Overview
Charlize Theron’s Africa Outreach Project has partnered with American soccer star Lorrie Fair and entrepreneur Don Sheppard’s LAFC Chelsea to bring soccer and educational opportunities to disadvantaged children in the uMkhanyakude district. The initiative aims to improve students’ lives by providing access to soccer, uniforms, and coaching, while also offering education, tutoring, and mentoring to help them excel in school. This partnership, part of the Mpilonhle project, will also help build soccer fields and expand the sport in local communities, benefiting both students and residents.
Article
An american national women’s soccer star and an entrepreneur have joined forces with Charlize Theron’s Africa Outreach project in the uMkhanyakude district to spread the joy of playing soccer to dis- advantaged children while encouraging them to achieve at school.
The Los Angeles Football Club – Chelsea (LAFC) was established by entrepreneur Don Sheppard to provide the opportunity for disadvantaged youths in southern California to become involved in sport and stay in school.
“I realised that the majority of players in the national teams were not necessarily the best players, but were players who came from organised clubs,” Sheppard said.
This led to the start of LAFC Chelsea, which aims to involve dis- advantaged young children in the game of soccer.
“Through sport there is an opportunity for education, tutoring and mentoring children and helping them to get into college and school, and for them to look beyond high school and to improve their lives.”
Sheppard has since expanded his idea to other areas internationally, linking with organisations that have already identified areas of need, and initiated projects.
“We connect with what is already being done. We can’t tell people how to live their lives, but we can bring resources to provide sustainable training facilities for these people,” he said.
Resources are already being deployed in Kenya where Sheppard recently opened two new soccer fields initiated by his organisation.
Through Mpilonhle, an organisation that provides health and computer education to children at- tending 12 schools in the uMkhanyakude District and has Theron as its patron and one of its funders, LAFC Chelsea has embarked on a three-year commitment to help build a soccer programme.
Sheppard, together with Lorrie Fair, a member of the American Women’s Olympic Football team that won the gold medal in Beijing, visited schools in the district that would benefit from this programme which includes the provision of uniforms, boots, balls and equipment, as well as professional training for local coaches, referees and administrators.
Mpilonhle executive director Michael Bennish said the programme would mean that soccer could be taken to a new level in the area.
“Theron’s organisation has recently donated floodlights for a newly built soccer field at Silethukukhanya Secondary School, situated in the Dukuduku Forest near St Lucia. This is one of the 12 schools visited by the Mpilonhle mobile health and computer training units.”
He added that the soccer fields were also a benefit for the sur- rounding communities as they provide a venue for them to get together and socialise at organised soccer matches.
