VUSA provides sport and academic support for children in the Langa Community. Our children are exposed to poverty & the associated crime, gangs, abuse and anti-social behaviours that go with that. Rugby provides incredible life skills which include determination, communication, respect, punctuality & team work and through sports develop confidence and resilience. VUSA employs 12 coaches & role models from the community who provide mentorship, support and a safe space to 230 children daily.
Children who grow up in townships are introduced to a world of poverty, burdened by high levels of adversity which presents stresses that are too overwhelming for a child to process and deal with, thus resulting in development of toxic stress. If left untreated it can manifest into physical health issues in later life. Research indicates that supportive, responsive relationships with caring adults as early in life as possible can prevent or reverse the damaging effects of toxic stress.
VUSA employs 12 men and women who reside in the Langa Community. They understand the challenges, circumstances and stresses that the children face each day. Many of the children live in single or no adult homes and the VUSA coaches are adults they know and trust. Our staff attend workshops and work with a counsellor each week to upskill themselves and find new and better ways to assist children with coping mechanisms to navigate through often difficult circumstances.
Above and beyond providing children with mentorship, our coaches provide sport, academic and recreational opportunities for our children. The life skills learnt through sport, such as discipline, team-work, communication and respect will be beneficial throughout their lives. Early intervention to academics is key to success and recreational opportunities provide children access to to new experiences and a world outside of their realm.
