THE outbreak of the COVID-19 saw a lot of youngsters with little or nothing to do, thereby making them vulnerable to the temptations of vices such as drugs and alcohol.
This ignited a fire in Isaac ‘Bafana’ Ndabula to establish the Stars Football Club in his local community
“After my younger brother dropped out of high school, I found out that he was using drugs.
“This motivated me to start engaging with teenagers and find ways to get them off the streets and away from drugs,” explained Bafana.
He said some of the young men struggle at school due to various challenges and the soccer club gives them an opportunity to discover their talents, but the club does not only concentrate on soccer, but they also get assistance from teachers to help the boys with their school work.
Bafana said he gets a lot of support from the community and the coach of the club, Stone, plays a huge role in motivating the boys. Springbok captain, Siya Kolisi, hails from the same area and Bafana says this also helps to inspire the young men to achieve success.
“It is my vision to add worth to someone’s life without expectations of any financial or other gain. To play a small role in changing someone’s life for the better, is the greatest achievement one can accomplish.”
Bafana worked at Eyethu Fishing for six years as a general worker, but was retrenched in 2019. He always wanted to work on board a vessel and completed the Safe Manning Training at his own cost.
“It wasn’t easy, I did it while being employed, but I succeeded and this was a big achievement for me, going from a general worker in production to a deckhand on a vessel was a big step for me.”
The club was started during the pandemic with very few resources. Eyethu Fishing assisted the club by sponsoring the soccer kits.
“When a company supports organisations in our community it brings the culture and values of the company forth. It also has a positive impact on marketing the business.”
Bafana says he can already see the difference the club is making. “There has been an improvement in the boys’ school work and I’m certain there has been a decrease in the number of the teens in the area using alcohol and drugs.”
The club’s vision is to accommodate more sporting codes; they are currently also working on assisting learners with after-school tutoring.
“The idea is to have consulting rooms at one of the nearby schools from September, where youngsters can engage with recovering drug and alcohol abusers and ex–convicts will be sharing their experience of living a life of crime and imprisonment, in order to educate youngsters on the consequences of wrong choices.”
– ISSUED BY: EYETHU FISHING
