Marching to Success

While we were in South Africa, we ran across an article in the Johannesburg paper, The Citizen, Collective Hope — Love, Learning, and Marching in the Mud," which described the work of the Mpumelelo Kids Club in the Tsembelisle township.  The club works toward supporting orphans and vulnerable children.  Organizer of the club, Xolani Vilakazi, observed...

"In the location, there is nothing to keep the children entertained.  We had to find a way to build children up, to fully realise their potential.  We have a lot of people in the location who were supposed to be doctors and professors or anything else you can think of, but because they didn't have life skills, and they didn't have that drive and that dream, it died with them."

Through drama, traditional dance, singing, and games the club seeks to give children self-esteem and uncover some of their talents.  "We have serious, constructive fun with the children, but at the end of the day they have to get a lesson out of it that will make them stronger in life," says Vilakazi.

One of the kids' favorite activities is marching.  Every day starts with a parade and ends with a parade.  Up to 50 children, aged 3 to 17, line up in two orderly marking strips and kick off proceedings.  Each parade ends with a chanting of their motto, "We aim for the clouds and reach for the stars."  Vilakazi observes, "Drilling and marching is one of the strongest activities of the club.  It teaches the children to be disciplined and increases their listening capacity.  When a child knows how to listen, they will find it easier in school."

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