training4changeS

I have nearly 20 years experience living and working across Sub-Saharan Africa. I obtained a Master’s Degree in Global Leadership in 2010, and more recently completed professional certificates through George Washington University and Harvard University. Moving between cultures I’ve honed the ability to connect with a radically diverse spectrum of people. I am equally at ease in a dim hut and a shiny boardroom, coaching on the pitch and cultivating content. My experience includes project management, fundraising, marketing, brand development, and content creation. I am a purpose-driven glocal leader in sport for social change. In 2013 I co-founded training4changeS, a social enterprise addressing inequalities in South African education and social systems. We build transformational relationships and provide individualized support to young people over a long period of time. Working both inside and outside the classroom we have an accredited purposeful play curriculum that we use to innovate education.

training4changeS has built a reputation on empowering and promoting the social inclusion of all. We successfully reach across stark racial and socioeconomic divides, bringing together different communities. We directly confront spatial inequality by designing activities to bring young people out of disadvantaged communities into spaces traditionally perceived as ‘Whites only’ spaces. Because early underdevelopment creates inequality that becomes increasingly difficult to repair, we begin working with children from an early age. We collaborate with numerous stakeholders to help rebuff culturally entrenched discriminatory practices and promoting equal opportunities for all. Our accredited curriculum addresses academic inequalities; it is designed to equip participants with skills for literacy and numeracy, as well as relevant skills for employment. We create safe spaces that provide participants respite from the harsh realities of everyday life. Our proven approach provides a transferable model that can be easily adapted to elevate humanity worldwide.

The World Bank currently rates South Africa as the most unequal country in the world. Because Stellenbosch is South Africa’s most unequal town, we believe it is the perfect laboratory for tackling the root causes of both resource and existential inequality. Activities producing demonstrated impact here can be adapted globally. Stellenbosch is renowned for excellent educational institutions and an acclaimed wine industry. The intellectual birthplace of Apartheid, it has long been synonymous with domineering, patriarchal, misogynistic, and racist undertones. Sadly, its exclusivist economy still largely denies non-white residents access to quality education and social mobility. The town’s disparities are marked by the fact that 2 residents of Stellenbosch own as much as 27 million other South Africans. Although Stellenbosch has 3200 dollar millionaires, the average household income is just $132/month. Increasing inequality continues to breed violence and criminality. Inequality is systemic, intergenerational, interpersonal and multidimensional. Generational trauma instills shame, self-contempt, and fear in young people. Intergenerational mobility is low, and the struggle is exacerbated by high poverty and unemployment. Systemic transformation necessitates a holistic approach that empowers every individual. We have seen that sport affords us space to build the relationships and trust required to inspire change. 

We have built a sport-oriented space more diverse than any in the area. Through futsal we empower people from different socioeconomic backgrounds to come together to help reverse the alarming inequality plaguing our communities. All of our inclusive safe spaces encourage participants to explore diversity and embrace shared humanity; discover ways to reduce inequalities, and learn to build a future unshackled from the chains of injustice. Our approach is two-pronged:  

1. We run a Futsal Academy that welcomes primary school boys 5 days a week, providing:

• 3 days of futsal-based sessions incorporating accredited purposeful play for education outside the classroom
• 1 day of classroom-based academic support sessions providing individualized lessons to help participants achieve age appropriate literacy and numeracy goals
• 1 day of futsal competition
• Participants also engage in personal development sessions exploring important themes including leadership, peace, and justice through self-directed learning 

2. Through our #againstALLodds campaign we provide regular opportunities for girls to participate in futsal. We collaborate with community-based organisations in the Greater Cape Town area to facilitate purposeful play – utilising our education outside the classroom curriculum, alongside futsal, to equip girls with skills to help end abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of gender-based violence.

70% of Stellenbosch’s population is trapped in poverty. Drugs, violence and gang activity are wreaking havoc in many communities around Stellenbosch. Gender-based violence has reached crisis proportions. The prevalence of violence at home, on the streets and at schools means there are insufficient safe spaces for young people in Stellenbosch.

Among training4changeS participants:

• 99% are at-risk, and live in low-income communities rife with violence, crime, and abuse
• 45% have witnessed knife crime and murder before the age of 12
• 30% say they live in fear from violent threats made to them by family members
• Only 20% live in neighbourhoods with safe play areas
• 75% of the schools they attend offer substandard academic support

Among children in the surrounding area:

• 80% live in poverty.
• 55% live in households affected by unemployment
• 25% live with a caregiver who has been in jail
• 1 in 3 females face physical and sexual abuse

The strength of our project lies in our inclusive participatory approach that enables us to co-create locally relevant solutions with community members. By involving community members in every level of training4changeS, and engaging in frequent conversation, we ensure that local voices remain central in our efforts to drive systemic change.

training4changeS has successfully created a space that elevates understanding of and between people, our approach is capable of changing people’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Our cost-effective relational sport-oriented approach transcends culture, and is extremely scalable. We have a track record of effective partnerships and proven impact. We’ve shown ourselves to be resilient problem-solvers. Our diverse team is purpose-driven, our approach is innovative and transformational. Having accomplished a great deal with very limited resources, training4changeS is an ideal candidate for The Elevate Prize. The resulting resources and audience would enable training4changeS to do much more, and to inspire others.

Growing up with a ball at my feet in rural Africa, I experienced firsthand the transforming power of soccer. For young people all around me, soccer was the pathway to the life they dreamed of. Success on the field could open doors to education and travel; it could put food on the table and provide for families. For many, soccer offered a faint glimmer of hope in a world of darkness. After having the privilege to travel the world playing soccer and going on to earn two degrees in the USA, I was determined to use the game I loved to give back to the continent that had offered me so much. In 2010 I began a period of research and development in South Africa. Over the next 3 years I worked with a team including Kendra Thomae, Sylvester Nogada, Quinton Allies, and other local community members monitoring and evaluating institutional voids that perpetuated inequality and unemployment. We determined that futsal (5-a-side soccer) provided powerful platform for co-creating locally relevant solutions to address the complexities of inequality, provide quality education, and catalyze youth employment. Through this collaborative effort training4changeS was founded as a non-profit company in 2013.

I’ve bled and nearly died in Africa, the land I love. I am intrigued by Africa’s people, and their cultures. I am enthralled by its richness of diversity. Africa is a place of unparalleled potential, a land of intrigue that has captivated my every sense. South Africa is in a strategic position to shape the future of the continent.

Africa taught me to love soccer, a simple game that forges common ground. Nelson Mandela once said, “If there is one thing in this planet that has the power to bind people together it is football.” I have seen soccer become a pathway to dreams, open doors to education, expand horizons, put food on tables, and bring peace to communities.

I have focused my life on using the game I love to give back to the continent that has offered me so much. I am committed to helping people find creative solutions so they can reach their full potential. Soccer is my modus operandi; my preferred means of educating, including the marginalized, empowering the powerless, and bringing hope to the hopeless. I use soccer to break down barriers and build relationships, because it speaks louder than my voice ever could.

I have been involved with soccer for over 20 years, including playing and coaching on 3 continents. I have also earned multiple degrees, coaching licenses, and professional certificates. I started using sport for social change more than 15 years ago, and I have been instrumental in pioneering a unique model focused on building deep transformational relationships with individuals in order to change communities. From coaching grassroots soccer to using futsal as a platform for reconciliation and youth development to helping redefine the way sport is used for social change, I have gained a wealth of experience that I am always keen to share with others. I am deeply passionate about creating innovative spaces where learning is fun, and enabling people from diverse backgrounds to build transformational relationships. I am embedded in the Stellenbosch community, yet engaged with a global network that allows me to bring universal best practices to my local context. At training4changeS I have developed an award winning team of diverse people with complementary skillsets. I have a burning dedication to helping others realize their full potential. I have cultivated a commitment to excellence that has seen training4changeS grow from a grassroots movement to become recognised as the #1 African organisation using sport for peace and social justice. Our team has won multiple awards locally and globally. Our approach has demonstrated clear impact, and has been shared with people around the world as a model of excellence. 

COVID-19 enforced lockdown has kept us from convening our participants since March 16th, but this adversity has provided numerous opportunities. Just prior to lockdown we created a purposeful play education session to raise awareness about Coronavirus. Participants learned about the origins and spread of the virus, transmission (emphasizing the threat of people spreading the virus while they are asymptomatic), ways to curb the spread, understanding myths vs. facts, and steps to take if you contract the virus. The knowledge gained allowed our participants to become young health ambassadors in their communities.

Because over 75% of our participants don’t have internet access, the most effective platform for engagement during the lockdown has been Whatsapp. We have established new routines for maintaining regular contact with each participant’s family, monitoring their health status as well as food and financial security. We have successfully lead a grassroots fundraising campaign to feed our at-risk participants, and we have been able to provide individualized learning materials for our young people that have not been able to attend school.

COVID-19 has emphasized the importance of resilience. Purposefully planning for resilience has enabled us to overcome adversity, and turn unexpected challenges into growth opportunities.

The moment training4changeS’ coach Keke Lehana took the stage at the 2018 Beyond Sport Awards in New York City to receive the Courageous Use of Sport Award was a milestone in my leadership journey. Four Years earlier Keke had been a shy young man devoid of self-confidence and direction, but I brought him onto the training4changeS team because I recognized enormous potential in him. At training4changeS, I have helped lead Keke on a journey of self-discovery and self-directed learning that has seen him become a vocal role model in his community. He has twice been recognized by the Mayor of Stellenbosch for his contribution to the town, he has spoken at multiple international events, traveled abroad to train sport for social change practitioners, and daily inspires young people around him through to strive for excellence. Keke’s triumph, and his daily commitment to changing his community through sport, embodies the legacy I aim to leave as a leader, and the approach I use to influence others. I am a firm believer in a relationship-based approach towards transformation, and I am privileged to journey with Keke and other young people like him to help them realize their full potential.

training4changeS has pioneered an innovative approach to using sport for social change, an approach that focuses on building high-impact long-term relationships with young people. This relationship-based approach has proven popular with those involved. From our experience, our interaction with other NGOs, and our global insights gleaned working across sectors to drive social change, we understand this approach is not always the most attractive. Large-scale investors often want to see big numbers to match their big visions for their big brands and bank accounts. We don’t believe human and community development can prioritize those ends. The strength of our success comes from prioritizing smaller numbers with deeper, more expansive qualitative outcomes over a longer time period. As we continue to demonstrate impact with this innovative purpose-driven approach, we are confident that others around the world will shift their value-system so success can be redefined by trust, relationships, empathy and justice for all.

The challenges young people around us face stem from adverse social issues, including racial injustice, unemployment, high crime rates, gangsterism, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and limited advancement opportunities. The solutions we employ are using futsal to create jobs for local youth; investing in children’s education and overall well-being; overcoming social divides, such as sexism and racism; addressing crime and violence in poverty-stricken areas; and educating people on HIV/AIDS prevention. The change we see is young people discovering hope for the future, pursuing education and career opportunities, becoming positive role models in their community, and demonstrating clear holisitc growth. The legacy we are leaving is young people who are better prepared to lead fulfilling lives and are contributing to sustained change in their communities and beyond.

training4changeS has purposefully focused on developing a scalable model built on going deep with small numbers so that we can build deep transformational relationships with each individual. In developing this model since 2014, we have served with 1466 people. Our proven approach currently serves 78 people, and is well-positioned scale locally, nationally and beyond. In one year we aim to be serving 500 people locally. In five years we aim to be serving 5000 people locally, as well as to have scaled our project nationally and internationally through NGO and sport governing body networks.

Within the next year training4changeS intends to setup infrastructure (including a futsal pitch and modular workspace) in Stellenbosch to:

• House the training4changeS’ office space + a collaborative workspace for community-based organizations
• Host our internationally acclaimed activities
• Facilitate skills training initiatives, including our Skills4Life Employability workshops and coaching courses
• Run futsal leagues, tournaments, and events to generate income to support the abovementioned activities

• Run grassroots sport and education outside the classroom activities that benefit local schools and residents of surrounding low-income communities

The space we have earmarked for this development is centrally located within Stellenbosch; it is therefore ideally positioned to become a connecting point for multiple communities, and is conducive to attracting cross-sector collaboration opportunities to maximise the social impact of the project.

Within the next 5 years, our goal is for the abovementioned venue to be running as a sustainable impact hub that is providing education opportunities, job skill training, employment pathways to youth in the local area. This training hub will also allow us to equip practitioners from across South Africa and beyond to use our innovative approach so that we can collaborate and begin to effectively scale both nationally and internationally.

As the intellectual birthplace of Apartheid, Stellenbosch has long been synonymous with a domineering, patriarchal, misogynistic, and racist culture. Its exclusivist economy continues to stimulate drastic inequality. Although we are convinced that this difficult environment is the ideal place to spearhead systemic change, we are well aware of the entrenched resistance we will continue to face in pursuit of our goals. We are functioning within a highly politicized environment where many of the key role players are averse to systemic change. This polarizing environment has a tendency to discourage potential investors who prefer quick-fix solutions to the long-term approach required to address South Africa’s social challenges. These challenges have made it difficult to attract substantial investment in the early years of our project, and have made it difficult to fully develop our plans for infrastructure development. Knowing the environment as well as we do, we are well aware that we will continue to be plagued by many of these challenges in the years to come. From attracting investment to navigating the sociopolitical landscape, we are under no illusion that the path to change will be difficult. Nevertheless, the impact we have seen in these early years continue to inspire hope and drive us forward with great resolve.

Since training4changeS began to work in Stellenbosch, our unwavering resilience and outstanding team have steadily driven us forward. We have demonstrated impact, and have slowly continued building social capital across the many cultural divides we face. We not relent from our relationship-based approach, and we are confident that our movement will continue to gain support. Over the course of the last year we have been working on developing our aforementioned infrastructure project, and this process has allowed us to gain valuable insight into the political climate. We have built relationships across the political spectrum, and will continue to cultivate these relationships as we position our project to address nonpartisan needs of the communities around us. Since launching our pilot project in 2014 we have demonstrated a profound ability to achieve sustained impact on a shoestring budget. As we gain visibility through valuable opportunities such as The Elevate Prize, we are confident that our ever-expanding track record of demonstrating good social return on investment will continue to attract financial investment. This in turn will allow us to continue to strengthening our impact and scaling our project. We have clearly demonstrated long-term commitment, and as our proven approach continues to yield impact, we are confident of forming new partnerships that will allow us to overcome any barriers on the road ahead.

training4changeS has grown in large part through financial contributions of individual donors across the globe, and through the support of numerous people volunteering their expertise behind the scenes.

Some of our other key partners include –

Coaches Across Continents:

• Empowering training4changeS staff to effectively use sport to reduce inequalities
• Equipping training4changeS staff to develop games promoting peaceful conflict resolution, social justice, and child protection
• Accredited training4changeS as 1st African organisation using Purposeful Play for Education Outside the Classroom

Common Goal:

• Connecting training4changeS with professional footballers who inspire our cause
• Providing training4changeS new funding streams
• Promoting training4changeS through OneFootball, L'Équipe, and other media outlets

streetfootballworld network:

• Providing access to football for good best practises
• Creating shared learning opportunities with leading organisations
• Enabling collaboration with other network members to develop women’s football in South Africa

Other influential partners include:

• Beyond Sport (providing catalytic growth opportunities through Beyond Sport Awards, WWE’s ‘Hero’ campaign, GWU Sports Philanthropy, and more)
• TrustLaw (providing pro bono legal services)
• Cape Town Titans Futsal Club (co-creating futsal development pathways for South Africa)
• Stellenbosch Sports Movement (a grassroots collaborative of sport for social change organizations)
• Stellenbosch Civil Advocacy Network (driving sustainable development in Stellenbosch and co-creating systemic solutions to pursue justice)

The majority of training4changeS funding comes from private donors locally and globally; over 99% of these individuals have committed to on-going long-term support. We receive annual grant funding from Stellenbosch Municipality, and have established a multiyear social investment scheme with a local corporate. Our highest profile source of international funding comes through Common Goal, and the participating footballers that have all committed to on-going financial support.

We receive a great deal of in-kind support from community stakeholders (i.e. event venues and transportation for participants), local government (i.e. logistical support and event venues), and other NGOs (i.e. office space, training venues, and personnel) that we have built sustained relationships with.

Our partnership with Coaches Across Continents is primarily built around shared human and intellectual resources. We prioritise local sustainability over traditional financially driven partnership models. We have invested countless hours into establishing a local ownership base, quality programming, as well as trusted and mutually beneficial relationships. We actively pursue joint-funding opportunities, but have positioned our partnership not to be driven by finances.

In an effort to continue pushing towards sustainability we have been working to develop new revenue streams, including providing various services on a contractual basis to the local government and businesses.

To catalyse our growth we are working to raise investment capital that would allow us to develop our own property in Stellenbosch. Developing infrastructure on this property would allow us to kick-start a social enterprise and create sustainable revenue streams.

During these early years of our project, the majority of our funding has come from individual private donors in South Africa, the UK, and the USA. Donor support plays an important role in our funding model as it also creates an exciting space for collaboration. As we have begun to grow, we have increased the amount of grant funding that we have received – including small grants from Common Goal ($8475), Games4Good Foundation ($5000) South African National Lotteries Commission ($3487), and Stellenbosch Municipality ($2789). We have also established a corporate social investment partnership with Stellenbosch-based SALBA ($4000/year).

training4changeS operates completely debt-free. As such, we raise our entire operating budget ($71,999 for 2020) through a combination of donor and grant funding. As we look to scale, we are working to secure larger grants and multi-year funding. Additionally we are working to raise $225,000 of capital investment for our building project.

Below is an overview of program related costs for 2020 (Total: $71,999):

• Education Outside the Classroom: $16,959
• Education Inside the Classroom: $7,052
• Competitive Sport Activities $4,086
• Participant Skills Training: $2,593
• Participant Transportation: $3,251
• Personnel: $20,926
• Personnel Training: $3,686
• Contracted Supplier Services: $8,187
• Administration: $5,259

Applying for The Elevate Prize is an unparalleled opportunity to take training4changeS to the next level. Having developed a cost-effective model with proven impact, The Elevate Prize can provide access to professional development services, and connections to a powerful network of influencers, industry leaders, and subject-matter experts that can significantly multiply our impact. training4changeS was established with a vision to become a local and global leader in sport for social change. Although we have built a strong global network, The Elevate Prize can provide access to new global audiences that will catalyze our growth. We firmly believe that The Elevate Prize gives us an unprecedented opportunity to elevate understanding between people in a way that will dramatically change people’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. With backing from The Elevate Prize we will be able to help rewrite the narrative for South Africa, and help usher in a new era marked by justice and equality for all. In so doing, we will be able to offer a unique innovative solution that transcends culture, and is easily scalable a cross the globe.

In order for training4changeS to continue growing and scaling our impact, we are actively seeking new partnerships and growth opportunities. To reach our full potential, we are well aware that we need increased funding, including developing a sustainable revenue model. As we look to grow, we would welcome input from experience strategic advisors who can help us strengthen our business model and diversify our funding. As we continue growing, we are constantly looking to innovate our monitoring and evaluation processes so that we can track and demonstrate our impact effectively. We believe that The Elevate Prize could give us access to experienced professionals who can help us grow in this area. Furthermore, this opportunity brings with it unique marketing and media exposure that can elevate our story, and lead to exciting new growth opportunities.

I am always open to developing new partnerships that can be mutual beneficial and maintain a healthy balance of power. I believe The Elevate Prize provides an unprecedented opportunity to develop new partnerships for training4changeS that can help multiply our impact in South Africa and beyond.