Submitted by: T’Nielle Brookes

Our youth.  This is where it all begins.  This is where I realized I could make a difference.

The movement against gender-based violence was the impetus – it was the place it all began for me.  I was ready to get involved, ready to march, and ready to make a change.  Ready to do something that would make an impact.  After witnessing scenes of violence, I felt defeated.  It was as if there was a disconnect between the message that we were marching for and what we saw in reality.  I looked at other ways I could make a difference and discovered something that had been right in front of me for so long.  However small it seemed, I could make a difference and I could have an impact.

It was as if there was a disconnect between the message that we were marching for and what we saw in reality.

Meet the ‘boys from Dunoon’.  Actually, they are our boys: they have names and they have personalities.  My name is T’Nielle and I am a member of Milnerton Baseball Club based at Theo Marias Park in Milnerton.  My boyfriend is the junior coach and 95% of our juniors are from Dunoon township.

This has now turned into my passion.  Our boys have shown me so much by just the bit we are able to do, with the little that we are able to provide, yet it is so important to them.  The appreciation and joy on their faces make everything worth it, not just for our boys, but for me too.

The love and passion that our boys have is beyond amazing and inspires all of us to try and do better and help in whatever way we can.

We do not charge our kids membership fees as they cannot afford it.  We encourage them to come and to bring their friends as we find this helps keep them away from the socio-economic issues they are faced with.  The Baseball Club is the one place where they do not have to face these challenges.  The love and passion that our boys have is beyond amazing and inspires all of us to try and do better and help in whatever way we can.

In addition to focusing on the sport of baseball, we request our boys bring in their school reports.  This way we can see how they are performing in school and identify who needs help.

Making a difference for the youth

As a self-funded Baseball Club we rely on donations and sponsorship and are running out of funds quickly. Creating awareness around our story and our kids, while inspiring other communities and sports clubs to do the same, is crucial in this endeavour.  It is our hope that organizations will be able to help our Baseball Club and our boys.  The message of community youth development is one of the most important ways that we can make a difference in our country, and we need to start with our youth.

Edited by: Val Bruce

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