poverty

Football for Social Change

Crime, ethnic differences and poverty are some social ills rampant in Nigerian communities. But a local group is aiming to change that through the street soccer.

By Davison Mudzingwa - 8 September 2010 - Audio

Inner City Life: The truth about life in Johannesburg

The 2010 FIFA World Cup football extravaganza appears to be progressing smoothly with the slogan ‘Celebrate Africa’s Humanity’ echoing all over host country South Africa. However, all is not rosy in the Rainbow Nation.

By Nanama Keita - 1 July 2010 - Text

Ice Cream Factory Fire

The former Chico’s Ice Cream factory on the outskirts of Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, which illegally housed more than 400 people, burned down after a fire on Friday. They had erected cardboard partitions and formed a second floor from wood to create a highly flammable ‘shantytown’.

By Nanama Keita - 21 June 2010 - Photo, Text

Ice Cream Factory

Alexandra is a poor, densely populated township that was established in 1912. It borders, and stands in stark contrast to, Sandton, the wealthiest suburb in South Africa. Situated in the industrial side of Alexandra is an old ice-cream factory that has been taken over by locals. They have built two floors filled with one-room dwellings made from recycled tin and wood, dangerously connected by narrow wooden planks.

By Nikki Rixon - 18 June 2010 - Photo, Rich dreams, poor realities

Mixed Feelings

For Diepsloot dwellers who had no tickets, the Fan Park was the closest they could get to a stadium atmosphere. However, there was a lot more at stake for them than a mere victory for South Africa, they were cheering for a better life. So what does the 2010 FIFA World Cup mean to people living in Diepsloot, one of Johannesburg’s deprived townships?

By Selay Marius Kouassi - 15 June 2010 - Text

Tin Can Town

Tin Can Town

In an attempt to ‘clean-up’ the streets of South Africa’s mother city, hundreds of informal settlers, street kids and the homeless have been forcibly moved off the streets of Cape Town and relocated to Blikkiesdorp, a temporary dumping ground made up of one-room, corrugated iron shacks.

By Nikki Rixon - 12 June 2010 - Photo, Rich dreams, poor realities

Rising Star



Hundreds of children flock to the three townships where Play Soccer Malawi operates, but the skill and determination of one young boy, 12-year-old Yaphet Thole, is enough to single him out in the crowd.



By Amos Gumulira - 10 June 2010 - Future stars and yesterday's heroes, Photo

Sudanese contrasts

In football, there is a widespread use of collective pronouns such as ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’ when talking about the national team. But what if a country is facing two prolonged and very brutal national conflicts? Who do those collective pronouns refer to?

By Alexia Webster - 14 May 2010 - Photo