Mario and the Rude Boys is a soccer academy in Cape Town, Heideveld, one of the most dangerous gangster ridden parts of the Cape Town city. Mario used to be a gangster himself, and well, he still is, but now he runs a gang with ball and not a gun.
“It's not just about football, it’s about giving youngsters a chance to experience something other than drugs and gangs,” said Mario.
Heideveld is a community of good people who have been screwed over for years and years. The education system is failing them, people are struggling for money, the community self-esteem is low, the environment is littered and dry, drugs and crime are rife, but still, the people are some of the most sincere and warm people in South Africa.
And then there is Mario, a man who refuses to be a victim and is actively working in his community to provide kids with a team to belong too, rather than them turning to the gangs in search of this support base. Mario has been running a football academy since 2001 where boys and girls are invited into an environment where they can grow strong, develop skills, be part of team, learn discipline and play football.
“People have no sympathy for gangsters. I think that if they knew what boys on the Cape Flats have to go through every day, they would have a different attitude. Our boys are constantly targeted and pressurized by gangs,” says Mario.
There are some amazing people in the world, Mario is one of them. A documentary was made about him and his gang, his neighborhood and some of the boys stories.
You can watch the trailor, it's about 3 minutes long and it's worth checking out, it's like meeting some real life action heroes.
Shafiek White, 25, coaches the U15 team. He spent five years in prison, but turned around his life with help from Mario.
“I became involved with the Americans gang at 15,” says Shafiek, in 2004 he was convicted of two attempted murders and, aged 20, sentenced to 10 years in prison, “Mario did not give up on me. He visited me in prison and convinced me that there was another way.”
Mario and the Rude Boys are in the process of updating their website and facebook group, in the mean time you can check them out at the following links, your comments are welcome and your support is appreciated:
This is an amazing initiative that needs more support. If you can help with time or money please contact Mario on mobile +27 (0)73 474 7769 and have a look at http://www.gcu.org.za/
ReplyDeleteIf more people like Mario would be on this planet, things would definitely look different. Heads-up for an amazing person who invests his life into this academy.
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