Hoops 4 Hope

Crowding, poor housing and unemployment are dominant features of Cape Town townships. The youth population is large and very much at risk for the health issues plaguing their communities where high rates of HIV, drugs, alcohol abuse, and gender-based violence, including rape, are common. By combining the joy of sports with education, Hoops 4 Hope (H4H) helps young men and women prepare to combat the tremendous challenges in their communities, especially regarding HIV/AIDS, and offers a leadership model and employment opportunity for young people to become peer coaches.

EMpower’s fifth grant is enabling the delivery of the Soccer 4 Hope (S4H) sport-for-development leadership and skills training program to adolescent girls living in Cape Town townships and build on the work of past EMpower grants by implementing programmatic changes that will deepen the learning experience for participants.