Alcohol and drugs are the root cause of almost all of South Africa’s ills: gangsterism, crime, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, broken homes and unemployment etc., which are actively prevalent in the lives of children in high risk communities. To a large part, these ills are accepted as part of a natural life path, where there is a culture you live by with no alternatives or perceived options for these children. We as the JAG Foundations utilise sport and play as a catalyst for change, exposing children in disadvantaged communities to an alternate life path. Our mentoring, coaching, knowledge and organised sport and play programmes, target the issues of alcohol, drugs and gangsterism head-on by showing children the real and attainable opportunity of an alternative life path, that can give them hope and an escape from a societal predisposition of their future.

The Cape Flats is described by some as 'apartheid's dumping ground', from the 1950s the area became home to people the apartheid government designated as non-White. The flats is currently southern Africa's largest Muslim community. The Cape Flats experiences the highest violence and crime rates in the country, and a recent surge in gang violence has caused numerous deaths of children merely caught in cross fire. Some Headlines and Community Quotes “Anrich Isaacs 22 disemboweled at Arcadia Secondary School, Bonteheuwel in a hatecrime” “Pregnant woman murdered, dumped in Bonteheuwel field” “There are gangs and criminals in our community. Some of them are still in primary school. They stab people if they want a cellphone.”

In these fatherless communities, broken and unstable home environments are more common than not. These are largely caused by unemployment, drugs, alcoholism, and acts of criminality. It is not rocket science to conclude that’s such environments are hugely detrimental to the development of a child. Being continuously exposed to these social ills and corrupt thinking from a young age, crafts a perception of this life as normal and natural life path. This perception leads children to become involved in gangs at a young age, promotes drug use and drug dealing, leads to participation in criminal activity, and ultimately paves a path to prison or an early grave. Where learning, for these children, has come to a standstill in their brains due to constantly being in ‘survival mode’, it is important that the body, which influences the brain dramatically starts to fight back. Moving, running, playing, passing, all contribute to creating a healthy mind for these children to learn and absorb the benefit of a positive alternate life path. Sport and play have many values which ingrain in young minds merely by playing and being part of a team, such as respect, discipline, tolerance, and dedication, just to name a few. These learned values then in turn build self-esteem, hope, and belief.

Our programmes utilise Athletics, Running, Cycling, and Rugby as codes or disciplines to expose the alternative life path, by imparting paramount core values learned through sport, play, and fun. These vehicles take form under the brands Mighty Metres (basics movement development – Athletics and Running), JAGRunners (Cross Country coach development), JAGRiders (Cycling), JAGRugby (Rugby), and JAGBullyProof (Ball games). Our programmes have been successfully rolled out and sustained since 2006, covering predominantly the Cape Flats area including Bonteheuwel and Mitchels Plain to name a few. We implement facilitator-training programme, where key individuals are identified from within the rollout community, trained as mentors under the guise of trainers in the philosophy and mission of the JAG Foundation, trained to correctly implement the various JAG Foundation programmes, and up-skilled as accredited sports coaches. These facilitators are then employed and recognised as JAG Foundation Mentors and are designated a satellite turn-key programme to run and implement under the continuous monitoring and management of the JAG Foundation.

In line with our mission of offering children an alternative lifepath, our value-based play programmes have 7 pillars to ensuring a successful and efficient imparting of positive values such as tolerance, integrity, respect, discipline, teamwork, accountability, and goal setting. These key pillars are; • Creating a Safehaven • Coaches and Mentors • Core Value Training • Skills Training • Inclusion and Nation Building • Talent Identification and Enfranchisement • Coach and Mentor development

FOUNDATION PILLARS As a buildings foundation dictates what is possible to build, our programme Pillars, Creating a Safehaven and Coaches and Mentors, are the foundation on which the implementation of our Peripheral Pillars relies. The sustainability, by way of strategic incremental growth, of these Foundation Pillars ensures the continuation of offering an alternative lifepath to children.

IMPORTANCE OF SAFE TRANSPORTATION Utilising schools has many benefits when creating a safe space, such as the potential of having a sports field or grassed area for our programmes, but most importantly, that most school boundaries are fenced with lockable gates allowing for a space free of thoroughfare. This lessens the likelihood of being caught in gang cross fire, drug deals, and general community violence. However utilising a “Safe Space” is only possible if we can transport the children to and from activities. Gang territories prevent children from walking for one side of a community to another, the danger of getting caught in criminal activity, gang flairs, and abduction are all a very real issues when it comes to walking. It is for this reason that JAGRugby, for example, supplies hired transport to just short of 1000 children, split between 65 teams, from 15 schools, in age brackets U9, U11, and U13, every Monday and Wednesday to a single safe school venue. This excludes the transport required for u14 to U19 teams. The cost of this transportation makes up our considerable portion of our funding requirements for sustainability.

There is a culture of deep-rooted fear of abuse, gang violence, and seemingly endless spiral into poverty. Escape seems impossible. But every problem allows for a solution. This is education and learning, broadening the horizon. But this learning is not all happening in the head. It is largely provided through influence and guidance. The ability to relate is a key element to being a mentor. It is for this reason that all of our mentors and coaches come from and reside within the communities they coach. This affords the children a mentor with real knowledge of the difficulties, struggles, and societal stresses the children are susceptible to. For example in an area such as Bonteheuwel, our current mentor to child ratio is 1:450, which is a product of the increased participation of children in our programmes and limited funding in employing, and training mentors. Our favour of qualitative over quantitative measurements requires incremental increases in number of mentors thus reducing the 1:450 ratio for ensuring sustainability.

Martin Sauls, 20 years old, grew up in Belhar and attended Excelsior High School, was part of our JAGRugby Sevens programme. Through seizing opportunities such as WP Academy Week and PE Tens Rugby Tournament, Martin after leaving school played for Western Province U19, and recently received a full bursary to University of Cape Town and was part of the UCT Varsity Cup team that triumphed as champions, winning gold, for the 2014 tournament.

Devon Bruiners, 18 years old, grew up in Bonteheuwel and attended Bergsig Primary School. With the dream of representing South Africa in rugby, he worked closely with coaches and teachers to make him legible for a bursary to school which may better his visibility as a young rugby player. Devon attended WP Preparitory School on a bursary for grade 7, and currently holds a bursary at Diocesan College (Bishops) where he plays for the first team, and was part of the Western Province U16 Elite Squad.

Nicholas, 19 years old, grew up in Lavender Hill and attends Steenberg High School. At 14, Nicholas and his twin sister Nikita joined our JAGRunners programme. Nicholas was a talented runner, however took to cycling after competing in Duathlon events.   Nicholas has gone to to win three stage jerseys on his 1st overseas event, the prestigious London to Paris cycle race, as the youngest competitor. He has recently represented South Africa in the African continental Championships in Cairo where he competed in the team trial and won gold for that event and has joined the Europcar Ten men ‘top club’ U/23 team this year.

Nikita Dlamini, 19 years old, grew up in Lavender Hill and attends Steenberg HIgh School. At 13, Nikita joined JAGRunners with her twin brother Nicholas and is a dedicated runner, as well as an academic student. She has attained Western Province colours for cross country various times and also won titles for athletics at her school. Due to her dedication and hard work she is currently running for Varsity Old Boys Athletics Club, a prestigious and well-known athletics club in Constantia.  She will matriculate this year at Steenberg High School and has set herself the goal of attaining a good tertiary qualification.

Dennis Cox, 19 years old, too grew up in Belhar and attended Excelsior High School, was part of our JAGRugby Sevens programme. Dennis, still currently a pupil at Excelsior, has represented Western Province in U13, U16, and U18 age groups. The opportunity of specializing in Sevens Rugby saw Dennis represent South Africa at the Commonwealth Youth Games 2013, where the team came home as Champions winning gold.

Yusrah Francis, 17 years old, grew up in Bonteheuwel and attended Bergsig Primary School. Yusrah used to spend her afternoons watching the JAGRugby boys practice rugby, until a coach asked if she’d like to join in, which was met with the biggest ‘Yes’ you could ever hope to imagine. Yusrah now holds an academic bursary at Pinelands High School, and has represented Western Province U16 in both Women’s contact and touch rugby, and currently represents Western Province U18 in both formats of the game.