Project Report
| Jul 6, 2010
Doncaster Rovers Donation
By Mark Slessenger | National Hope Academy Director
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The Drakenstein Hope Academy was fortunate enough to receive a visit and some soccer training from 2 professional soccer players from the UK. James and Adam Chambers are twins and play for Doncaster Rovers and Leyton Orient in the English Football League. James shared with the boys the highlight of his career which was playing in the FA Cup Semi Final for Watford and marking Christano Ronaldo!!
James brought 80 jerseys from his team in the UK (Doncaster) and donated them to all the boys in the sports academy.
It was a great time and the young men were encouraged by the visit and meeting 2 professional role models.
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Jul 6, 2010
ABC News Report
By Mark Slessenger | National Hope Academy Director
The World Cup has given us the opportunity to showcase the work we are doing amongst juvenile offenders in prisons around South Africa.
We have had visitors from all over the world come and encourage the young men in prison. One highlight was having ABC News from the US come and run a story on the positive impact the program has made within the prison. ABC also went into the community to film a young man who had been released from the prison Academy, it was clear for all to see the challenges these young men face once released.
Please continue to support us as we do all we can to help these young men fulfill their dreams and have the opportunities and support all of deserve.
You can catch the program by clicking on the following link:
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/kicking-crime-11069702
Also check out the blog from GlobalGiving on the project: http://blog.globalgiving.org/
Thanks, Mark Slessenger
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Jun 22, 2010
Cycle for Hope
By Mark Slessenger | Director of Hope Academy
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Over the World Cup we are glad to share that the Hope Academy project has received much interest from visitors around the world. One of our supporting offices in Northern Ireland arranged a cycling project to raise awareness and support for all our Hope Academies in South Africa. The Cycle for Hope team began in Morocco and arrived in Drakenstein prison on the 9th of June. The team were also joined by the Correctional Services cycling team and Lee Sharpe who is the patron of the Hope Academy program.
We had an amazing day where the cycling team (which has cyclists from around the world) heard stories from the boys in the academy and they could see what all their hard work was for, many were visably moved when they heard of how the boys lives have changed from being in gangsterism to focusing on a brighter future. The day included a tour of the house Nelson Mandela stayed in before he was released and a match between the visitors and the prisoners.
The boys in prison were moved by the support and care shown by people all over the world and it was a great day.
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