10 Dec 2015

Kanye Masters Social Club  recently gave Kuto Primary School soccer players an early Christmas present with two computer sets and a football kit.

The 13-year-old team which comprises both retired soccer players and soccer lovers also donated a netball kit to the school last year.

Speaking in an interview during the donation, the Member of Parliament for Kanye South, Abram Kesupile said the gesture would make the children proud to be part of the school.

He explained that the motivation derived from the gesture would flow over into teaching and learning thus make pupils to enjoy school. Kesupile said the gesture also creates an opportunity for both teachers and leaners to learn how to use computers.

However, he cautioned teachers to be wary of cyber-crime, adding that some criminal organisations recruit members through the Internet.

He commended Masters as they are affectionately called for identifying football as a therapy to keep health conditions like sugar diabetes and High Blood Pressure (BP) away or delay their progression.
He explained that lack of physical activity often precipitates health conditions.

Kesupile also challenged the team to consider constructing a health centre where they would share ideas and experiences. He said they could be visited by therapists and doctors at the place. He said adults usually suffer from loneliness which also propels health conditions like BP.

Kesupile, who said he would be happy to participate in the construction of the project, argued it could relieve the government of the medical bill burden.

“I am very happy to see Batswana organise themselves into meaningful, helpful and worthwhile groupings and that is for me the way to go for the future. Only a few who deserve to be assisted by the government will be assisted,” he said.

For his part, Kanye Masters chairperson, Oabona Monngakgotla said they started the club as a networking opportunity for ex-soccer players and soccer lovers across the country.

He said the platform now affords them an opportunity to give back to the community through sport. He said they have adopted Kuto Primary School (KPS) to address their needs from a sport perspective adding with more support they would be able to roll out the gesture to other schools.

He said the attire would build the children’s confidence as they mingle with counterparts, adding that they believe a healthy mind was not just a fit mind, but also a mind that was properly dressed. He said the gesture also motivates teachers to train properly dressed children.

He said every year for the last 13 years they have a tournament with other masters of the game like Skom Boys, Dikakapa, and Great Masters after which proceeds were donated to the host with a view to help them plough back into the community.

Monngakgotla said the donation to KPS was to a large degree made possible by the private sector like the National Development Bank, Prime Projects and G-Sport among others. He said Prime Projects, who sponsored the tournament since last year, have pledged another financial support worth P 20 000 for next year.

He pleaded for more financial support from individuals and the local business community to enable the club to touch many other lives, adding the club seeks to de-stigmatise Sunday soccer which is often associated with alcohol. Ends