Gogo removes kids from the streets
Mamelodi has a lot of talent and different sporting activities will keep kids away from drugs and crime.
Pensioner and former Mamelodi Sundowns Gogos’ team player keeps children busy by introducing different sporting activities to them.
Lani Mahlangu (61) from Mamelodi East, section 16 also known as Butterfly, decided to start a football club for children in Mamelodi.
Mahlangu is working with other community members from her area to keep the children busy and away from drugs and crime.
She said she always wanted to give back to the community and forming Longtill Butterfly Football club was the only way to assist the community.
“I pray day and night to get the strength to do something good for the community that will forever benefit future sports stars.”
After realising that Mamelodi had a lot of talented children, they decided to introduce different sporting codes for boys and girls.
A former soccer player herself, she played for Mamelodi Sundowns Gogos’ soccer team from 2006 to 2015 until the team collapsed. She then moved to Lusaka FC where she played for four seasons before retiring.
Mahlangu said it was not easy to stay at home and watch talented children throw their gifts away by being idle.
Longtill Butterfly Football club keeps children busy at a community park on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday, training from 15:00 to 16:30.
“We have more than 100 children and train them in groups. We have realised some of the children like different sports,” she said.
Mahlangu said she would hate to see God-given talent go to waste and they are planning to introduce more sporting activities, including netball, basketball, tennis, rugby and cricket.
Parent, Bridget Masumbuka (45) said she was happy with what Mahlangu was doing.
“She is keeping our children busy by occupying their minds with sports. They no longer roam the streets of Mamelodi doing nothing.”
Mahlangu said there were also older people in the community who recently joined the team to exercise and keep healthy and fit.
Longtill Butterfly Football club accepts children from the age of seven upwards.
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