The What Took You So Long team will couple with Hoops 4 Hope in South Africa. This organization, active in South Africa, the United States and Zimbabwe, teaches life skills through basketball. More than 10 000 young people in South Africa and Zimbabwe have attended H4H’s workshops and several stay to build courts, recreation centres and community basketball leagues with the foundation’s funding. This is a truly innovative concept and probably a lot of fun! Hoops 4 Hope is especially noteworthy for its successful networking between American communities and their counterparts in southern Africa.
In Johannesburg, the Soweto Backpackers have developed a similar program but for soccer. Funding from Canada and Europe has established a vibrant community league and work on the ground has cleared and beautified parkland. Originally an inn for tourists, the organization has grown to encompass responsible tourism, community development and direct financial sustenance.
One Comment
I heard about your organization through Hiro and Couch Surfers. I’m sorry I missed your delegates. I was hoping that you would have taken me up on the offer of staying over at my home during your time in Cape Town.
I’m very interested in your work. Next time, you should come and visit the organization that I work for, Educo Africa. We do Personal Leadership and Development work with youth at risk, and train adults to work developmentally with young people in their care. We use outdoor experiential learning (mainly in the wilderness) as the foundation of our work. Check it out: http://www.educo.org.za
I will be spreading the word about What Took You So Long, and will post a link of your site in our blog.
Here’s hoping we could do something together oneday!
Warm regards
Chez Pool
Development Coordinator
EDUCO AFRICA