The power of sports to bring people together in the Cape Flats
A programme sponsored by the United States actor Forest Whitaker’s Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) and the African arm of the NBA professional basketball league saw over 100 children join together in a once-off sports day in November 2023. It showed that high-profile sponsorships can give a critical push for community uplift and action. This event also showed that sports can bring people together – even in some of the toughest communities, including Athlone in the Cape Flats.
The programme highlight was a launch for the opening of a newly refurbished basketball court donated to the community. This investment in sports uplifts the community and gives young people access to healthier activities in their own neighbourhoods.
What was the problem?
The Cape Flats face many social problems. It often falls low on the City of Cape Town’s priority list, which means its infrastructure and maintenance is poor and investment into these areas is limited. With fewer safe and fun activities for the youth, it makes young people more easily drawn to crime, gangsterism and drugs.
As a result the community often struggles with divisions and a lack of unity and gang tension remains rife. This makes many people in these communities, caught up in cycles of violence, trauma and disruption, to build safer and more peaceful communities.
How did they fix it?
The WPDI Peace Through Sports programme, supported by NBA Africa worked with the City of Cape Town to invest in building a basketball court at the Cornflower Sports Grounds in Athlone, Cape Town. It came with the ideals that the new facility would host year-round youth basketball development programming and serve the broader Athlone community in the long-term.
A launch event was held to showcase the facility. The event was also to ensure that many locals could attend and unite in playing sports. The hope was that the community could see the value of sports to develop the youth. It was also to boost the idea of collective ownership for the new court.
The successful event saw Forest Whitaker arrive to open the court and to talk about the ideals of basketball that can also be applied to life. These include teamwork, fair play and respect.
Whitaker said at the event: “[The] goal is to nurture healthy bodies and healthy minds, providing the children and the youth of the community with a safe space where they can strengthen their stamina and their character. It is a place that will cultivate future NBA champions. When youth play basketball here, I want them to have a lot of fun, but I also want them to know that each dribble can take them towards a better life — for their community, for Cape Town, and one day perhaps even for the world.”
What makes it work?
Collaborating with people and organisations with a high-profile celebrity: The celebrity element of the project helped raise the profile of the project, and brought resources to the Cape Flats. The celebrity element helped raise the awareness and interest in the project within the community and also attracted the media.
Building on established projects: This project located itself at a facility already known in the community. This made it easier for locals to trust in the motivations behind the project.
Keeping things fun: Involving children in friendly matches helps build relationships and also stresses the ideals of the programme: for children to be free and safe to play and have fun.
Investing in development: The project was not just the once-off of a high-profile sports day event. The rebuilding of a court and creating a programme for sports activities through the NBA’s programmes have the intention to make the initiative sustainable and relevant in the long run.
Acknowledgements
Author: FixLocal Reporter
Additional articles/ sources:
US actor Forest Whitaker unveils ‘safe space’ for youth to play basketball in Cape Town
Photograph: WPDI
Johannesburg
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