-Natal in particular, PPI - SA has augmented its peacebuilding program with an innovative life skills curriculum developed in partnership with the Harvard School of Public Health's Centre for the Support of Peer Education. Trained coaches serve as mentors as well as educators, functioning more as older brothers and sisters than authority figures. Skills sessions use a conversational format and interactive games to build trust, allowing PPI – SA to reach children even when discussing very sensitive topics, such as HIV/AIDS prevention, gender roles, and drugs and alcohol awareness.

PPI - SA works with nearly 1,000 participants in its current programmatic year.

Note: PPI-SA has been granted Section 18(A) status with the South African Revenue Services (SARS) that allows all PPI-SA funders to claim a deduction from personal or corporate taxable income up to a maximum of 10% on annual taxable income.  

Fastbreak in South Africa

Core Programs

PPI - SA’s programs include:

  • Primary School Programme

    Grade 6 and 7 students (ages 10-14) at 35 primary schools in and around the city of Durban participate in weekly practices that combine basketball with life skills education. While introducing participants to the basics of the sport, it raises their awareness about subjects such as teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, crime, gender issues, human and children’s rights and the threat of HIV/AIDS.

  • Leadership Development Programme

    PPI - SA recruits students in grades 8 through 12 (ages 14-18) to receive more in-depth basketball and life skills training, as they learn to not only live healthy lives themselves but also serve as leaders within their own families and communities. The Leadership Development Programme is a frequent source of new PPI – SA coaches.

  • Professional Development Programme

    Young people ages 18 through 25 from PPI - SA's partner communities serve as coaches to the organization’s younger participants, while receiving thorough training in both basketball and mentorship. PPI - SA also offers coaches professional training in topics such as resume preparation, financial management and interviewing.

Documentation:

Staff Contact: 
Marcel van der Heever
Interim Managing Director
28 2nd Avenue Greyville, 4001, South Africa
Phone: 
+27 (0)31-309 4412
mvanderheever@peaceplayersintl.org

Testimonials

"We work in an education system that is divided…PeacePlayers program is pointed towards the integration of those children. You’re getting children to mix in an environment where there’s not the...
Derrick Harkness, Principal, Carrs Glen Primary School, Northern Ireland
"When you get to know your teammates, it doesn’t really matter what their religion is."
Aoife Doherty, Participant, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland
"I was on the train one day with my Jewish friends and they started making fun of an Arab woman…I told them to stop and that she was embarrassed and that she just wanted to go to work. I then told...
Adiel, Participant, PeacePlayers International – Middle East
"In the beginning I participated for the basketball, but then I made friends with the Turkish-Cypriots. Now we play and we all have fun together."
Evripidis Kardamilas, Participant, PeacePlayers International – Cyprus
"A lot of kids believe that one kid on the other side is a good person, but every other one is a bad person, and they then carve out these narrow exceptions. What [PPI’s] curriculum is doing is...
Chad Ford, Director, David O. McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding, Brigham Young University
"We typically use activities such as art and drama to bridge divides between the youth. We always knew that sport had the potential to do the same, but PPI - ME's sport day went way above and beyond...
Yael Gur, Project Manager, A New Way, Israel
"We find that the PeacePlayers program brings in life-skills in a non-threatening way, and is helping to educate children on the big issues of HIV…We also find that in the PeacePlayers program, we...
Pamilla Mudhray, CSI Manager, Sasol, South Africa
"By focusing on the game of basketball and the values of sportsmanship, the youth learn to break down stereotypes to contribute to an environment whereby children who play together can learn to live...
Bicommunal Support Program, U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus
"I was scared to death at first. But by the end of the match, I realized we were all the same."
Geina Mdungo, Participant, PeacePlayers Interational – South Africa
"Basketball has added a new dimension to our sporting activities. Of course, it improves coordination and also improves communication between the kids themselves. It’s wonderful that PPI has become...
Jennifer Sonasundrum, Principal, Merry Hill Primary School, South Africa
"I met new players I didn't know before, and learned how to play with new people. The best part was learning things from new players and different areas coming together. I learned you don't have to...
Amir, Participant, PeacePlayers International – Middle East
"Programmes like this that work at the grass roots level with the young people in our society are vital to achieving sustainable peace within our communities. We are committed to supporting and...
Denis Rooney, CBE, Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland, Chairman, International Fund for Ireland
"If she takes one thing away, it’s to know that there’s no differences from the other community, that everybody’s equal, and that she has great enjoyment with PeacePlayers."
Nula Doherty, Parent, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland
"I’m glad that Ronnie’s taking part in PeacePlayers…hopefully Ronny doesn’t have to go through what I went through at Ronnie’s age.”
Manny Macauley, Parent, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland
"It’s hard to live without my parents, but my PPI coach is always there for me. He’s really more like a brother."
Sihle Cele, Participant, PeacePlayers International – South Africa
"At the start [playing together] wasn't weird, but it was different because we would never have gotten the opportunity to go out and meet Protestants and be friends with them."
Ann Murphy, Participant, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland