Empowering the youth

Rudi Bowe

Erongo Red recently handed over a sponsorship to the value of N$50 000 to Playtime Trust Namibia to signify their continued commitment to empower the youth. Playtime Namibia is a non-profit organisation with the purpose of youth development through sport.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of Erongo Red Mr Caude Tjizo said at the handover ceremony that sport is good for physical and mental well-being and provide young people with opportunities for social development in an active environment by bonding and interacting with their peers and coaches. Tjizo said: “As we are all aware that young people of today are the future leaders, Erongo Red cares and strives to nurture and mold the lives of these young people because one of the fundamental values of Erongo Red is empowerment.
This gesture is a demonstration of our determination to empower our youngsters by creating platforms where they can have fun”.
Tjizo thanked the Trustees of Playtime Namibia for creating this platform for the youth and thanked the various coaches for their valuable input and know-ledge that they shared with the young players. Tjizo strongly believes that their valuable input will enhance the talents of the young players.
The Playtime Trust Namibia is based in Walvis Bay and offers multi-disciplinary sports training programmes in soccer, cricket and athletics for the youth at the coast, particularly from disadvantaged areas and offers professional training to coaches.
Tjizo said that Erongo Red offers bursaries and job attachments to young Namibians who seek to further their studies at various technical colleges and universities in and around the country.
Currently the sports of choice of Playtime Namibia is football. The trust facilitates training programmes in Kuisebmond and Walvis Bay for over 300 children in the various age groups.
Playtime has the coaches, the structures, the equipment and the systems in place to provide youth training and development at no cost to the children. The coaching staff are experienced and qualified in their respective fields. With the help of volunteer coaches and assistants they guide and oversee the various training sessions and organised events.
Playtime stands for inclusiveness and broad participation. Every child has a right to participate and enjoy sport games and activities as long as they follow a simple list of basic rules.
Through sport we develop and empower our youth. We teach them life skills for a better future and hopefully make them better persons and contributing members of our society.