It’s late in the afternoon, and a father and son walk through the streets of Imizamo Yethu. Greeting friends, the pair kicks a ball back and forth as they walk – a warm-up for the exertions to follow. Their destination is an immaculate football field, kitted out with nets, lights and astro turf. Before the City of Cape Town intervened, this spot was a patch of gravel where bricks were used as goal posts.
People in the community have received massive benefit from the facility. Hout Bay United Football Community (HBUFC) is a non-profit, public assistance organisation that not only provides entertainment for football enthusiasts but also gives people in the area opportunities to better themselves. They have several social programs for youth and adults such as mentorship, education, business development and coaching.
The pitch has given Bantu Dabula, better known as Shoes, a way to bring his two biggest passions together: football and fatherhood. Because HBUFC is more than just a club. It represents opportunity and hope for the community. It created a space for Dabula to bond with his child, and opened up a dream for the future: to see his son lace up his boots as a professional athlete. What more could a father ask for?
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