Playing for peace, South Africa's FIBA Youth Leader Sizwe Blose is aiming big for change

PRETORIA (South Africa) - Sizwe Seth Blose joined the Basketball For Good family as a FIBA Foundation Youth Leader this year through the organization he works for, PeacePlayers South Africa.

In February, 11 African countries were represented during a two-day Youth Leadership workshop in Windhoek Namibia. Sizwe carried the South African flag proudly and completed the workshop with flying colors.

Attending the workshop meant having the chance to exchange and share ideas as participants and to find solutions for some of the obstacles they each faced as young project starters back home.

"I was excited, and filled with anticipation because I had so many questions going into it. I was quite honestly surprised that I was selected for such an opportunity", he said.

Having exposure to a social organizational structure from working at PeacePlayers, Sizwe's main aim was to instill a skeleton to the project he had already been running as well as figure out a funding strategy and sustainability plan for it, from the workshop.

"My highlight was the Basketball Artist School experience. Not only did we put theory into practice but it reminded me of the impact on people’s personal lives that basketball has the potential to make, as well as instilled a drive to pursue that potential in its totality", Sizwe expressed.

The FIBA Foundation and Impact Tank offered extra lessons after the workshop with follow-up sessions that according to Sizwe, were: "...more personally specific and not general, which allowed us to receive tailored aid to our projects. It was also amazing how they connected our workshop activities to the simplification of our application requirements".

What started as a few teammates trying to save their team, turned into what became Sizwe's Basketball For Good project.

Fearing possibly being let go from the organization they played under, Sizwe and some friends started having sessions and pickups in the neighborhood, upon realizing what power the sport actually held, the group became intentional about making an impact in their communities as well as the nation at large.

"We in the Trajectory Strategy Foundation aim to correct South Africa's economic and social inequities through our program that provides basketball skills development, academic assistance, financial literacy education, scholarship opportunity, and professional development. Everyone needs a little help in a major way in order to succeed and that is the shared mantra we live by at the foundation", Blose said as he shared the project mission.

Pushing for peace

Explaining the essence of his project, Sizwe said: "There is a very noticeable inequality gap in my country. It shows in the difference in residential areas. It can be seen in things such as the availability of resources and opportunities. An issue that has long existed, but one I am certain we as a nation can all combat with well-thought-out plans and strategies and the spirit of Ubuntu".

Sizwe is certain that his project can create not only sporting but significant social change as well. With that, he hopes to achieve the following goals; SDG 1: No Poverty; SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 10: Reduced inequalities.

"I'm not only a coach but I serve also as a mentor for my participants: assisting with academics; providing counseling for them; presenting and preparing them for rising opportunities; then helping them in professional development and teaching financial literacy".

"As a result, all participants I have coached are either enrolled at a school, do well academically, have an income skill that generates extra money, are on scholarship/in the process of receiving one, or are coaching/volunteering within the PeacePlayers program".

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About PeacePlayers

PeacePlayers uses sport to build a global youth movement for peace and equity. Based in South Africa, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, the United States, and the Middle East, PeacePlayers is a global movement that is creating a vast network of young leaders all around the world.

About the FIBA Foundation

The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports and particularly basketball in society, preserving and promoting basketball’s values and its cultural heritage.

The FIBA Foundation believes that basketball has the power to empower, educate and inspire youth and facilitates this by implementing Basketball For Good projects around the world.