KFC Mini-Cricket programme continues to shape young minds
As KFC Mini-Cricket marks 15 years of glittering successes, it hopes to continue the programme, which it describes as a catalyst for social cohesion and a community builder.
The 15-year-old KFC Mini-Cricket programme, which runs in various schools, including those in Alexandra, continues to shape and nurture young lives in their formative years.
This emerged from a recent launch of an impact study conducted by Dr Tracey Toefy, a senior lecturer at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, in collaboration with DEZ Advisory, who sampled more than 4 000 current and former programme participants to shine a spotlight on the programme’s profound benefits to communities nationwide.
During the survey, it was discovered that mini-cricket was more than just a sports initiative, it had become a catalyst for social change, nurturing young talent, fostering inclusivity, and instilling life-long values.
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As the chicken outlet marks its 15th year of sponsoring this transformative initiative, Toefy’s study underscored the programme’s far-reaching contributions, not only to cricket but to the holistic development of South Africa’s children, moulding them to become active youth.
Some of the key findings from the study included that the mini-cricket programme, established in 1982 in Soweto under the Bakers’ sponsorship until the end of the 2008/2009 cricket season, transitioned into a partnership with Cricket South Africa, and continued to grow into a powerful force for positive change.
It also championed social cohesion and diversity through a shared love of cricket and brought together children from diverse backgrounds, promoting unity and breaking down societal barriers.
Toefy’s study also indicated the role played by the programme in building essential life skills in young children still in primary education which went beyond technical cricket training to become a fertile ground for developing crucial life skills.
Programme participants learn teamwork, leadership, discipline, and perseverance, which are values that resonate beyond the field and shape future leaders and community contributors, Toefy said.
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The programme also aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) positioning it as a global player in driving social impact and advancing quality education, promoting gender equality, and reducing inequalities to showcase the programme’s commitment to societal well-being, she added.
The programme leaves no one behind as it also embraces the participation of children with disabilities which is a key pillar of the inclusivity of the programme which has adapted cricket to ensure that children with disabilities can actively participate, promoting accessibility and equal opportunities for all.
Toefy also noted that the programme fosters physical and emotional development by encouraging physical fitness and mental resilience thereby contributing to participants’ overall well-being and allowing the children to gain confidence, develop social skills, and learn to navigate challenges, all through their involvement in cricket.
The study also revealed that the programme has so far touched more than 2, 5 million children, making it one of the largest grassroots sports initiatives in the country, and in the 2022/2023 season alone, more than 120 000 children participated and were supported by more than 10 000 dedicated volunteer teachers/coaches. More than 45 000 matches were played and more than 120 graduates progressed to national level teams.
One of those graduates is Akhona Qengqe, who’s now a general manager of KFC Africa and who described celebrating 15 years of the programme as a milestone that resonates deeply with the core values of the fried chicken outlet.
Looking ahead, the programme hopes for more of the same as it continues to be a testament to its success in its community-building initiative as it not only prepares the next generation of cricketers but also lays the foundation for young people to become leaders, role models, and active community members.
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