The travelling party visited the Ikageng township in Potchefstroom, which is located within Fremantle’s AFL allocated North West South African Province. The past players and staff were assisted by the AFL South Africa North West Province staff and a “purple” army of volunteers proudly showing their passion for the Fremantle Football Club.
In eager anticipation for the series of drills, exercises and games Troy, Justin and Luke would lead them in, the children entertained the travelling party with singing, dancing and chanting while waiting for their clinics to begin.
Once the clinics began there was no shortage of enthusiasm from the children. They threw themselves into the tackle bags, made Troy hold his ground while holding the marking bag and improved their skills with Justin leading a series of fun handball games.
Troy Cook helps an Ikageng local take a screamer
Following the culmination of the junior clinics, the past players and staff visited Thakaneng Street Children’s Centre. The centre is a project that offers outreach (street work – building trusting relationships with the kids on the street), residential care (‘in-house care’ offering food, bath, clean clothes and sports and educational activities), a drop in centre (offering daily routine, positive discipline, medical attendance, social worker activities and education) and community service (reunification, home visits and follow-up visits, school necessities for children reunified).
“It was quite overwhelming to see the good work that the staff at Thakaneng are doing for these young people,” Luke said.
“Life on the street in South Africa is unbelievably hard and it is great that the dedicated staff of the centre are giving these kids are a chance”.
Luke spoke to the group about maintaining hope and their dignity.
“I am very pleased that Fremantle has taken the time over the past two years to visit the centre. If we as players, and past players, can provide these kids a positive example, then hopefully we have contributed in some way.”
Following the visit to the Thakaneng Project, Fremantle made a return visit to Cotlands – a not-for-profit organisation that the playing group visited in 2008. Cotlands meets the ever-changing needs of children impacted by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The travelling party spent Sunday morning meeting the centre’s young children and toured the facility.
Troy with a new friend at Cotlands
The Fremantle Football Club is currently in its final year of a three year license agreement with the AFL to develop the code in the North West Province. The club is one of four within the AFL with a presence in South Africa.
Since Fremantle commenced its activities in the North West Province in 2007, the number of registered participants playing football in South Africa has dramatically risen from 2,500 to 12,000 players, with the majority playing the game in the North West Province.
