Back to Football for Hope program overview

About the Campaign:

“20 Centres for 2010” is the Official Campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Its aim is to raise funds to create twenty Football for Hope Centres for public health, education and football across Africa. The centres will address local social challenges in disadvantaged areas and improve education and health services for young people. Read more about The Football for Hope Campaign

Location: Qwaqwa - Phuthaditjhaba - Thabo Mofutsanyana - Free State

Design Statement:
The driving idea was to bring a unique, iconic Centre to the existing community. The Centre exudes subtleties of independence (in its program of activities) yet seemingly works as a whole in the built context through careful placement and connection to existing spaces. The Centre placement complements the local context by emphasizing existing arteries, and by creating gathering spaces that enhance the social environment.

The pitch is set in a North-South orientation, recommended for optimal use by players and the comfort of spectators. The building sits on higher ground, taking advantage of the natural slope on the site whilst the pitch is located on the lower echelon of the graded site to achieve optimal sight lines from the building. The landscaped forecourt serves as a transition space between the building and pitch, providing additional gathering and/ or spectator space.

The Centre building and pitch are carefully re-aligned on the site to achieve a strong pedestrian axis, a spine so to speak. The spine links the interior and exterior of the site, organizing the major FFH components into a collective, as well as linking the broader movement and social patterns beyond the site.

From its strategic location, the Unifying element assumes a functional position along the spine. In the broader context of the site, it serves as a place marker. However, it also provides several other functions, including signage and wayfinding for the Centre and identification of the principal funding organization (FIFA).

The FFH Centre project execution was made possible by the entire project team and an engaging community participatory design process.

Design Fellow: George Kinuthia

Centre Host and Community Partner: loveLife

loveLife and football
Football (or soccer) has been an important part of loveLife’s behavior–change for HIV prevention strategy since the inception of the loveLife games in 2002. The loveLife games are South Africa’s largest school sports initiative. It is funded by the national Department of Sports and Recreation (SRSA).

With the inception of the loveLifestyle strategy in 2004, loveLife started driving sports league formation through its 7,000- strong youth service corps, with the explicit intention of linking these leagues to the loveLife games. These young leaders – signing up for either the Mpintshi (colloquial for friend) or the groundBREAKER programme – had previously worked only on Basketball, Motivation, Debating, and Health Sexuality programmes. Football became a new avenue for working with young people.

In 2009, loveLife engaged over 64,000 young men and women in structured soccer activity. The organization is also passionate about promoting and raising awareness of the use of sport for positive change, thus they play an active part in like minded networks including Football for Hope, a global streetfootballworld and FIFA movement.

loveLife Vision:
An HIV free generation.

loveLife Mission:
To reduce young people's risk of contracting HIV by building their sense of immediate and real possibility for personal growth.

Thank you to all of our Architects, Contractors, and Professionals who have contributed to this program.

Location