Keeping Parkwood kids busy

One of the soccer teams with back, from left, are organiser Derick Matjiet, Daylin de Villiers, Jayden Felix and ward councillor William Akim.

A South African running champion and a Parkwood resident have partnered to keep Parkwood children off the streets this school holiday. Over 300 children will be kept busy with soccer, netball and chess at Fairmount Primary School over the school holidays thanks to Shaun Vester and Derick Majiet. Mr Vester, still holds the South African Council on Sport’s (Sacos) fastest athlete title after clocking 9.9 seconds in the 100m when he was 18 in 1998. Currently working as a centre manager coach for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports (DCAF), Mr Vester stressed the importance of sport and other activities for children

“The idea is to get children involved in a sports environment in order to get them off the streets, from drugs, gangs and the wrong friends. Also just to have fun and keep active,” he said.

Parkwood resident Mr Majiet rallies the children together in the morning to join the activities and takes money out of his own pocket to give the children a meal and snacks.

“The Lord laid a vision on my heart to do something with the children for the holidays. My wish is to give them an alternative to the negative things happening in the community,”said Mr Majiet.

The programme’s activities will run until the end of the school holidays.