Bishop Lavis buzzed with excitement over the weekend as hundreds of students from the Hopeful Leaders Night School descended on Nooitgedacht Primary School for their inaugural netball tournament.
The event, aimed at raising funds so the group of Cape Flats parents can enjoy their matric ball, saw teams from the five schools show off their skills.
The initiative, started by single mom and community activist, Yumna Alexander, was first launched in Manenberg in 2020 with the aim of equipping parents who were unable to complete their matric due to socio-economic issues.
In just three years, Alexander has grown her project to five schools in Manenberg, Hanover Park, Bonteheuwel, Delft and Bishop Lavis consisting of just over 400 students.
Alexander explains: “We are hosting our matric ball on 7 July and usually we charge R150.
“The matric ball is a much-anticipated event because the parents work hard throughout the year and with Hopeful Leaders our vision is always to give them the full matric experience because many of our parents did not have that opportunity.
“We decided to host the tournament in a bid to raise funds for the ball and each school entered a team.”
She says teachers joined in on the fun as the teams played six matches to reach the finals while teacher Riyaad Isaacs was awarded the “Woman of the Match” medal.
In the end, the students from Bonteheuwel and Bishop Lavis went head-to-head for the final match which saw Bishop Lavis claim the trophy.
“The Bishop Lavis students were the overall winners and we raised over R3000.
“We sold boerewors rolls, cupcakes and other treats for children and adults but over and above that this was about seeing people come together for a good cause.
“As many prepared to start their exams on Monday they were anxious and stressed so this was a great way to get them out a bit.”
Alexander says the parents will be writing various subjects in coming weeks and are being supported by their teachers and the institution throughout.
“The first tournament went off well and the students and their families thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
“It was great to see five different Cape Flats communities come together for one purpose and watching the growth is encouraging.
“We have already decided that this is going to be an annual event.”
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