Starfish Project: My soccer club has changed me, shares Manenberg teen

This piece is related part of the The Cape Argus Starfish, and follows on “Manenberg football club wants to give youth options instead of gangsterism”.

I am Imtishaam Daniels, I live in Manenberg and I am currently in Grade 12, at Phoenix Secondary School.

In our part of Manenberg, there are no soccer clubs – as all the clubs are mainly located further into Manenberg's gangland territory.

This means that children, who want to play for those clubs, would either have to take a taxi or walk and enter the most dangerous parts of Manenberg.

I am grateful that we now have an established soccer club, Young Tornado Warriors Football Club, that we can pride ourselves in, in our area. It also keeps us busy and fit.

Our co-founder Magadien Wentzel, who lives in Manenberg, and Friedl Gertse, are doing a really great job by bringing hope to this area where we live.

Since Friedl started investing into our community, so many children just want to play soccer. The club has changed me, through the help of Magadien Wentzel, by always empowering us to stay away from a life of crime and drugs.

Friedl, who continually chats to me on WhatsApp, always encourages me and tries to help me get further bursary opportunities for next year, as my parents are not in the position financially to assist me.

I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to helping out with all the initiatives Friedl has planned. My dream is to study tourism and, one day, to start my own business in that field.

The Cape Argus Starfish project aims to help encourage young people to steer away from crime. The project offers a platform for individuals and organisations to tell our readers what they do to empower the youth, and to share their knowledge. Email us at [email protected]

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