Jumping for joy at iNala fun day in Thembeni

Jumping, kicking and running for joy was the order of the day at the iNala fun day, which brought smiles in abundance to Thembeni on Saturday.

Not able to host events for more than a year because of Covid-19, iNala put on the sports day to inject some energy and a festive spirit into the community.

Sponsored primarily by Crown National, the day brought a number of contributors together, including Freedom Communities, the Ballito Dolphins and a host of volunteers.

This meant the attending children and teenagers could attend a clinic in the sport of their choosing, as well as a nutritious belly boost of food provided by Crown National.

“We are active in these communities and have been providing feeding schemes since the advent of Covid. The idea of the fun day was to go beyond that, because it really reaches the kids when they are running around, laughing and forgetting about their worries for a few hours,” said iNala co-founder, Cara Louise Gailey.

The kids arrived to a healthy energy snack, and then had 4 hours of back-to-back activities in everything from dance training to a soccer match.

The volunteers and instructors were there to make the best day possible for the children, but it was evident they themselves quickly got into the swing of things.

Crown National KZN general manager Jacques Visagie said the fun day had multiple natural touchpoints for the company.

“I used to coach at the Ballito Dolphins and we were constantly looking for ways to help out underprivileged communities. As soon as we were contacted, it was an easy decision to join forces with iNala and the team,” he said.

The formal sport instruction sessions carried with it lessons for life, often missing in projects with children in underfunded areas.

“These kids lack consistency in their lives, so if we can help to upskill and empower them while giving them a great day out, how could one find a downside in that?” said Gailey.

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