Adelaide United’s strong community engagement extended beyond the borders of South Australia, after providing Concordia College some football equipment on its journey to the Kalahari Desert.
Morgan Brookes, a senior school teacher at Concordia College, accompanied with a group of four other staff, 19 students and one old collegian visited Bosheng Middle School, providing mainly English tutoring over a two-week period between late June and early July.
The school is in a small village called Loopeng, located in the north-west of South Africa.
The trip was Morgan’s seventh visit to the Kalahari Desert, however Concordia College has been involved in the project since 2006.
The Loopeng community speak Setswana, though are required to take their exams in English and therefore the group from Concordia aimed to help improve the students’ literacy skills.
“Usually we work at the High School in the village, but this year we wanted to try and alternate the program and work at the Middle School,” Morgan Brookes said.
“We avoid a ‘hand out’ relationship with the school, where our roll becomes us going there and giving things.
“Rather we work with part of the community to provide skills and knowledge in order to have a more lasting impact.
“This is why our program primarily focuses on providing a holiday revision program to school students.
“So that they can improve on various areas of their curriculum and also their English literacy.”
However, Morgan said Concordia do take requests from the community whilst considering the resources they have access to, in order to meet the requested needs.
This year Bosheng Middle School asked for soccer balls, laptops and some stationary, which were all able to be provided.
So after the Reds were contacted about the request for football merchandise, the Club happily provided several soccer balls as well as donating a series of Guernseys.
“This was particularly appreciated by the community who have a local soccer team, but have been competing for many years without a uniform,” she said.
“This is simply because they do not have access to any funds to provide such equipment for their team.”
