A group of young boys were playing soccer with a very worn, punctured ball, so Stephen Ferreira started collecting new balls to give each child his very own.
Johannesburg, South Africa (19 August 2022) – Children love to play soccer outside with friends, but when the ball is flat and broken, it can make things difficult. Often, children from poorer communities have no other options, and so they continue to play with the toys despite their worn-out appearance.
Stephen Ferreira has been working with his local informal settlement and boosting the community through various projects. A few weeks ago, he saw a group of young boys playing soccer with a very tired ball and asked his supporters for help in replacing the ball. Within a few days, Stephen had several soccer balls to hand out to the young boys.
Stephen started ‘Charity Begins With Me‘ shortly after he was first diagnosed with cancer in 2016. He realised he could do so much more with the life he had left and quickly set up the charity as a way to give back. He ran the charity throughout his chemotherapy treatments, remission and, sadly, his relapse. Whatever battles he faces in his own life, it is those of others that give him the strength to push through.
When Stephan had enough soccer balls, he visited the young boys and gave them each a ball of their own. Now they budding young team can play their hearts full with each other and their families at home.
A small, simple gesture of replacing a broken toy has brought joy and endless hours of entertainment to these 13 young boys.
You can check out more about Charity Begins With Me via Facebook here.
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