Football For Hope Festival Providing Hope to Residents of Alexandra

Alexandra, Johannesburg --

If you ask most South Africans what they know about Alexandra township in Johannesburg, they will tell you it was the place where the xenophobic riots that shocked South Africa started in 2008. Sixty-two people were left dead as a result of the violence, in a stark reminder of the work of the reality that is the new Rainbow Nation.

However, FIFA's inaugrual Football for Hope Festival, which is taking place in Alexandra, is working to change that image of Alex as well as providing hope to the residents of the community that face high levels of crime, poverty and unemployment, even by South African standards.

FIFA's decision to place the festival in Alex, rather than Soweto, was a hugely symbolic and special moment for the community as football has been described their lifeblood. It is a decision that has meant for Alexandra's residents they have not only been treated to a quality display of global football, but also seen the importance of fair play.

One of the play-by-play commentators of the festival and member of the streetfootballworld family, who goes by the stage name of 'Monkey', talked about how he “has never felt a moment like this in Alex”. He also mentioned that its a very positive thing that the festival is in Alex as it provides the community with a chance to interact with different cultures that they would never interact with along with showing them what fair play means.

For the eight young men and women that make up Team Alexandra, their stories elaborate on why this festival can be a major turning point for their community. When asked what the long-term impact of this festival on his community, Neo Malema, a seventeen year-old player on Team Alex, said that “even when the festival is over, we will have one of the Football for Hope Centers so that will be left behind for the community to continue using and its impact will be huge.” Malema also went on to talk about how that the festival has given him personal hope that he will be able to succeed in the future.

Another team member, Dimpho Matsoso, said one of the most important aspects of the festival for Alex was that “it's important for the community to see girls and boys playing on the same team and working together for a common goal.” Matsoso went on to echo Malema's sentiments about their futures as she said that “playing with Team Alex has made me hopeful of my own future and encouraged me to complete matric [high school].”

Many of the spectators at the matches are young children from the community and the chance to watch these matches has not been lost on them, as they have filled the main stadium each and every day of the festival so far. Katlego Malaka, another member of Team Alex, believes that it is the impact on these children that is the most important aspect of the festival.

Malaka stated “it is important for the young children in the community to see that the same way they are hopeful over football they can be hopeful over their futures.” This sentiment has even been echoed by the music superstars that have been featured during the lunch break of the festival, with pop star JR urging the crowd to stay in school after his performance.

For every Malaka and Matsoso that has been able to stay in school, they know that there has been others in Alex that has been unable to complete school and have turned to a more negative lifestyle. Their youth has been a struggle, but Team Alex represents the best of Alexandra's youth and there is a lot of hope within the community of a better future for them.

While the Football for Hope Festival has been all about the positive moments, there has been some lowlights, with Team Alex also being at the epicenter of those. With Team Alex failing to win any of their first seven matches, there has been an overwhelming amount of pressure put on the team by the community to succeed and the team has struggled as a result, even though this is a fair play tournament by design. Team Alex has been whistled off the pitch after a few of their losses and as a result their matches have all been moved from the main stadium to the smaller pitch that only has a capacity of one hundred spectators.

This pressure is symbolic of the pressure that is being put on the youth of Alexandra to succeed and escape the struggles that have encapsulate the area. Every parent wants a better life for their children and Alexandra is no exception.

Yet, Malaka shrugs off the whistles as “normal” for South Africa and says that he knows that the team still has the community's support regardless of their performance. It is young leaders like Malaka that are providing hope to the community of Alexandra and it is clear that the festival has had a major impact upon their futures.