South Africa

VOSLOORUS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, VOSLOORUS TOWNSHIP, GAUTENG
The project started in 2011 and at present around 100 children are coached and mentored on a weekly basis with tennis each afternoon and Saturday mornings. Since inception, around 250 children have benefited from this initiative with some having gone on to represent the province at inter provincial tournaments. This year a record was set when four children were chosen. Head Coach Michael Lelosa visits the four local schools to canvas children and now, with the tennis club having been affiliated to Tennis SA and a club formed, more families are attending and bringing their children. Lockdown hampered the programme but since September 2020 children have been entered into local events which now allow spectators. Life Skills Days will be re-introduced once lockdown restrictions are lifted.

 

KENTON JUNIOR TENNIS PROGRAMME, KENTON-ON-SEA, EASTERN CAPE
The programme in the small coastal town of Kenton-on-Sea and its neighbouring Township, Ekuphumleni, teaches tennis and life skills to school children in an environment rife with unemployment, drugs and alcohol. A “future generation” group has been started at the primary school and for those children too young to undertake the walk to the courts just yet, the community hall or a flat area next to the school will be used. The programme has also established a close relationship with the local Kenton Tennis Club which provides its facilities free of charge. Despite Covid-19, 2021 is proving to be exciting with numbers of older children returning to or starting the programme increasing to more than twice that of 2019 and 2020.