The Football Foundation of South Africa

Food for Sport Introduction

 

Food for Sport is a groundbreaking initiative that brings together sport, nutrition, and food security in rural and urban communities in South Africa. Through sport for development programmes, children and young people can learn key life lessons about nutrition, food production, and basic business skills. Food production learning is linked directly with sports programmes through an integrated curriculum, and thus an appeal for eating healthily and nutritiously is created. The objective is to turn food production into a “cool” activity for young people, building on the current global trend of organic self-produced food in urban communities. The project aims to bring this new trend into poor communities through sport, and thereby provide food solutions where it is needed most.

 

The initiative is delivered by the Football Foundation of South Africa (a subsidiary of the Grootbos Foundation). The Football Foundation was launched in 2008 and uses sport as a vehicle to promote education, health, social integration and participation amongst the culturally diverse communities in the Overberg area. The food production skills programme was added to the Foundation’s sports programmes as a result of general low energy levels amongst the youth, as well as the largely unhealthy and monotonous nature of many of the youth and children’s diets.

 

The Grootbos Foundation has extensive knowledge in food production and recently conducted a major survey and needs analysis that indicated the severe foodinsecurity levels in our community. The Grootbos Foundation is developing a largescale initiative called GreenBox that will encourage household food production and sustainable economic opportunities through the growing of home vegetable gardens. This collaboration is based upon best practices and proven expertise in thetwo fields, and brings sport and food production together into a fun and practical experience that makes it easy for young people to learn new skills.

 

Our Mission

 

Our mission is to increase the general health, nutrition, food security and environmental awareness amongst young people, whilst developing a wide rangeof social and academic skills through organic food production and sport.

 

Food for Sport Objectives

 

• Establishment of a link between sport and nutrition (especially in poorer areas)

• Improve perceptions of vegetable production and increase food security,dietary variety, and nutrition

• Economic empowerment

• Environmental awareness & appreciation (for youth and children)

• Practical skills development

• Female empowerment

• Encouragement of social integration and gender mainstreaming

 

Planting and tending to a garden also requires responsibility and teamwork, which together build self-esteem and empowerment. Interested and committed children will be encouraged to partake in the next group’s training and function as “mentors” for the new gardeners.