Egoli Squash Youth Empowerment

The era of apartheid in South Africa may have been transformed but its effects linger on especially in the inner-city of Johannesburg, Soweto and Alexandra communities where infrastructure is poor and many residents live in densely populated areas, amid high levels of poverty, crime, HIV/AIDS and unemployment. Amid such deprived conditions, youths tend to resort to risky behaviour and easily fall into a cycle of HIV-infection, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and violence. Egolisquash programme uses the platform of sport as a catalyst to positively influence and empower learners to see opportunities outside of the cycle of poverty and crime in their communities. It uses the empowering and uniting characteristics of squash to “revive the spirit of Ubuntu” among youth between 8-19 years to realize their full academic, athletic and personal potential and affect social change. Our participants include disadvantaged boys and who live in three largely depressed areas around the greater Johannesburg area – the inner-city of Johannesburg, Soweto and Alexandra townships. Many of our youth are orphans, or live with grandparents and are responsible for younger siblings. Even those who do have parents struggle with poverty. All our players come from townships and informal settlements with almost entirely black populations. The program aims to engage kids from previously disadvantaged communities in an intensive and long -term experience, incorporating squash, fitness, tutoring, community service and mentoring in order to change children’s lives for better.