Schools’ sporting chance at making streets safer
IN an attempt to keep the streets safer, almost 1 000 children from the Helenvale and broader northern areas primary schools community participated in an action-packed interschools sports day at the Gelvandale Sports Ground yesterday.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Development Agency, together with Safety and Peace Through Urban Upgrading, used the interschools sports day – consisting of sevens rugby, netball and a hockey clinic among other sporting activities – to promote sport and social cohesion in the community.
“We saw it to be of utmost importance to keep the youth involved in sport and get the children from the different schools playing together,” MBDA marketing and communications manager Luvuyo Bangazi said.
“We know there are no-go areas in Helenvale due to gangsterism and drug abuse, and so we saw the need to start building a social cohesion for the children and youth in this community.
“The interschools programme is mainly for the kids to play and be more socially orientated.
“Intervening in the youngsters’ lives at an early age gives us a chance to form different behaviours and show them different options in sport that are way beyond gangsterism and drugs.”
“We also want to show them that there are different options on the sporting field for those who are not as good as the others,” Bangazi said.
SUM Matrix Consultants representative Neil Campher said: “Celebrating this event in the same week of child protection and anti-violence against children helps us address societal problems.
“Using sport for peace and bringing the community together is what we strive for, and we hope to see that coming to reality.
“We hope to get league participation programmes and have the community at large realising the power physical movement has on children.”
The event started with a march, with members of the community gathering in a parade of song and dance, to the Gelvandale grounds.
Helenvale Primary School principal Malcolm Roberts said: “This is a terrific occasion for us who live in the Gelvandale and Helenvale communities and notice the trauma our children face daily.
“We are delighted that, with the involvement of school governing bodies and community members, we will keep the sporting events going and then see the talent surfacing at prestigious tournaments,” he said.
A donation of sporting apparel from the MBDA and Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality was given to the five schools in Helenvale and Gelvandale in a bid to ensure continuing sporting activity at the schools.
Using sport for peace and bringing the community together is what we strive for