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Great Commission United

Location	Heideveld, Cape Town
Field	Youth Development through soccer
Director	Mario van Niekerk
Website	www.gcu.org.za

This is hardly surprising, given that the classrooms are overcrowded with around 40-50 learners and little ventilation.
Mario, the coaches and local members of the community, many of whom are reformed ex-offenders have been renovating the school in 2009/2010. So far Mario and his team have built eight new toilets and are currently restoring a vandalised section of the school to be used for the after-school programme.
GCU’s volunteers’ provide additional help for the over-stretched teacher, such as tutoring in basic maths and English, organising and running the school library and general administrative support. In addition, GCU continues to run a feeding programme for learners at the school who come to school with an empty stomachs – for many of these children they come to school not to learn, but for the luxury of a bowl of porridge.
Programmes :
Soccer: GCU offers approximately 250 boys from Under 7 to Under 19 from the area with a place to go and something to do after school. The boys meet after school each day for practice, and compete with other local teams on Saturdays. GCU aims to provide each boy with a soccer kit, boots, food, and transport to and from the playing fields. The uniforms are particularly important in providing children with a sense of identity, pride, purpose and belonging, and are a powerful alternative to the colours and insignia associated with gangs. The soccer jerseys replace gang uniforms and serve as a strong social motivator for club members. GCU has three full time coaches who act not only as soccer coaches, but positive role models too.
Rope Skipping: Originally this programme was initiated for the girls in the community with 30 girls taking part in rope-skipping once a week. In addition to training, the girls participate in local competitions. The programme has been extended to all the children at Woodlands Primary School as part of their physical education.
Life Skills Training: There are approximately 5,000 gang members in the community and most use crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) and other illegal drugs. Life skills training encourages health-protecting behaviours, goal setting, self-management skills, self-improvement/self esteem building and problem solving. The workshops and educational camps are designed to help children deal with life skills training as well as focusing on social issues such as HIV and alcohol and other drugs.

Education: With 40-50 children in each classroom, teachers do not have the resources to provide the best education. GCU offers a community tutoring program after school. Tutoring is GCU’s requirement to participate in sports practices, so if the child does not attend tutoring, they cannot participate in soccer. The after-school programme is run by members of the local community, with support from volunteers.
Feeding programme: The feeding programme ensures that no child starts the day hungry. It is impossible to teach a hungry child. Through donations, GCU pays for porridge for those learners that do not have the fortune to be fed at home.
Fruit and vegetable garden: In 2010, GCU constructed a fruit and vegetable garden on the school’s premises. With the objective of teaching the learners important skills; not only the basics of gardening, but the benefits of hard work and patience, and how effort and input can produce positive results. The garden will also allow the learners to experience and peaceful and beautiful space.

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Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.
Nelson Mandela

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