Balls & Smiles

Ball making at Betterworld Village in Burgerspark

Members of the Green Feet team work-shopped with kids from Pretoria City center teaching them how to make the ultimate township soccer ball from waste found in the surrounding area. An abundance of FUN & GAMES & LAUGHTER...

mamelodi ball factory

Under guidance of Green Feet members, young people from Mamelodi and other townships will embark on a waste collection campaign - gathering rubbish (plastic bags, sponge, clothes, yogurt cups, newspaper etc.) from the streets and deliver it to the Event Day's 'Ball Factory'. This is where team members and helpers from Green Feet will teach and assist the youth to create the so-called "Green Balls" from the collected waste.

mamelodi ball factory

This South African township Green Ball 'factory' is an effective contributor to social development through soccer in South Africa; it makes a valuable contribution to social upliftment through skills training and creates among the youth an awareness of the immense impact waste has on their environment.
Not only does each child get to take his/her ball home - the balls can also be produced and sold as World Cup souvenirs and used by soccer players world wide to experience a truly African soccer game.
By the purchase of a ball, a buyer can make a meaningful contribution to upliftment in Southern Africa.

mamelodi ball factory

The environmental organization "Green Feet" has for some time now and with great commitment, been involved with local township communities, especially the youth, raising awareness of environmental issues and teaching children the possibility of creatively turning waste into something functional, usable and valuable.
In conjunction with the 19th FIFA World Cup, Green Feet will implement the 'Mamelodi Ball Factory' project.

Meeting Lunga

For the Mamelodi Ball Factory, Green Feet wanted firstly to collaborate with another African partner, and secondly wanted to find a competent "ball maker" that would be willing to teach facilitators in Mamelodi how to make the Eco balls from waste material.
After a long search, we discovered LUNGA SIDZUMO from Grassrootsocccer in Cape Town.
Lunga is a very dynamic 26-year-old Khayelistsha resident, which besides being a full time coach for Grassrootsoccer as well as managing his own soccer team also finds the time as partner in www.ragballinternational.com to assist youngsters in the township to manufacture soccer balls through which they can generate a small income for themselves.
We are hoping to bring Lunga to Pretoria within the next month to start workshops for Green Feet facilitators.

EENDRACHT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Eendracht Primary School is situated in Pretoria city centre with an enrolment of 743 learners from different cultural and economical backgrounds. Most of the learners come from the city centre where there is minimal natural environment exposed to them, and where there is a great need for recreational - and extra curricular activities.
We have noticed that many environmental - and developmental projects are mainly focused in the townships and rural areas, excluding city children from gaining from the skills and knowledge these projects have to offer .Green Feet's part in this collaboration was to teach children how to make musical instruments from waste material, showing them how we can creatively use this free resource.

EENDRACHT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Through an integrated approach towards Youth Development, the Youth Development Forum (GTZ), Altus Sport, Karos & Kambro and Green Feet strive to inspire children to make responsible choices in their lives, to offer both relief and joy for today and hope for the future, providing the participants with self-confidence, critical thought and other valuable “tools” necessary for an overall healthy journey through life.
This pilot project seeks to present alternative options for combating problems such as teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and cultural intolerance by using the positive impact of sport, performing arts, creative art and environmental education as a way to foster social and human development, and to inspire the youth to actively participate in shaping their community.

CLOCKWORKS IN WINTERVELDT

Thabang Kganyago is one of the Facilitators that have been working for Green Feet since 2008. Previously unemployed, Thabang was given training in Environmental Education and Art and Craft, and now works at inspiring children in Mamelodi and Winterveldt townships. Here she is seen helping the children of a Winterveldt primary school during the ClockWorks project 2009 to make clocks out of waste material.

CLOCKWORKS in Winterveldt

During "launching days", Green Feet team members not only played environmental games with the grade 5 & 6 learners. As a treat at the end of the day, each child was given a fresh, crispy Green Apple (supplied by Faerie Dale Fresh Produce) which rewarded us with plenty broad smiles.
In the foreground with the kids is Emily Mpye, a Green Feet facilitator and Winterveldt resident.