Kusasa Stars reaches out for help to keep the children safe

South African team, Kusasa Stars, participated in Gothia Cup in 2018 and 2019 and looked forward to fulfilling the dreams of more young people this summer, traveling to Sweden and the world’s largest meeting place for youth. Instead, they’re now fighting the coronavirus pandemic, trying to keep the children safe in these challenging circumstances.

The Kusasa Stars uses football to promote education and life skills to the youth of Langrug, a small community in Franschhoek, South Africa. The players who excel in school and football get the opportunity to travel to Sweden to participate in Gothia Cup. Football is important but educating the players, opening their eyes to a world of opportunity and showing them nothing is impossible, is the main aim of the journey to Gothenburg, Sweden.

With the state of the pandemic in South Africa, it has had quite a large economic impact on people who are living in poverty and specifically to the community where the Kusasa Stars come from, where many have no access to electricity or sanitary facilities. Many parents normally work as seasonal laborers on wine farms in and around Franschhoek – during the outbreak they have not had work and are uncertain when they’ll be able to start working again.

Through fundraising, the Kusasa Stars have managed to get masks donated for the team but they’re now looking at the community as a whole, as the coaches say: ”If the community isn’t safe, the kids aren’t safe.”

Therefore, they’ve launched a campaign to raise funds in order to purchase reusable masks for the entire community. All 16000 people.

During their previous journeys to Gothia Cup, in 2018 and 2019, the Kusasa Stars have been overwhelmed by the generosity shown by both football clubs and individuals in the Gothia Cup network, who donated clothes, shoes and other football equipment as well as money to the Kusasa Foundation.

In these extraordinary times, they want to reach out to the Gothia Cup family for help to keep the children safe. If you want to give, learn more or simply see parts of the documentary film made by director Shane Vermooten, please visit the fundraising campaign: gf.me/u/xyz5wt No amount is too small, even if you can only give enough for one mask or simply share it with your network, it makes a difference.

The Kusasa Stars brings hope to their community through football and the fundraising is a way to enable them to continue bringing that hope during these trying times.