Kolisi Foundation’s collaborative effort shapes future for young sports stars

The Zwide Siyaphakama Schools Project, set up by the Kolisi Foundation in collaboration with other organisations, celebrated its launch with a series of sports matches at Isaac Booi Primary, in Zwide, Gqeberha, last week.

The inaugural education and sports development project is named after co-founder and Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi and his mother, Phakama.

Siyaphakama means “we are rising” and the project seeks to address the multitude of challenges facing township youths by creating a tailor-made programme to address physical education, nutrition, academic education, life skills and youth employment.

It is a collaborative initiative between the Kolisi Foundation, Ubuntu Pathways, United Through Sport and KaziBantu.

Its mission is to help develop healthy, active, emotionally and academically stronger children while contributing to the broader development of the Zwide community and beyond, creating pathways for both sporting and education success.

Six Zwide schools are participating in the Siyaphakama project — Emsengeni (Siya’s primary school), Isaac Booi, Garret and Ubuntu Pathways primary schools, Daniels Lower Primary and Sithembile Junior.

Project partner United Through Sport recruited youths from surrounding areas who were then trained by KaziBantu to be sport co-ordinators.

Two co-ordinators have been placed at each school in the project to oversee daily physical education lessons and after-school sports.

The Siyaphakama interschool sports league kicked off in August and 500 supporters attended the first rugby match between two of the schools.

The weekly sports league has been a highlight of the project as schools compete against each other in rugby, soccer and netball.

In October, an interschool sevens rugby tournament will be held, which will include schools in the Siyaphakama project as well as other schools in the wider Zwide area.

“The Siyaphakama project is revolutionary in our communities,” United Through Sport programme manager Athenkosi Mayinje said.

“Seeing its effect first-hand on the children, the schools and the surrounding community has been remarkable.

“It is giving children not just the opportunity to play, but the opportunity to dream. It’s about access and opportunity meeting.”

In addition to physical education lessons and the interschool sports league, project partner Kazibantu conducted a short learning programme with 60 foundation phase teachers in September.

The training equips teachers with the tools to facilitate physical education lessons and to integrate a range of physical education activities into their classrooms.

The KaziKidz teaching material is a groundbreaking resource freely available to teachers across the country.

The first training had teachers moving and helped them understand the importance of physical activity — for both teachers and pupils.

“The beauty of the Siyaphakama project is that it was created in collaboration,” the Kolisi Foundation’s education and sport programme co-ordinator, Alison Claassen, said.

“It was a collective dreaming, planning and, now, doing.

“As we do the work, the community continues to shape the way we do it so that these programmes fit this community and not the other way around.”