Lay's RePlay Programme benefits almost 4,000 youth in Tembisa so far

Source: Supplied

Part of the programme, empty chip bags were used to create the sustainable, artificial Lay’s RePlay football pitch which has benefited close to 4,000 young people in Tembisa, thus far. It was officially handed to the community in June 2021, but due to Covid, programming could not begin until October. Initial recruitment for programming on the pitch exceeded targets by 97%. Initial calculations were to see approximately 500 participants in RePlay programmes per month, but the average is actually over 1,000 per month. With this huge growth in demand, not everyone could be accommodated by the initial limited sessions on offer.

The Safe-Hub team adapted to allow more Replay programme sessions to be available for more of the community, thus allowing more community members to benefit from in-depth educational EduFootball-RePlay programmes.

Key areas of the Safe-Hub programmes

Safe-Hub programmes are designed and measured against four key areas: creating a sense of belonging, increasing engagement, fostering safety, and granting access to sport. It has been found that via access to a safe and inclusive space, young people can contribute physically and emotionally towards their community, and multi-sport opportunities create more programme access for girls and young women.

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“We are proud of our partnership with PepsiCo which shares our vision for creating a sustainable future, not only for people but for the environment. Young people’s participation at Safe-Hub Tembisa through the RePlay project has exceeded our expectations and highlights the dire need for such programmes in communities like Tembisa,” comments Florian Zech, founder and joint-managing director of Amandla.

Amandla also offers courses for young unemployed people in the community aged 18-25 who are enrolled in education and employment opportunities. They learn valuable skills and become coaches for the Safe-Hub, offering them the chance to support themselves in future while allowing access to activities in which they contribute and take ownership and pride in.

Further Lay’s RePlay pitches planned

Since the launch of the Lay’s RePlay pitch in Tembisa, three other pitches have been built in Leicester, UK; San Paulo, Brazil; and Turin in Italy. Across these four pitches, 15,000 community members are regularly using the pitches, 1,800 community members are attending regular Edufootball programmes, and over 2,100 hours of programming has been delivered. There are four more pitches currently under construction with another three planned for 2023.