Firefighters Football Club Fundraiser

In our semester studying abroad here in Cape Town, South Africa, 5 of us students have started volunteering at the Firefighters Football Club, a local boys' soccer club in Khayelitsha, one of the poorest townships in Cape Town. The club is located in an area consumed by poverty with minimal sports and recreational infrastructure. Because of this, children are highly vulnerable to gangsterism and drug use. The club was created as a way to begin to address these issues within the community and provide them with a safe and fun alternative while learning vauable life lessons through their coaches and teammates.

After spending the last few weeks getting to know the boys and watching their practices, we noticed something was missing. Even after hours of running in the hot sun there was not one water break, not one kid had a water bottle, and at the end of practice they eagerly guzzled down what little water we'd brought with us. After talking with Bongi, the team's coach, we realized what a huge difference providing water coolers and a water bottle for each of the players would make. Our goal in our remaining time with Firefighters is to continue to get to know, play with, and tutor the players as well as raise money to provide them with the water bottles and coolers. We also plan on helping out at the Firefighters tournament by giving the kids support, as barely any of their parents come, as well as provide water and food seeing that it is an all day event.

Despite having close to nothing, these kids' hard work and dedication has inspired us. We hope to use whatever money we raise towards getting new equipment, gear, and improving their fields. Any small amount will make a huge difference and the kids and coaches will be so grateful. Go Firefighters!