Giving a Voice to Youth

Durban, 07 December 2010.  ‘Giving a Voice to Youth’ was the motto of the 7th World Conference on Sport, Education and Culture. The conference took place in Durban from 5-7 December 2010, held for the first time on African soil. More than 500 representatives from over 130 countries discussed the impact of sport on education, culture and development, and young athletes, reporters and ambassadors from all corners of the world shared how sport has influenced their lives.
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UNESCO promotes sport, education and youth empowerment

KwaDukuza, 04 December 2010. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) places a strong emphasis on physical education and sport. During the 7th World Conference on Sport, Education and Culture in Durban, a delegation which included UNESCO Deputy Director-General, Getachew Engida, visited the YDF project in the township of KwaDukuza.
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All good things come in two's

Pretoria, 03 December 2010. The YDF team cheered when YDF's Communication Manager for German World Cup Initiatives, Allan Boesak, received GIZ's -Excellence Award for Outstanding Individuals' during GIZ's year-end function in Pretoria on 3 December. According to the chair of the awards committee, his strengths and 'can-do' attitude during the FIFA World Cup™ helped to forge stronger ties between GIZ and government entities in South Africa.
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Young people capturing township life

Pretoria, 01 December 2010. Take 400 young people, equip them with cameras and ask them to photograph what they perceive as "township life" and you will receive stunning results that encapsulate their experiences, encounters and interactions. A selection of 50 photographs, taken during the Altus Sport SONY Photo Competition this year, was presented at an exhibition at the Sammy Marks Museum in Pretoria on 1 December 2010.
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Coaches with disabilities impress during YDF-Toolkit training

Soshanguve, 25 November 2010. Dumisane Nthombela sits motionless in a classroom in Soshanguve, a township north-west of Pretoria. He leans his head against his arm. It seems as though the young man in the back row is asleep. After a while though, he lifts his head and asks the instructor: "We all do similar things in the field of football, but how can we work together to bring our skills to the community?"
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Mamelodi 2 beats YDF

Mamelodi, 20 November 2010. Mamelodi 2 emerged as the winner of YDF’s fun tournament, ‘Soccer Day 2010’, with the team beating YDF 3-0 in the final. On Saturday, 20 November 2010, the Youth Development through Football project celebrated another year of successful cooperation with its partners at Mahlasedi Masana Primary School in Mamelodi East. Teams from YDF’s key partners in Gauteng, namely the European Union, Altus Sport Vuma, Dona’s Mates and the Mamelodi 8 School League, took part in the tournament.
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'Football unites Africa'

Mamelodi, 15 October 2010. "From what I have seen today, the YDF programme needs to be extended to all countries across the continent to capacitate African youths through sport,” stated Ghanaian journalist, Joana Mensah, from the Daily Searchlight after visiting YDF’s project site at Mahlasedi Masana Primary School in Mamelodi, Pretoria.
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Let's - wash united''!

Lusaka, 24 September 2010. "Do you know that sanitation and hygiene are often still taboo topics? For many people it is difficult to talk openly about this essential issue. We can use the positive power of football to break persisting taboos and convey valuable hygiene education to the youth," explained YDF Africa Team Expert, Lebogang Tlomatsane, during a training workshop for coaches in Zambia.
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BMZ Head of Division for Southern Africa visits YDF Project

Mamelodi, 22 September 2010. "The soccer pitch is not a white elephant; the children and the community derive equal benefit from it,” explained Joe Vuma, Principal of Mahlasedi Masana Primary School during a visit of BMZ’s Head of Division for Southern Africa, Dr Ingolf Dietrich, to Mamelodi. Appropriate to South Africa’s upcoming Heritage Day on 24 September, Dietrich was welcomed by the staff members and children in colourful traditional wear.
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A 99-year legacy for the FIFA World Cup

Orange Farm, 16 September 2010. Christian Leffler, Deputy Director-General for Development and Relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific States of the European Union (EU), received detailed information on YDF when he visited the Dona's Mates project site in Orange Farm during his visit to South Africa.
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Youth leaders for social change

Mabopane, 11 September 2010. "I am astounded by the passion of these young people who applied for voluntary soccer coaching in their communities. They are highly motivated to go into schools and teach soccer in combination with valuable life skills," explains Chrisna Groenewald after selecting 21 youth leaders for soccer training in Mabopane, a township in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
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A blind coach with a vision

Vosloorus, 24 August 2010. Dumisane Nthombela stands motionless at the soccer pitch, his eyes not following the players; however, every now and then he calls out to them in a low voice and adjusts their play. They change it accordingly and without hesitation. Dumisane is the football coach for the Silver Spears in Vosloorus, a township situated in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
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The cooperation is about to begin

Port Elizabeth, 10 July 2010. The last World-Cup weekend marked the final showdown for the German team, which emerged triumphant against Uruguay at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. At the same time, just a few kilometres away in the township of Motherville, 180 youths from the region met for the grand final of the football holiday camps.
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World-class and typically African

Johannesburg, 10 July 2010. "Africa’s time has come. Together, let us contribute towards upholding the spirit of the Football World Cup". On 10 July 2010 Ke Nako Africa closed its doors in the International Football Village with a round of discussions whose focal point was the question of the legacy of the Football World Cup on the African continent. There is no doubt at all: The World Cup has had a sustainable influence on South Africa and the perception of the country throughout the world and united its people.
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Turn knowledge about HIV/AIDS into action!

Johannesburg, 07 July 2010. Scott Burnett states it clearly: "The youths of South Africa know a lot about HIV and AIDS. Our challenge is to take that knowledge and turn it into action. Within this process, football can serve as a perfect tool to bring people together, to connect communities and to develop self-esteem.” Burnett is director of the Youth Department at loveLife, one of South Africa’s largest national HIV/AIDS-prevention programmes for young people. On 7 July 2010, Burnett opened a panel discussion on ’Sport as a tool for HIV/ AIDS prevention’ at the International Football Village in Johannesburg.
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Waka Waka - one last time!

Pretoria, 06 July 2010. "And the winner of the World Cup is…Paraguay!" What sounds like a far cry from the truth became a reality in Mamelodi. YDF had organised a festival that comprised a soccer tournament and a life-skills session. The event took place at Mahlasedi Masana Primary School on 6 July 2010. All of YDF’s partner organisations in Gauteng – Altus Sports Vuma, Karos & Kambro and Green Feet – gathered for the festival.
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Dr. Bernd Eisenblaetter and Willi Lemke visit Gugulethu Township

Gugulethu, 06 July 2010. "Football is far more than just a game and with its power and fervour, has the potential to be used as an educational tool and effective lever for developing the youth!" Dr Bernd Eisenblaetter, spokesperson for GIZ's managing directors, showed himself to be convinced by the approach of the youth football project that GIZ is implementing together with the South African Ministry of Sport and Recreation on behalf of the German Government and the European Union.
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German Chancellor visits YDF project

Cape Town, 03 July 2010. In actual fact, Angela Merkel came to South Africa to root for Germany’s National Football Team. After an exchange of views with South African President, Jacob Zuma, there was, however, still time on 3 July 2010 to visit the Youth Development through Football (YDF) project that GIZ established on behalf of the German Government and the European Union in South Africa and nine other African countries.
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Felix stays on the ball

Winterveld, 30 June 2010. Matthias Eiles sits down on a piece of cardboard in the middle of the dusty training grounds next to Ikeleng Primary School in the township of Winterveld. He is surrounded by more than 30 youths who are attending one of YDF's holiday camps in the area. The youths are listening attentively to Eiles while he reads from his book Felix stays on the ball – a story about a young German boy who travels to South Africa during the Football World Cup.
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The first real football of their lives

Osire, 30 June 2010. With the 2010 FIFA World CupTM having turned all eyes on South Africa, a statement such as the following seems to come from a different world: "Most of our kids have never seen a real football before in their lives. They were absolutely stunned and happy when we presented them with the balls." This statement was made by Reverend Edgar Lueken of the Southern African Methodist Church in Namibia, the neighbouring country of the World Cup host.
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''I didn't believe this could happen!''

Orange Farm, 27 June 2010. "I didn't believe that girls could play soccer and I also didn't believe that one day we would play on such a nice soft pitch," Nokuthula Klaasen clutches her microphone tightly while addressing the crowd gathered around her. The 17-year-old with the blonde-dyed hair spills out words of thanks not only to her team-mates, but also to the German Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maizière, who stands next to her.
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YDF Toolkit is a future-oriented concept

Nienhagen, 26 June 2010. Exercise, play and sport are ways for young people to present themselves in front of other people. Young people experience their social value primarily through their bodily presentations. There is hardly a youth culture in which the body, exercise and sport do not play a role. Youth cultures are always, if you will, also cultures of exercise, play and sport.
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Football: not just a boy's sport!

Johannesburg, 26 June 2010. Moskito Manamela, a young football player from Mamelodi, faced opposition from friends and even her own family when she decided to play football: "But football was in my blood, so I went on and on." Moskito talked about her experiences during a panel discussion on 'Girl empowerment through football', which took place at Ke Nako Africa on Saturday, 26 June 2010.
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YDF Zambia at the Global Football Village

Johannesburg, 24 June 2010. German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dirk Niebel, visited the YDF Zambia stand at the International Football Village on 24 June 2010. In cooperation with the Devolution Trust Fund, team members of YDF Zambia explained how they use football to develop life skills with an emphasis on the importance of clean water and hygiene.
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Discovering the world of YDF

Johannesburg, 24 June 2010. Dirk Niebel, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, received detailed information on YDF when he visited the project's exhibition at Ke Nako Africa, which forms part of the International Football Village in Johannesburg. Niebel also made a stop at one of the Ulutsha Soccer Buses to learn more about YDF's partners and approaches.
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A country in the throes of football fever

Winterveld, 23 June 2010. "Germany will take the lead and win by one goal" - Walter Eschweiler is in no doubt about that. As ‚Germany's Whistle-Blower‘, the popular former referee - today a sports diplomat for the Foreign Office - is still well known. On 23 June 2010 he was a guest in Winterveld, a settlement north-west of Pretoria where the Minister of Development Aid, Dirk Niebel, was officially opening a street-football pitch on this day.
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The Ulutsha Soccer Busses are here!

Port Elizabeth, 18 June 2010. "Each bus reaches 12 schools per week. With the three new buses, we can cover 110 schools per year in an area spanning about 80 kilometres around Port Elizabeth. Per coaching session, which comprises at least 12 hours a week, we address 200 to 250 kids, which boils down to 202,000 youths per year!" Nick Mould is ecstatic about the numbers.
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Football for Peace

Hillbrow, 21 June 2010. "We use football as a tool for reconciliation," says Gerd Scheuerpflug, coordinator of the Civil Peace Service (CPS) in Rwanda, closely watching his team engage youths from a YDF holiday camp in a forum theatre performance on a pitch in Ekhaya Park in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.
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'Umzingisi - persevere and you will succeed'

Port Elizabeth, 17 June 2010. In 2005 Nick Mould, a young professional from the UK, took a gap from his work life and ended up on the shores of South Africa in the Eastern Cape. The region attracts many visitors owing to its natural beauty; nevertheless, it faces many challenges, the province still being one of the poorest in South Africa with one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the country.
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African Youth Forum established

Johannesburg, 16 June 2011. An African Youth Sport Forum was established at the International Football Village at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Johannesburg. Youths from eight African countries met for the first planning session during a three-day workshop, organised against the backdrop of National Youth Day.
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Is the ball round?

Johannesburg, 15 June 2010.  "We want to get the youth interested in science and use soccer as a vehicle to motivate them," says Derek Hanekom, Deputy Minister of the Department of Science & Technology, explaining the backdrop to 'The Science of Soccer'. The exhibition was launched on 15 June 2010 at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Johannesburg.
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YDF showcases toolkit on newly constructed pitch

KwaDukuza, 13 June 2010. The Youth Development through Football (YDF) project showcased its toolkit during the opening of a pitch in KwaDukuza that was financed by the German Development Bank (KfW). The event took place at the Melville Recreational Park, approximately 50 kilometres from Durban.
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Football is about teamplay and not individual profiling

Gamalakhe, 12 June 2010. "I'm very proud that my team showed its full range of skills and was able to win this tournament!" Tino Ndwalane is over the moon. The 27-year-old from the township of Gamalakhe is a volunteer coach for the Active Community Club (ACC). On Saturday, his team of under-15 boys won the final of the ACC Children's League at the Gamalakhe College of Higher Education.
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Youth Development through Sport - what is it all about?

Johannesburg, 11 June 2010. Role models from various strong non-governmental partners of the Youth Development through Football (YDF) project met up with Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke, and Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa, Gert Oosthuizen, for a panel discussion on the youth-development-through-sport movement.
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Launch of 'Ke Nako Africa' at the International Football Village - Impressions

Johannesburg, 10 June 2010. Impressions from the opening ceremony of the Ke Nako Africa initiative at Ke Nako Plaza, part of the International Football Village at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Johannesburg.
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Minister of Sport launches ''Ke Nako Africa - The Exhibition''

Johannesburg, 10 June 2010. "I declare the Ke Nako Africa initiative open!" On Thursday, 10 June 2010 - one day ahead of the kick-off for the World Cup - Minister of Sport & Recreation South Africa, Rev. Makhenkesi Stofile, launched the exhibition at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Johannesburg.
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Three weeks later

Johannesburg, 08 June 2010. Just three weeks after the ground-breaking ceremony for the 20x40-metre street soccer pitch took place in Orange Farm on 18 May 2010 the artificial turf gets unreeled. The new pitch will be ready in time for the World Cup.
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e Ke Nako Africa - It's time!

Kempton Park, 08 June 2010. It's time: Only two days to go, until the first FIFA World Cup™ on African soil kicks off on 11 June 2010. Ahead of the world's largest sports event, the International Football Village opens its doors to the public on 10 June 2010 at Birchwood hotel & Conference Center, close to OR Tambo. YDF will be present at the Ke Nako Plaza throughout the World Cup. Join us for an African experience!
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Fight crime, give the youth a future!

Hillbrow, 06 June 2010. Hillbrow, located in the city centre of Johannesburg, is well known for its high crime rate; yet it is here that Patricia Msebele coordinates the Ekhaya Housing Association. The association represents 12 property owners who joined forces to improve the living conditions of tenants living adjacent to Ekhaya Park. "Our involvement has definitely made a difference," explains Patricia. "Not only do we focus on safety and security, but we also want to engage the youth in meaningful activities. That is why we joined YDF."
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Six days to go!

Lusaka, 05 June 2010. Zambia and Germany look back on an excellent long-term relationship. For more than 10 years Zambians and Germans, in the form of private and public entities, have been working together to improve living conditions in Zambia with a focus on establishing cultural relations. Currently, the most important triviality in Zambian-German relations - and the most passionate to boot - is the Zambian-German Friendship Tournament. It is particularly important with only six days to go until the kick-off to the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM.
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The other face of South Africa

Johannesburg, 05 June 2010. Do you have tickets for the WC opening match, with South Africa pitched against Mexico on 11 June, but have no plans yet for 10 or 13 June 2010? Then come with us to Hillbrow in the Central Business District of Johannesburg. Together with non-governmental organisations and churches, we are working with youths in Hillbrow, many of whom are 'street children'. Through the game of football and through cultural activities, we are conveying values to them, boosting their self-esteem and encouraging them to assume responsibility for their area of Johannesburg. 

As YDF we are offering a comprehensive programme for media representatives and representatives from the social, political and economic arenas during the FIFA Football World Cup 2010^TM in four South African provinces and in Lesotho.
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No golden shoe but a lot of fun!

Pretoria, 05 June 2010. The German Embassy and the German School Pretoria jointly organised the 7th Diplomatic Football Tournament which took place on 5 June 2010. 32 teams participated, among them YDF’s partner Sport & Recreation South Africa (SRSA). Each team was allocated a country participating in the upcoming World Cup; YDF represented England and Serbia.
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Kick-off for the Coach Manual

Pretoria, 28 May 2010. Joseph Jacobs has coached approximately 1000 football trainers in the past two years for the South African Sports Coalition (SASCOL), coaching which has taken place mainly in the Eastern Cape. Jacobs explains his motivation to become a YDF Toolkit instructor: "I have kept an eye on the people in my community. Their love for football alongside the growing impact of illnesses and social problems inspired me to become active in the field of coaching."
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Training coaches as role models

Pretoria, 28 May 2010. 31 Instructors from all over South Africa and other African partner countries of the Youth Development through Football (YDF) project received their "YDF Football & Life Skills Instructor License” after a one week workshop in Pretoria. They will in future train coaches to also be role models and social workers to also be coaches.
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Ground has been broken!

Orange Farm, 18 May 2010. The ground-breaking ceremony for the building of a 20x40-metre street soccer pitch took place in Orange Farm on 18 May 2010. Alongside architects Celliers Greyvenstein (Pty) Ltd and building contractor Trompie Civils CC, representatives of all involved partners were present. The pitch is being funded by the European Union and will be used for Youth Development through Football (YDF) activities in Orange Farm.
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Let the strength of the youth create a strong Africa

Pretoria, 18 May 2010. We left South Africa on 29 April 2010 and arrived that same evening in Rwanda. The next day we visited the Kimisagara Sports Centre in Kigali. Esperance went the extra mile and invited youth leaders from Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, all of whom gathered at the Sports Centre.
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Juventude forte - para uma Africa forte! (Strong Youth for a Strong Africa)

Manica, 15 May 2010. On 15 May 2010 YDF's fourteen-day ‘Strong Youth, Strong Africa' tour came to an end in its partner country Mozambique, after visiting Rwanda, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. 'A Strong and Healthy Community' was the final theme. The tour stopped over in the City of Manica in Manica Province, Central Mozambique. The Municipal Football Stadium of Manica, which is located only 15 km from the border with Zimbabwe, was full of song and dance when representatives from the Provincial Government entered the venue at 9 am after the arrival of the teams. They were led by the Mayor of the City of Manica. Participating youth teams held colourful banners with slogans displaying the theme.
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A Dream Come True

Orange Farm, 11 May 2010. Dona's Mates' youth development project will soon be able to empower the youths from the community on a proper pitch. After two years of hard work and intense discussions with various state authorities, Dona's Mates Founder and Chairperson James 'Maradona' Shabangu received a 99-year lease agreement for land in the Orange Farm community. The title deed will be held by the Gauteng Provincial Government and the Dona's Mates' Youth Development Project. Construction of the street football pitch will begin in May. The pitch is supposed to be ready in June, just in time for the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™
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Linking Sports & Culture for 'Strong Youth, Strong Africa!'

Lobamba, 11 May 2010. The festivities of the ‘Strong Youth, Strong Africa!’ station in Lobamba, Swaziland, began with a parade on the grounds of the national stadium. The march was led by drum majorettes, accompanying flag-bearers who paraded the Strong Youth, Strong Africa banner as well as the FIFA Fair Play flag. The latter was an expression of support for the promotion of ‘Fair Play, Social Inclusion and Team Spirit’, the theme chosen for this sixth stopover event of the YDF World Cup 2010 tour.
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Remogo! - United! - Strong Youth, Strong Africa

Maseru, 09 May 2010. The day started out cold and wet in Maseru, but this did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the youngsters who had gathered at the Maseru Sport Club to celebrate the ‘Strong Youth, Strong Africa’ tour stopover in Lesotho. The programme kicked off with a grand march through the streets. Waving their banners high up in the air and shouting team battle cries, the teams stormed through the streets of the capital, competing in a fierce race to see which one would reach the venue first.
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Rea ba tsaya - We're taking them!

Ramotswa, 07 May 2010. It was a colourful procession that threaded its way at 9 o'clock in the morning from the middle of town to the Youth Centre at Ramotswa Village, where the 'Strong Youth, Strong Africa' tour had stopped over in Botswana. More than 300 children carried the flags of the 32 national teams that will take part in the 2010 World Cup™ through the streets. YDF's partner in Botswana - the 'South East District Youth Empowerment League' (SEDYEL) - had chosen 'Youth, Health and HIV/AIDS' as its motto for the event, and impressed GIZ Country Director for South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho, Peter Conze, with the performance it put on: "It is inspiring to see how well SEDYEL understands how to combine football with the life skills important to the girls and boys of Botswana".
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Celebrating the World Cup

Windhoek, 05 May 2010. "The 2010 World Cup is an outstanding platform for strengthening partnerships and broadening networks,” said Romeo Bertolini, Counsellor for Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Windhoek. Together with representatives from the German Embassy in Windhoek, the South African High Commission, the Department of Sport, GIZ Namibia, and GIZ/YDF, Bertolini watched the final matches of the Mini World Cup played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia. Windhoek is the third destination in YDF’s ’Strong Youth, Strong Africa’ tour.
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Play Clean, We Win! - For a healthy community!

Livingstone, 03 May 2010. ‘Play Clean, We Win! – For a healthy community’ was the theme of the day as the ’Strong Youth, Strong Africa’ tour stopped over in Zambia’s capital of Livingstone on 3 May 2010. The streets of the small village of Libuyu, located in the vicinity of Livingstone, were alight with song and dance as a flamboyant parade led by the Salvation Army Brass Band made its way from the local market to the Youth Community Training Centre. Participating youth teams held colourful banners with slogans displaying the theme.
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'Strong Youth, Strong Africa' kicked off in Kigal

Kigali, 01 May 2010. "The future of the continent is in the hands of our youth.” These were the words echoed by Fatuma Abdulkadir Adan, a representative from the Horn of Africa Development Initiative in Kenya, who took part in the opening ceremony of the ‘Strong Youth, Strong Africa’ tour on 1 May 2010 in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali. He was one of many guests from both African and international governmental and non-governmental organisations as well as from YDF’s partner country, Ghana, that joined the kick-off of YDF’s ‘Strong Youth, Strong Africa’ tour at the Kimisagara Sport Centre. More than 2000 spectators had the ‘land of a thousand hills’ - as Rwanda is also known - buzzing with excitement when they participated in football, music and cultural activities.
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Press Release: Strong Youth, Strong Africa - the YDF Africa Tour

Pretoria, 28 April 2010. For the second time in only 14 months, all eyes will be on Rwanda’s capital Kigali, when the YDF Africa Tour embarks on a 15-day tour through seven African countries on 1 May 2010. In February 2009 Kigali was the starting point of the YDF Peace Caravan that toured the countries of the Great Lakes Region. ’Strong Youth, Strong Africa’ is the message that the Africa Tour will convey this time to the citizens of YDF’s partner countries Rwanda, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique ahead of the first FIFA World Cup™ on African soil. It will use the power of the ball to promote the unique and holistic approach of youth development through football and to address social and political priorities in the respective countries.
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Strong Youth, Strong Africa - Example Training Session

Pretoria, 28 April 2010. The "Strong Youth, Strong Africa" Example Training Session taken from the "YDF Manual for Coach Training" is now available for download.
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YDF welcomed Bavarian Sport Committee in Klipkruisfontein

Klipkruisfontein, 27 April 2010. National Freedom Day welcomed some 20 members of the Committee on Education, Youth and Sport of the Bavarian Parliament with rain and chilly African autumn weather. However, it could not prevent them from visiting the YDF project at Soshanguve’s Klipkruisfontein Community Center northwest of Pretoria. The delegation was accompanied by the German Ambassador to South Africa, Dieter Haller, the Director of the German Society for the Promotion of Democracy and International Law, Thilo Braun, and the Press Officer of UNICEF Germany, Helga Kuhn.
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Achieving sustainability through networking initiatives

Pretoria, 16 April 2010. More than 70 participants from approximately 40 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in the field of sport and development took part in the three-day ‘Southern Africa Easter Meeting’ of the Sport for Social Change Network (SSCN) between 14 and 16 April 2010. The participants were from South Africa and other YDF partner countries of the Southern African Development Community such as Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Zambia.
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Wewe and the German Development Minister

Cape Town, 10 April 2010. "Football has powerfully and positively impacted my life" stated 22-year-old Wewe (Nomawethu Sokoyi), animatedly explaining her involvement in youth development through football to a clearly impressed German Development Minister. Dirk Niebel had come to South Africa to attend the sixth meeting of the Binational Commission together with German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle. He was accompanied by a strong delegation of political and economic representatives from Germany. The Binational Commission is the crucial forum for political dialogue between the governments of the two countries.
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Soccer and education: It’s all about the qualification of the coach

Cape Town, 2010-Mar-25. What does fair play mean in the context of the game of soccer? Does the training of a coach affect the value system of the players in street football, for instance? How can we overcome discrimination and promote gender equality using football as a tool? In order to answer these and other pressing questions, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) launched ’Extra Time: A German – South African Lecture Series on Soccer’ in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

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Clean water for a healthy world

Lusaka, 22 March 2010. On 22 March YDF, together with its Zambian Partners - the GIZ Water-Sector Reform Programme, the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO), the Development Trust Fund (DTF) as well as sports partners EduSport Foundation and Breakthrough Sports - commemorated World Water Day. The theme for this year was ’Clean Water for a Healthy World’.
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Joint action for a better life for disadvantaged girls and boys

Cape Town, 18 March 2010.The sun shone brightly and the silhouette of Table Mountain provided a distinctive background setting when the European Union joined the successful South African-German Youth Development through Football (YDF) partnership, contributing another six million euro or 60 million rand to the 7.5-million-euro funding by the German Government.
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‘Free’ becomes YDF Namibia’s theme song

Namibia, 17 March 2010. "I’m gonna be free and learn to fly away” - these are the lyrics from the song ’Free’, made popular by award-winning Namibian musician Gazza, who sings it with Namibian singer Tequila. YDF Namibia has chosen ’Free’ as the theme song for its project because it deals with similar topics, pursues similar objectives and reaches out to the youth as football does.
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The 'Mini WC' takes place in Windhoek

Windhoek, 03 March 2010. ”It is a great honour for me today to be present at this momentous occasion, which I would call history in the making. It is history in the making because we have been able to unite various nations through the power of football. I have always maintained that sport - particularly football - is a powerful tool, which we must use to unite people and nations on our various continents”. It was not the first FIFA World Cup™ on African soil that Namibia’s Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, Willem Konjore, was referring to in his speech, but the ‘Youth Development through Football Mini World Cup’, that kicked off on 3 March 2010.
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German Journalists-Network visits YDF

Mamelodi, 09 February 2010. Because of its unique power to unite cultures football plays a critical role in the lives of many people in the world. The staging of this year's World Cup on the African continent, coupled with the awe-inspiring profiles of internationally acclaimed African footballers, brings the sport close to home for many African children. Their enthusiasm emanates from the sheer love of the game and simply because street soccer has always been a part of their lives.
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In Mint Condition!

Mamelodi, 08 February 2010. Money is always scarce in schools. For this reason, teachers and pupils of Mahlasedi Masana Primary School and team members of GIZ's Youth Development through Football project decided to take matters into their own hands and paint the fence around their football pitch in bright silver. At 32 degrees, the mission proved to be a sweaty one, but the painters obviously enjoyed their joint effort nonetheless. As a result, the fence that had faded over eighteen months of intense use is shining once again, inviting further street-soccer matches to take place.

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Local Ambassador for YDF in Zambia: William Njobvu

Lusaka, 05 February 2010. Chipolopolo, Zambia's national football team, arrived back in Zambia on Thursday from the African Nations Cup. The team was welcomed by some hundred supporters at the international airport in Lusaka. The Zambian team played extremely well, only losing to Nigeria in a penalty shootout in the quarter finals.Your description here.
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Fit for the World Cup Hype

Pretoria, 27 January 2010. ”Describe my project in 30 seconds?” – Mohlatse Mokgatho is at a loss. ‘Lucky’, as he is known affectionately by his friends, is one of the youth leaders of Altus Sport Vuma and an expert when it comes to football; but in front of the camera, he experiences a wobbliness that is thus far unfamiliar to him. One day and several hours of intense training later, however, Lucky has regained his confidence and is able to describe the project approach of YDF’s non-governmental partner convincingly.
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Visitors to the YDF Website want to get involved

Pretoria, 08 January 2010. 2009 was a successful year for the YDF website logging a total of 6,845 visits, a remarkable 177% increase over 2008’s 2,472 visits, with a consistent increase of 30 to 45% of visits over each 6 month monitoring period.
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