Mission
To unite, educate, and inspire youth from divided communities through sport.
Vision
Individual and community connections, creating a more peaceful South Africa.
Goal
To use the power of sport to build a transformed, unified and equitable South Africa.
Theory of Problem
In post-apartheid South Africa, children and youth of different ethnic groups remain geographically divided by race, culture, education, and class. Youth attending affluent schools, mostly urban communities, rarely receive the opportunity to develop friendships with other groups, resulting in a lack of awareness of the necessary change needed. This division leaves township and rural area youth marginalized, lacking access to extra-curricular activities to gain essential life skills in a sports setting within their schools and communities.
Theory of Change
IF PeacePlayers South Africa engages children and youth from different ethnic groups to participate in impactful and long term life skills through basketball programmes, by providing access to shared safe spaces to collaborate, develop leadership skills and friendships; THEN they will become diverse, inspired and capable group of peace advocates working to influence social change in their schools and communities within South Africa.
Who Are We?
PeacePlayers South Africa (PP-SA) is a nonprofit organisation established in 2001 that uses basketball as a catalyst to facilitate life skills and create more shared spaces amongst the youth of different races, socioeconomic backgrounds and communities. As youth progress through our programmes, they participate in transformational dialogue and grow to become advocates for peers of different races, genders, and communities. We facilitate life skills through basketball after school sessions in 25 primary and high schools for youth aged 9 – 35 for 28 weeks annually. These sessions are led by local Coaches who are trained by the Area Coordinators to conduct sessions centred around bridging divides, developing leaders, changing perceptions, and conflict transformation.
Along with our weekly sessions, we conduct five major events per year including our Girls’ Basketball Festival, 2 City Wide Tournaments, Friendship Games, and Annual General Meeting. Through these programmes and events, we utilise our platform to address social issues that arise within our communities. Our programmes take place in Umlazi, Lamontville, Wentworth, Durban City, and Molweni. We have partners in Cottonlands , Hillcrest, and Pietermaritzburg YMCA. As a part of our growth and expansion plan, we partner with organisations in different parts of the province and country through technical assistance by sharing our unique methodology through capacity building to enhance skills that these local organisations are in need of. Previously, we partnered with organisations such as Save the Children, Zero 2 Five, Zoe Life, LIV Village, Philangethemba Impact, Indigo Youth Movement and United Through Sports.
Since our inception, we have increased our geographic impact from across the country to throughout the world. Our global network of sites addresses social issues in the United States Cyprus, Northern Ireland, and the Middle East. PeacePlayers South Africa offers consistent life skills through basketball programmes throughout the year.
Outcome
Outcome 1: Youth develop an improved sense of self
Outcome 2: Positive relationships develop between the youth of different races
Outcome 3: Increased mutual respect and understanding among youth of different races
Outcome 4: Participants gain a better understanding of how the structure of the social impacts them as individuals and communities
Intermediate Outcome: Participants improved life outcomes
Outcome 5: Youth are equipped to be leaders
Awards
In 2021 we won the KZN Recreation Body of the Year award from the Department of Sport & Recreation, the KZN Youth in Sport award at the First Annual KZN Youth Business Awards, and we finished as a finalist for the 2021 Hollard Sport Industry Active & Well-being award. Previously we have won the KZN Department of Sport and Recreation, Recreation Body of the Year Award in 2018 and completed as a finalist in 2019.
Contact Us:
Executive Director: Alison Misselhorn
Tel – (+27) 31-201-0627
Email –
Website – https://peaceplayers.org/south-africa/
Address: PeacePlayers South Africa, 3rd Floor Friday Morning Studios, 94 Florida Road, Durban, 4001