SPORT & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

OUR AIM

To realise the potential of the youth and equip them to be self-sufficient and productive in their communities.

SPORTS MINISTRY

To combat issues such as HIV/AIDS, fatherlessness, drug abuse, lack of education, and poverty, CAST’s Sports Ministry focuses on whole life coaching. Coaches use the Ubabalo eAfrica programme, which recognizes the emotional, intellectual, social, environmental, and physical needs of youth. With a spiritual core, whole life coaching is centred around youth pursuing a relationship with Christ. Out of this spiritual centre, youth can pursue holistic health in all areas of their life. Coaches take soccer/basketball skills and make a life skill application through a Bible study. In addition, CAST’s Sports Ministry offers a tennis team for girls in KwaDabeka.

MENTORING

Our programme seeks to break the cycle of fatherlessness in this community by showing our boys the love of Jesus through our male leaders. There is a need for long-term solutions that can meet the relational needs of the boys. We believe that one-on-one mentoring is the answer to many of these community problems. Boys in our sports progamme need individual attention from a male mentor who can pour into their lives on a consistent, long-term basis. Our goal is not that mentors would solve all their mentoree’s problems, but rather that mentors would empower their mentorees to solve their own problems. By encouraging education and providing meaningful relationship with older male mentors, we want to empower boys to avoid whoogah, crime, and irresponsible sexual behaviour. Instead, the intent is that boys will experience true Christ-given abundant life and transform their communities.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Currently there are many senior boys who are interested in taking a leadership role within the team, beyond just coaching. CAST provides brief leadership training forums to empower the youth to be active leaders in their communities.

BOYS2MEN CAMP

This camp came about as a response to the overwhelming need of the boys for father figures in their lives. In addition, boys longed to get away from the township for awhile to escape living life in survival mode. The initial camp took place in November 2010, and the aim of the camp was to give the boys a real father-figure experience. During camp we discovered that 75 percent of the boys in attendance did not have real fathers in their lives. There was a desperate need for guidance, advice, affirmation, and a way for young men to discover their identity. Boys also had an overwhelming spiritual need as most of them did not grow up in Christian homes. Since 2010, we have hosted Boys2Men Camp annually, and more than 400 boys have had a chance to attend. It has become one of the most impactful short-term programmes at CAST, even attracting international volunteers. Boys2Men’s focus has become transforming boys to men. Every year we have seen many young people give their lives to Jesus. The ongoing sports programme has provided continuing discipleship for the boys as well. Our community churches have also become instrumental in providing spiritual homes for the boys.