A group of young delegates from the Cape Flats returned home buzzing with ideas after attending Festival 26, an international youth empowerment event held in Boston, USA, from Sunday 5 July to Monday 13 July.

The delegation represented Oasis “Reach For Your Dreams,” a Schaapkraal-based non-profit organisation (NPO) founded in 2000.

Oasis uses sport – specifically football and netball – as a vehicle to empower youth and marginalised communities, while also offering life skills training, violence prevention programmes and community upliftment initiatives for at-risk youth.

Youth delegation

The five young delegates – Shady Jaftha, Zoe Ruiters, Nathan Harrison, Keanu Sampson and Liyanda Narwele – hail from Lotus River, Grassy Park, Ottery and Phulmani Village.

They were accompanied by youth leader Lynn Damons and flew out of Cape Town International Airport on the morning of Monday 6 July.

Their participation was made possible after Oasis successfully reached its fundraising target of R240 000 – a goal the NPO had been appealing to the public to support just weeks before departure.

Festival 26 brought together approximately 400 young people from 24 countries, providing a platform for cultural exchange, leadership development, global citizenship and international networking.

Oasis was invited to participate as a proud member of the global Common Goal network, placing the Cape Flats organisation firmly on an international stage.

Football3 inspiration

Delegate Nathan Harrison described it as “a life-changing opportunity,” with his highlight being the friendships made with young people from across the globe and participating in the Football3 tournament.

“It taught me to respect one another on and off the pitch. I also learned a lot about their cultural differences. We even shared our different backgrounds. I even challenged a YouTuber and beat him in his own challenge,” he said.

Football3 is a unique educational methodology and street football format designed to build vital life skills – such as fair play, gender equality and teamwork – on equal footing with athletic ability.

It emphasises conflict resolution and dialogue over traditional competitive refereeing.

Shady Jaftha, experiencing overseas travel for the first time, said the beautiful sights of Boston, the food, and the new friendships made it “a dream come true.”

Enriching experience

Zoe Ruiters echoed that sentiment, noting how delegates taught each other words from their different languages, creating memories she says she will never forget.

Quelynn Davids, another participant, said she will never forget the great memories they made in Boston and even got the chance to meet popular YouTuber SV2 in person.

“I’ve learned about Football3 which taught me that football is not only about football it’s about having respect for the next player and your teammates, it’s also about having fun,” she said.

Oasis founder Clifford Martinus expressed immense pride in the group’s growth throughout the experience.

“We believe the experience they gained abroad and the expansion of their horizons, should inform their future decision-making as they journey to finish their school years and likely further studies beyond school,” he said.

“We look ahead to having them even more involved in the Oasis organisation as youth ambassadors.”

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