A simple football donation is giving hundreds of young footballers in Swakopmund a stronger chance to train, compete and dream bigger.
Dein Ball für Namibia e.V. (DBFN) has donated 140 footballs to 14 football academies and youth teams in the coastal town, injecting much-needed equipment into programmes that often operate on shoestring resources.
Each participating academy received 10 footballs, with the donation made possible through the support of PSI gGmbH (Peter Schilffarth Institut für Neuropsychologie und Sozialwissenschaften), a non-profit organisation based in Holzkirchen, Germany.
Among the beneficiaries are Genesis Football Academy, Mondesa Football Academy, Swakopmund Rollers, Happy Du and Namib Daughters, as well as several other youth teams. For DBFN founder and chairperson Tony Daugals, the initiative is about far more than handing over footballs. “Hundreds of children and young people are involved in football in Swakopmund,”
Daugals said, pointing to the coaches and volunteers who keep youth programmes alive despite limited resources. He said footballs may appear basic, but they are among the most important tools required to develop players, particularly for teams training in public parks, open spaces and community facilities. The message from DBFN is clear: talent should not be held back simply because a young player does not have the equipment to train.
The organisation also plans to build long-term relationships with the academies, rather than limiting its involvement to once-off donations. But the ambitions go beyond Swakopmund. DBFN wants to use football as a vehicle for sporting, educational and social development, while creating pathways for talented Namibian players to experience football beyond the country’s borders.
Several young players have already benefited from the organisation’s international network. Angel Dausas travelled to Germany and trained with the BVB Dortmund women’s youth setup, while Caleb Sissing and Avonry Amamub attended an FC Bayern training camp. Another promising player, Ilenikuye Wandjiva, has travelled to Germany, Switzerland and South Africa for training and tournaments, gaining exposure to different football cultures and levels of competition.
DBFN also works closely with its main cooperation club in Namibia, Swakopmund Sport Club, on projects that combine football with education and social development. The 140-ball donation therefore represents more than new equipment.
For Swakopmund’s young footballers, it is a reminder that their ambitions do not have to stop at the boundaries of their neighbourhoods, and that with the right support, a ball at their feet can become the first step towards a much bigger future.
By Rudi Bowe
