Tag Archives: HIV

by | December 28, 2010 · 2:42 pm

Nasiphi Khafu Is PPI-South Africa

Nasiphi Khafu, one of the rising stars of PPI-SA, leading a life skills session.

A quick update on the bio of the young woman whom we introduced you to during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, who might just one day be the Managing Director of PeacePlayers International – South Africa.  Not making this up: I quote, “One day, I want Sbo Vilakazi’s job.”  We believe it.

Nasiphi (center) with other PPI-SA staffers.

Nasiphi Khafu is one several staff members who grew up in the PPI-SA system.  Her first time playing basketball was in our Leadership Development Program (LDP) and her passion and resolve cannot be beat. “At first, I just loved watching the game.  I watched, still watch, every game I could.  I had to get better.”  Today, Nasiphi captains her college basketball team and recently earned a starting spot on her provincial team (the Eastern Cape).  Her playing accolades just keep piling up.

The largest turnout of kids in Carringtom Primary history. 45 girls and 12 boys. Brought to you by Nasiphi.

Her steady climb to the Managing Director position seems almost inevitable to those of us around her.  Once a PPI-SA player, she’s now a PPI-SA coach – one of the best, actually.  Wherever Nasiphi coaches, kids pour in, and stick around even if teams are already over capacity.  The school representatives who help us with our program constantly ask to work with her.  Nasiphi just completed one semester as PPI-SA’s Area Coordinator for the Durban City Area, one of our largest with eight schools.  As if that wasn’t enough, she also volunteered her time to help with our basketball committee and fundraising initiatives.   Without Nasiphi, schools would not have been able to attend our 17th City-Wide Tournament.

Posing with two school representatives at a primary school basketball tournament.

No one doubts her climb to the top.  Despite her late start in basketball, she’s already accomplished her first goal, which was making the provincial team. Her next goal is to make the South African senior team.  She thanks PPI-SA and swears herself to the organization. “I love PPI-SA.  The program has helped me grow and molded me into a leader.” No one doubts she will continue to flourish as she moves through the ranks in PPI-SA.  One day, she will make the SA Senior team.  And one day, you should expect to see her running the PPI-SA program. No doubt about it.

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by | September 21, 2010 · 1:00 pm

HIV/AIDS Testing in South Africa: Practicing What We Preach

PPI - SA Senior Life Skills Coordinator Ntobeko Ngcamu was influential in organizing the testing event.

On September 8th & 9th, 32 (out of a total of 40) PeacePlayers International- South Africa coaches and staff members attended an HIV/AIDS Counseling & Testing Session held in partnership with Zoë-Life, a health development and training organization, at Glenridge Community Church.  One of PPI-SA’s main goals is to raise awareness in our participants – especially the teenagers in our Leadership Development Program – of the importance of knowing their HIV status. We assume that having been given basic information about the virus and the AIDS epidemic, and some encouragement to test, our participants will eagerly rush to the nearest health centre to get tested.  However, our experience with our own staff – the coaches and area coordinators who teach at our sites as well as their managers – has shown that testing for HIV can often be difficult even for those who know the benefits of it well.

During the Zoë-Life session, each PPI-SA employee had a 45-minute meeting with one of the three Zoë-Life counselors, in which counsellors asked participants questions, participants had the opportunity to ask the counsellors any questions they had as well, and an HIV/AIDS test was administered.  Each participant knew their results within five minutes of the test, and emotional support was provided by Zoë-Life staff before, during and after the testing.

PPI-SA Senior Life Skills Coordinator Ntobeko Ngcamu, who was crucial in the planning and coordination of the event, had the following to say about the session, “This was the first step of what PPI-SA is doing and I’m so proud to be a part of an organization that is making a positive impact in my  community.  To have such great participation from our staff and coaches is a dream come true and shows promise for a better tomorrow for South Africa.”

This entire experience presents some important lessons for those of us concerned with HIV/AIDS prevention, especially in  South Africa:

  • The subject of HIV is still taboo and difficult to feel comfortable about;
  • Knowledge of the need and benefits of testing alone is not enough to make people get tested – other factors like support and the right environment also count;
  • People respond differently to the concept of HIV testing, and may be ready to go ahead with it at different times;
  • It is important for us educators to undergo the process ourselves first before we can seek to convince others to do so, so that we may better understand any issues they may have that make them resistant to testing.  The old adage stays true – we must practice what we preach.

Thank you to Zoë-Life Managing Director and PPI-SA Board Member Neville Keenan, for providing the staff and resources (at zero cost to PPI-SA!) for the event and to Glenridge Community Church for lending the ideal venue. PPI-SA hopes to replicate the Counseling & Testing Event once each semester moving forward, so that each PPI-SA employee is able to make informed decisions in their daily lives and have the knowledge to educate their participants, peers, families and communities about HIV/AIDS.

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by | August 3, 2010 · 9:45 pm

H.I.V./A.I.D.S. Information Training for PPI-SA Coaches

The PPI-SA team at Zoe-Life's recent training.

I met with my Leadership Development Programme coach last evening, and we casually discussed the impact of a recent two-day training he attended with the entire PPI-SA team, organized by a PeacePlayers International – South Africa partner, Zoe-Life.

He came up to me, completely unprompted, and said, “Claire, guess what I did today?”

“You slept,” I answered

He proudly corrected me: “I got tested.”

I don’t know if Zoe Life realizes the palpable impact their training had on our coaches and the trickle down effect the training will have, as the information spreads from coach to player to family to community.  To just know your status, to get tested, is one important action anyone can take to fight this ubiquitous virus (HIV) and group of diseases (AIDS), and every single coach walked out of the training wanting to get tested, a tremendous step for any resident of South Africa, where talking about HIV or AIDS is very rare.

The townships in which PPI-SA currently operates, unfortunately, have HIV and AIDS infection rates among the highest in the world.  One of our areas of operation, Umalzi, is both one of the largest townships in South Africa and home to one of the highest populations of HIV-positive individuals in the entire country. These statistics mean our coaches need to be extremely effective teachers on the topic, capable of communicating crucial lessons on how to avoid and how to live with HIV/AIDS. Zoe Life was extremely successful in teaching PPI-SA’s staff and coaches (in all about 50 personnel), how to live a safe and aware life, to make more informed daily decisions, whatever their current status.

For those who do not know their status, Zoe Life highly recommended to get tested and to practice smart decisions, getting tested among one of many.  For those with HIV or AIDS, Zoe stressed the importance of “adherence,” or sticking to the same regimented medicine dosage schedule.  Same time, every day, for the rest of your life.

The training was absolutely mesmerizing.  I know that might not be the word you’d expect, but the training truly left everyone in a state of yearning – wanting to know more about HIV and AIDS and how the virus and group of diseases work in their bodies.

Our coach’s result came back negative, but whatever the status, Zoe-Life prepared every one of us for the next step to living a healthy life.

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by | June 29, 2010 · 3:35 pm

PeacePlayers International – South Africa at the Laureus Workshop

S’bongiseni Vilakazi, our Managing Director in South Africa, recently attended the Laureus Sport for Good summit in South Africa.

S'bo at the Laureus Sport for Good summit in South Africa

The workshop incorporated  lessons about life skills, tips for making sessions interesting, and the importance of innovation and creativity.

S’bo learned a lot from the workshop to better the Leadership Development Program in South Africa:

“…The heart of our impact lies in leadership development. It was therefore quite useful to explore with other organisations what leadership development through sport means for us. The session on defining leadership development pathways helped me to think about a matter that is of great importance to PPI – SA.”

Read more from S’bo on the Laureus blog.

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by | June 2, 2010 · 1:12 pm

The 16th PeacePlayers International – South Africa City-Wide Tournament

South Africa's "Rainbow Nation" was on display at the 16th City-Wide Tournament

Last Saturday, ten basketball courts, more than 1,200 young players, and countless coaches and volunteers all participated in PeacePlayers International – South Africa’s 16th Durban City-Wide Tournament.

Sunny as can be, the weather could not have cooperated better throughout the entire eight-hour event.  The day started with an original hip-hop performance by one of our own PPI-SA coaches and an inspirational introduction by PPI – SA Managing Director Sbo Vilakazi.

Some of the City-Wide's 1,200 participants waiting for the action to start.

Afterward, the schools split, four to each of the ten courts, for presentations on what they had learned from PPI-SA’s life skills program throughout the semester.  Debates and conversations ensued about stigmas, peer pressure and ways to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS.  After the discussions, basketball play  proceeded for four straight hours.  The schools mixed to create eight new teams, four female and four male.  Staying true to PeacePlayer’s mission of ‘bridging divides,’ this mixing allowed our players to interact with others whom they likely never would have met if not for PPI.  Many of the teams served as microcosms of the  entire “Rainbow Nation” of South Africa, with Indians, coloureds, blacks, and whites playing together seamlessly.

A shot goes up in the LDP Championship

Each player played at least three games, plus one more if he or she made the final rounds.  The day ended with two raucous and lively championship games played by our Leadership Development Program (LDP), PPI – SA’s group of high-school-aged youth leaders.  The younger players surrounded the sidelines as they watched their future selves.  Many guests were impressed with the improvement in talent and commitment seen across the primary and high school levels this year.

“I love being at the PPI-SA Citywide, as it is always a showcase of PeacePlayers’s biggest strength – the strong relationships between participants and coaches,” says Tal Alter, PPI’s Global Director of Operations. “I was lucky enough to witness the participants demonstrate their learning through insightful life skills presentations and noticeably improved play on the basketball court, and to see the coaches show their approval with great energy and smiles from ear to ear all day long.

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by | April 20, 2010 · 2:18 pm

Thobani Khumalo: “I am a PeacePlayer”

Thobani Khumalo, fresh off a promotion, delivered this rousing poem at a recent staff meeting.

As part of our weekly PPI-SA management meetings, one designated attendee always ends with a unique presentation, which we call “News to Me.”  Fresh off a promotion and a rookie to the meetings, Thobani Khumalo ended the meeting with a bang.

Thobani had written a poem just days before, prompted only by the love and passion present for PeacePlayers International -  South Africa.

If only we could upload a video of his spirited delivery…

Enjoy!

I am a PeacePlayer.  I am a PeacePlayer.  I am a PeacePlayer.
My dreams are painted with hope for a brighter future,
for these kids especially within my reach.
My mind is programmed to do everything in my will to help some kid reach their dream.
My life is governed by a righteous force that motivates me to do good.
My dreams are inspired simply by people with passion and love like you and me.
My energy is enough to drive my body to be available in time of need.
Yes, I intend to make myself accessible in times of need.
My words and my actions are enough to be a psychic fuel that propels and inspires many to do good.
My love for sport has helped me grow so I will make sure that some kid out there will grow through sport, too.
You see, I believe that the passion of life shares the same spark with a thousand neuron pulses in the brain.
So I wish I can at least do good for one person everyday.
So every morning when I wake, I remind myself of what good I did yesterday and then strategize on what good I can do today.
I remind myself that I am a PeacePlayer.  I am a PeacePlayer.

Though it is tough sometimes.
I remind myself of the passion I once had and the passion I see in kids’ eyes every session.
That smile in kids’ faces when I come to my session, that joy they have when they run towards me, just simply to say, ‘What up coach?’
And I reply,’ The sky,’ then we all laugh about it.
See my job is not about coaching basketball but to link basketball with life lessons that these kids will grow old with.
Sadly, I didn’t have people like me when I was growing up.
In my heart I carry a flag of peace.
In my mind I hold the truth.
I hold the wisdom that we can use basketball as a tool to teach.
And yet again, I am a PeacePlayer.  I am a PeacePlayer.

You see I am not here for the payroll.
I am not here cause I got nothing else to do.
I am here cause I have a lot to do for my community, for the kids we brothers can reach.
My brothers and sisters through PPI.
Yes, through PPI.
And if you feel the same way put your right hand up and repeat after me.
I am a PeacePlayer. ‘I am a PeacePlayer.’
And I love my job. ‘And I love my job.’
I will make a positive difference. ‘I will make a positive difference.’
In my community. ‘In my community.’
I will honor and cherish. ‘I will honor and cherish.’
Respect and love. ‘Respect and love.’
The good work that we do.  ‘The good work that we do.’
For the rest of my life. ‘For the rest of my life.’
Simply because. ‘Simply because.’

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by | March 30, 2010 · 1:29 pm

PPI – SA Family Bonding Session

This week, Fellow Claire Perry reports from a PeacePlayers International – South Africa coaching retreat. PPI – SA’s coaches are the lifeblood of the program there, and training like these are essential, as coaches learn new ways to communicate the lessons of PPI – SA’s life skills curriculum to their children.

The coaches prepping for a day full of discussions with PPI-SA's ice-breakers (Not shown: pirate dancing)

It started with a few raucous ice-breakers, dancing like a pirate and counting backwards from ten to one in perfect rhythm, before all the attendees of the PPI – SA Coaches’ Retreat split into groups of five to begin the real work.

The groups discussed how to best approach taboo subjects, like HIV/AIDS and gang- and drug-related violence.  In South Africa, communities face a wide variety of challenges – in one township, the major issue might be the prevalence of drugs, while in another the need for a conflict resolution model – so each group of coaches brought their own challenges, successes and experiences to the table.

After the discussions, coaches bonded with some hoops...

They all agreed on one thing though: the necessity of establishing trusting and welcoming relationships with the youth they teach.  Without this bond, the group concluded, a coach cannot and will not positively influence their players.  “I act as a kid,” explained one coach from Lamontville township, “I act as a kid to get their trust because they won’t tell an adult they have been peer-pressured to have sex.  They’d be too scared. My enthusiasm and willingness to listen lends a certain trust to the player.  The player knows I’m an adult who gets things done though, I guess – an adult with a kid’s enthusiasm and love for life.”

...and pioneered some interesting new defensive techniques.

The pointed conversations proved beneficial, as we ran over the allotted time limit, fully engrossed in our discussions.  Once the whistle was blown, however, the coaches donned their vests (jerseys) and tekkies (sneakers) for some eagerly awaited basketball, especially the coaches vs managers skirmish.  You don’t have to ask: we managers took care of business.  Just giving the coaches some life-long goals to one day accomplish.  One day…

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by | February 23, 2010 · 2:04 pm

Life Skills Training for PPI-SA

Nasipi, a PPI-SA coach, working on a presentation at the program's recent training session.

PPI-SA Coaches and Managers soaking up CSPE's lessons.

This past weekend, in cooperation with the Harvard School of Public Health’s Centre for the Support of Peer Education (CSPE), the PPI – SA coaches and managers sharpened their ability to effectively use basketball as a teaching tool for more serious conversations, addressing topics like child abuse, child rights, and HIV/AIDS.  These trainings are at the core of PPI – SA’s work: through basketball, PPI – SA creates a safe enviornment for youth, where healthy lives are constantly promoted and an atmosphere of trust is built within each team of players and coaches.

Additionally, about half of all PPI – SA coaches have gone through this program themselves, lending them more credibility and an easier avenue to establish trust with their players to speak about topics like HIV and AIDS.  Furthermore, the sustainability of our program is fortified when our former players cycle to coaches, raising the credibility of our own program as they return to invest their time to teach what they have learned. It’s the trust that derives from these strategies that allows the honest discussion of very sensitive – sometimes even taboo – topics, and helps differentiate PPI – SA from many similar nonprofits.

A teambuilding activity

The training welcomed coaches from all our SA divisions, from downtown Durban to the area’s 2nd largest township, Umlazi.  The coaches warmed up with teambuilding exercises, then split into groups to simulate the life skills sessions that coaches will teach their players throughout the semester.  Overall, the two day training was considered a success by our life skills team and our coaches who took part.

Briyani, a Durban favorite.

The two long days of heavy teaching and planning were topped off with two healthy portions of briyani, the ever-popular Indian dish found throughout the Durban area.  If the coaches were not already full with information, the briyani surely did the trick.

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by | October 27, 2009 · 7:13 am

PPI – SA Lifeskills: How Trust Can Give Hope

This week’s entry comes from guest blogger Laura Sibanda. Laura is a PPI Fellow originally from Zimbabwe, and is a Program Director for the South Africa Life Skills team. Here, she explains PPI – SA’s approach to Life Skills and how that differs from some other organizations’.
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Magic Hat: A Life Skills trust-building game

At some point in life, we find that we have a deep desire to share something about ourselves with – not just anyone – but someone we can trust to keep our secrets or help us when we need it. It is not often that we look to our teachers or parents for help because they tend to be unapproachable and can be judgmental. Instead, we look to our peers for comfort and advice. While “life skills” programs are implemented in schools throughout South Africa, these programs can be run by teachers who are quick to judge or threaten with repercussions for any choices that have been made. There can be little time spent trying to understand the reasons behind a decision or what has led to help-seeking behavior.

What PPI – SA seeks to do is to create a safe space in which one can learn and freely interact with both information and peers. Playing on a team is an additional advantage because bonds of trust are formed not just between the coach and players but among teammates.

In this age of HIV/AIDS, it becomes essential to build such relationships and allow for in-depth understanding of how behavior can threaten the future. Statistics have shown that young people in South Africa between the ages of 15 and 25 have a 50% greater chance of contracting HIV before their 25th birthday than young people growing up elsewhere in the world. The time has come to take off the gloves and begin the process of trying to understand what puts our youth at risk and what can be done to make information clear. Even better, we can determine what can be done to promote a culture of self preservation for the future.

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On court meetings with Life Skills instructors are a regular occurance

In response to these challenges, the PPI-SA Life Skills Program has evolved into a multi-focal program that has a strong focus on HIV prevention, coupled with a focus on the age groups that exhibit the highest incidence rates.

What differentiates our program from others is that our coaches have now established strong relationships with the participants they work with. They present information through open discussion outside confined classrooms, which encourages participation and interaction, in some instances even on the basketball court. Bonds of trust are formed between coaches and participants which allows us to reach our participants where other programs do not.

It is these bonds of trust that allow disclosure of any kind to happen within safe spaces created by the coaches. The resilience that is shown by our participants is proof that a relationship built on trust is one that can last a lifetime and give hope and faith in a bright future. This can only be a testament to the dedication and commitment that all PPI-SA staff have to the program and the faith our participants have in us.

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