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UNICEF Celebrity Advocates visit Makgofe Secondary School, Limpopo Province

Celebrity Adovates, Nicole Fox and Kabelo gives the thumbs up to the leaners from Makgofe Secondary school in Limpopo.

Kids Changing the World and Sports for Development programmes launched

February 2008, Limpopo Province… UNICEF Celebrity Advocates Nicole Fox and KB Ngakane, both well-known television and radio personalities, and Tshedi Mholo, lead singer of the popular singing group Malaika, were the special guests of UNICEF at the Makgofe Secondary School in Makgofe Village, Limpopo, in a combined fun day to promote the ‘Kids Changing the World Campaign’ and sports for development programme in the school.

The ‘Kids Changing the World Campaign’ encourages children to purchase a Buddy Band from Woolworths, UNICEF’s partner in the project. The proceeds of the sales are distributed between Heartbeat (a Western Cape Charity), the Woolworths Trust and UNICEF.

The Buddy Band, a multi-coloured rubber wristband, which can be purchased for the price of R15 at Woolworths stores, is a child-to-child project that symbolises children’s commitment to making a difference in the world through participation in their self-initiated projects in areas such as environment, education and protection of orphans and vulnerable children.

The purchase of the Band, however, is only the first step to the campaign. More importantly, children are presented with the message of encouragement that they can play an active role in changing the world they live in.

Focus on education as basis of a better future
Through inspirational speeches and songs, the celebrities urged the children to focus on their studies as the basis for a better future. The children were overjoyed by the impromptu performance given by Tshedi, which included a dance routine during which she invited students and staff members of the school to join her on the floor.

“From what I saw the kids at the school are excited, energetic, and fun, and they're hungry for opportunities. We just need to show them that someone does care, that we can make changes and that we can change their attitude towards their school,” said Nicole Fox about her experience of the visit.

UNICEF Celebrity Advocates, Kabelo, Nicole Fox and Tshedi from Malaika hand out some footballs collected through the "Let's Play a Million" campaign.

Sport for development
The fun day closed with the handing over of a number of footballs collected by UNICEF and SuperSport through the ‘Let’s Play a Million’ sms and radio campaign. Various football teams immediately took to the field to compete in vigorous football games against each other.

SuperSport, the Department of Education, SAFA and UNICEF support the Let’s Play initiative, which aims to raise 1 million balls by 2010, for distribution to under-resourced schools and communities throughout South Africa.

The school launches, which took place in all nine provinces during the month of February, are part of an overall programme to provide quality education to children, increase access to sport and recreation facilities and provide equipment and life skills training through sporting activities.

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