#UTEforce/Bounce mission to Lulama Primary.

TheBounce recently pledged support for the Chevrolet #UTEforce initiative that is doing great things around various communities in South Africa. You may have seen one of their missions on a TV ad they are currently running where they created a cricket oval in rural Eastern Cape. Closer to home for me, they recently helped upgrade the facilities of a primary school in Soweto, Lulama Primary, so I thought it would be cool to go along there this past Friday and have a little game of football with some of their learners.

With a large box of kit lovingly supplied by Puma, I along with @MikeSharman (my partner during the Rugby World Cup) headed out to the school around midday. The kids gave us an incredible welcome with the two football teams quickly getting into gear and hitting the field. They have a senior and junior team with the kids’ ages ranging from 10-13. I paired up with the juniors, Mike joined the seniors, and while the rest of the learners gathered around, we got started with some warm ups.

The warm ups were naturally for me so I didn’t pull anything, and to see Mike weez like an old man before kick-off. It also gave me a chance to try get to know my team a little better, something that did absolutely no good as they didn’t really want to pass to me too often in the game…

So Fat Albert’s blue team were victorious, but the real winners were the kids really. Thanks to Puma the boys now have the official Puma Togolese third string kit to play in, and then for all the other kids of the school, 284 book bags were handed out ensuring their books can always be carried and protected from the elements. My super awesome partner on TheBounce, Lise, has a recycling business and her project created the bags from old billboards.

I had an absolute blast hanging out with them on Friday, with the particular highlight meeting Principal Khumalo who insisted I say a few words to the school after they sang to me. After the great work that the Chevrolet UTEforce team did there a week before, it was just nice to add to their efforts for the good of a school that until recently didn’t even have uniforms for the kids.

Principal Khumalo and I.

I shall be going back there in summer to play some cricket with the kids. They currently don’t offer the game at the school, but Principal Khumalo assures me they will be keen as mustard to learn!

Want to do some good? Well just click on any of the Chevrolet UTEforce banners on the site and see where you can lend a hand with this brilliant initiative.