Kick It uses sport as a tool for social change, taking over 800 children out of the streets in Soshanguve, South Africa. Children play games every afternoon after school (keeping them busy), with the help of volunteers, so as for them not to roam the streets and be exposed to HIV/AIDS risky behaviour, juvenile crime and substance abuse, and teaching them about these ills.
Children and youth in Soshanguve, South Africa, take to drugs, crime and HIV/AIDS related behaviours. This is because schools dismiss them just after midday, and they have nothing to do the whole afternoon, thus roaming the streets. Parents or guardians will be still at work and children and youth are not kept busy, and play on their own in the streets, resulting in juvenile crime, teenage pregnancies, and HIV/AIDS infections among children and youth.
The project will implement a 'sports for social change programme', to keep children busy in sport in the afternoon and during weekends. The volunteers will assist the children in safe play in various sporting codes, and avail educational games that creates awareness on the dangers of HIV/AIDS, crime, and substance abuse.
More than 800 children will take part in sports, and thus learn about the dangers of AIDS, crime and substance abuse. The project hopes to build responsible, drug free, and clean children and youth, who can grow to address the ills of HIV/AIDS, crime and drugs. There will be reduced teenage pregnancy rates in the community, and children will not drop out of school. Through psycho social support, children will be able to deal with the HIV/AIDS issues in their community and lives.
