By Levy Masiteng
The Real Madrid Foundation has launched its third youth Educational Football Programme in South Africa, teaming up with Generation Schools to empower young minds and bodies.
The programme, which began earlier this year, is already making waves in the Western Cape and Johannesburg, with 150 young footballers benefiting from quality coaching, mentorship and personal development.
“The project was launched at the beginning of the year and caters for 100 young people at the centres in Sunningdale and Imhoff in the Western Cape. There are a further 50 participants in the centre based in Johannesburg,” the foundation said.
The foundation intends to take in 300 children by the end of the year.
“In the context of high youth unemployment in South Africa and significant gaps in access to quality education, programmes like this are essential,” said Generation Schools executive director Jevron Epstein.
To date, the foundation said that Generation Schools has been awarded seven full scholarships, including six with accommodation, and 20 semi-scholarships to talented young athletes from low-income communities in Cape Town.
“These scholarships provide recipients with access to independent education, board and active participation in the programme, offering a stable and nurturing environment in which students can excel academically, socially and physically.”
The foundation said that every Friday, the team visited vulnerable areas like Masiphumelele near Imhoff and provided coaching sessions for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The recent Johannesburg launch at Generation Schools Taroko in Modderfontein drew over 900 families, as well the Spanish Ambassador to South Africa, José Manuel Pascual, and Andrés Muntaner, the director of campus and clinics at the Real Madrid Foundation.
Epstein emphasised the programme’s significance, saying: “We use football as a tool to create real opportunities for education and personal growth, assisting young people in developing their futures in sport, in the classroom and in their communities.”
With plans to enroll over 300 children by the end of the year, the programme is poised to make a lasting impact on South African youth.
INSIDE EDUCATION
