Education South Africa Project #25793

Change A Child's Life

by United Through Sport SA

Project Report | Jun 23, 2026
Helping Young Athletes Feel Like They Belong

By Morgan Harlin | Chief Operating Officer

Through our All-Star programme in Zwide township, United Through Sport works with talented young athletes who show commitment, discipline, and real sporting potential. These children are selected not only because of their ability, but because they consistently show the attitude and character needed to represent their schools, their community, and themselves with pride.

Our All-Star teams regularly take part in sporting fixtures against other schools, including more resourced and prestigious schools across Nelson Mandela Bay. These fixtures are powerful opportunities. They give young people from Zwide the chance to test themselves, build confidence, develop teamwork, and experience what it means to compete in a positive, structured environment.

However, one of the challenges we have faced is that many of our players have had to compete in old, damaged, mismatched, or poor-quality kit. While this may seem like a small issue, it has a real impact. When children arrive at fixtures looking under-equipped, it can reinforce the same stereotypes of poverty that they are working so hard to rise above. It can make children feel different before the game has even started.

We believe our young people deserve better than that.

By providing proper sports kit to our All-Star team, donors have helped give these children more than just shirts and shorts. They have helped give them a sense of belonging, confidence, and pride. The new kit allows the team to arrive at fixtures looking organised, professional, and equal to the schools they are competing against. It sends a clear message to every child: you belong here, you deserve to be here, and your talent matters.

For many of the children, the impact was immediate. Sipho, one of our young players, said:

“The kit makes me feel like a superhero.”

Sport is not only about the result on the field. It is about identity, dignity, confidence, and opportunity. When a child feels proud to wear their team colours, they carry themselves differently. They play with more belief. They feel part of something bigger than themselves.

Thanks to donor support, our All-Star team can now step onto the field with pride, representing Zwide with confidence and showing that talent, determination, and potential are not defined by background.

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Feb 24, 2026
From Child Participant to Community Leader

By Morgan Harlin | Chief Operating Officer

Sinovuyo Stamper’s journey began not as a coach, but as a child growing up in Kwazakhele Township with limited access to structured sport and even fewer pathways into meaningful employment.

He was first introduced to United Through Sport as a young participant, attending sessions delivered in his local community. At that stage, he was one of many children benefiting from safe spaces, consistent mentorship, and access to sport that would otherwise have been unavailable. What distinguished Sinovuyo early on was not just his enthusiasm, but his willingness to learn, take responsibility, and commit to his own growth.

As he grew older, we continued to invest in his development, supporting his transition from participant to assistant, and eventually into a formal coaching role on our Keep Active programme. He began with no formal qualifications and experience limited to informal community sport, but with consistent support, structure, and opportunity, he was able to begin building a professional future.

Through United Through Sport, Sinovuyo has completed certified First Aid training, a SACE-accredited Physical Education qualification, formal cricket coaching certification, and is currently enrolled in the FIFA Auxiliary Programme in Sports Management at Nelson Mandela University. These are globally recognised qualifications that would otherwise remain inaccessible to most young people in his position. They represent not only personal achievement, but a transition into sustainable employment and long-term career progression.

As his confidence and competence grew, so did his impact. He established a football programme at Daniels Primary School, building teams from the ground up and leading them to a league final within a single season. He later recognised the absence of cricket opportunities across the Zwide Hub and independently revitalised a programme that now operates across multiple schools, creating entirely new pathways for local children.

Today, at 25 years old, Sinovuyo stands as a qualified professional and a respected leader within his community. He is no longer only a beneficiary of opportunity, but a provider of it, delivering the same support and structure to the next generation of young people growing up where he once stood.

Reflecting on his journey, he says: “They’ve helped me a lot. I don’t know where I would be without United Through Sport.”

Sinovuyo’s story reflects the full cycle of United Through Sport’s model. By identifying potential early and investing consistently over time, we are able to support children not only to participate, but to progress into qualified professionals, stable employment, and positions of leadership within their own communities.

With continued support, many more children like Sinovuyo can follow the same pathway, from participant, to professional, to leader.

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Oct 30, 2025
Creating a Safe Space to Play

By Morgan Harlin | Chief Operating Officer

At United Through Sport, we are proud to be able to show you exactly how your support is changing lives. Your generosity allows us to create real, lasting impact. Like what’s just happened at Fisher’s of Men Crèche in Schauderville.

This small community crèche is run by inspiring local staff and supported by our volunteers. It serves as a vital safe space for children growing up in incredibly tough environments: where violence, drugs, alcohol, and crime are a part of daily life. For many of these children, Fisher’s of Men is more than childcare. It’s an escape and, hopefully, the first step on an educational journey that helps them rise above their circumstances.

But until recently, something essential was missing. Because the area surrounding the crèche is often scattered with broken glass, discarded medicine bottles, and other hazards, the children had never had a safe place to play. Instead, they were confined to a small indoor room for most of the day, missing out on the developmental benefits (and sheer joy) of being outdoors.

Thanks to your support, that has now changed. With enough funds raised through generous donors like you, we’ve been able to erect a full perimeter fence around the property. It's purpose-built to prevent climbing and vandalism, and it secures the entire area, creating a space where children can safely play, explore, and grow.

For the first time, these children now have the freedom to run, to laugh, and to connect with each other through games and imagination. More than just play, it’s healing, it’s learning, and it’s a critical part of childhood that every child deserves. In an environment that has so often felt dangerous, your support has created something powerful… safety, joy, and the chance to simply be a child.

This transformation was only possible because of you.

From all of us at United Through Sport, and especially from the children whose lives you’ve touched: thank you for believing in their potential and making this possible.

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