There are many children in the world deserving of the title ‘Hero’. South Africa has many of them, but Ikasi Soccer School for Girls has nominated 7th grader, Dithapelo Motloli, as their ‘Hero’.
Dithapelo working hard to stay fit both on and off the soccer field.
Young girls in the townships have a very hard life
Dithapelo lives in a vulnerable informal settlement called Zwe-Zwe on the outskirts of Cape Town. Without a father (who passed away), Dithapelo now lives with her single mother and younger brother. There is very little income, and the small family struggles to make ends meet.
Ikasi’s founders realized that young girls in the townships have a very hard life, often harder than that of the boys. And they have done amazing work to remedy this situation. Their soccer school gives the girls a healthy occupation in the afternoons and weekends.
Ikasi also tries to alleviate some of the hardships and very real dangers faced by young girls living in these settlements. Besides providing support, training and mentoring, the Ikasi girls have their school work monitored by the club too, and the teachers cooperate.
These girls are learning that nothing is impossible, and that they deserve respect.
Ikasi’s Rainbow Team (goalkeeper, Dithapelo on the right at the back)
She does not allow life to stand in her way on the road to success
Dithapelo is a success story because, despite all obstacles, she has stuck with the football group since 2018. She won her first football medal on Women’s Day in 2018. She is now the respected goalkeeper of the Rainbow Team which will compete in Gothenburg, Sweden when the world opens up again.
#ImStaying congratulates Dithapelo Motloli for her soccer club’s pride in her as a young South African Hero. She does not allow life to stand in her way on the road to success and has every right to be a proud of herself.
To learn more about the Ikasi Soccer School for Girls, go to our original story and watch an interview with 2 of the founders of this incredible initiative.
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