Chevrolet has teamed up with Dreamfields to use the beautiful game of football to inspire school children at two schools in the Free State province.
“We believe that soccer is a team sport, and that teams build better schools. Our dream is to provide resources for playing soccer in townships and rural schools across South Africa,” says radio personality and Dreamfields founder John Perlman.
School children cheer on as they watch the AJC Jooste Combined School’s first match with their new dream fields kit The Indestructible Spirit Project was launched on 6 August at the AJC Jooste Combined School in Petrusburg by the Chevrolet Ute Force team in partnership with Dreamfields, a soccer development project focused on uplifting communities across South Africa.
Twenty schools, 300 primary school pupils in Grades 4 to 7, and 35 teachers will benefit from the Indestructible Spirit Project, inspired by the global One World Futbol Campaign, which is supported by Chevrolet.
Through their participation in the Petrusburg league, the young players will be given access to donated soccer kits that include soccer balls, bibs and training equipment. In addition to the footballs supplied with each of the DreamSeed kits, each league will receive a consignment of Chevrolet’s One World Futbols – indestructible footballs that will be used during practice session and skills development workshops in preparation for the leagues.
Further support will be provided by selecting several teachers to be part of a soccer coach training course managed by the Dreamfields team. This training will enable them to mentor and groom the young players to become South Africa’s future soccer champions and leaders.
“It is essential that the project is 100% sustainable and supported by the local community. The purpose of the Chevrolet Ute Force initiative is to provide assistance and build communities via youth focused projects; they are after all the future leaders, soccer champions and change-makers of our country,” said Chevrolet South Africa brand manager Tim Hendon.
Over 150 girls and boys from the local community took part in the regular training sessions and matches and cheers grew louder and louder as a packed stadium watched future stars in action.
AJC Jooste soccer team in training with their Dreamfields kit and virtually indestructible balls (Images: Chevrolet)It was game on as whistle blew and a friendly soccer match between AJC Jooste Combined School and Lawrence Primary School kicked off. Skills were brought to the field and eleven passionate young boys on the green cheering fans – also known as the twelfth man – went on to enjoy watching the lovely game.
PRACTICAL, MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE
The Chevrolet Ute Force team is made of skilled experts in fields such as industrial designers, carpentering and plumbing to electricians who have opened their hearts to helping others.
“The Chevrolet Ute Force team is committed to help making a practical and meaningful difference in the lives of our fellow South Africans, a vision we share with Dreamfields,” said Hendon. “These two leagues are just the first in which we will support Dreamfields, and we look forward to working with them to empower other communities across South Africa, through the beauty of soccer.”
AJC Jooste Combined School will now be home to an Intra Soccer League, with 13 other schools take part in the initiative. The second leg of the project includes the support of the eight school, 210-pupil Intra Soccer League managed from Phano Intermediate School in Botshabelo – another impoverished community in desperate need of support.
Perlman went on to add, “With the help of Chevrolet Ute Force, we are giving these schools the training and equipment that they need to build their own leagues, and we want to see the children playing week in and week out. That’s how they will learn football and that is how they will learn about life.”
