PeacePlayers South Africa Storybook FINAL - Flipbook - Page 120
LIV Village is an orphanage located north of Durban in the Cottonlands which has been
home to over 150 children and mothers since 2011. The roots of the relationship between
PeacePlayers and LIV Village dates back to late 2015, when Nasiphi Khafu, PP-SA's then
Executive Director, had a conversation with LIV leadership about the shared values
between the two organisations. Both took pride in consistently being a positive outlet in
kids' lives throughout the years, not just through a once-off event or tournament.
The partnership remains intact and invaluable. Since the kids at LIV stay on-campus full
time and go to school there, their operation has a unique family feel. Many PeacePlayers
alumni will say PeacePlayers has the same feel. This shared feeling is one of the many
things that make the partnership organic.
Menzi Ngidi calls the partnership "a blessing for both organisations on all fronts." Menzi
serves as LIV's Head of Sport and the head basketball coach. Menzi often feels that the
partnership “enables the kids and coaches to grow together, which leads to a safe space
where kids know they have the freedom to express themselves.”
LIV kids needed a structured sports league outside of the village that engaged other kids
on a social level. And basketball was the perfect sport to merge the two because “you don't
need a lot of participants like you might need for rugby or soccer” Menzi adds. All you
needed were five kids, eager to play and learn together.
A few young girls, in particular, have used the platform LIV provides to express
themselves within PeacePlayers and beyond. Matric participants, Nonhle and Fathima
Chiliza, are star basketball players at LIV. They often display their skills around KwaZuluNatal (KZN) amongst their peers and older professional basketball players. They have
made LIV and PeacePlayers proud by earning official KZN colours and hope that this will
lead to University Scholarships once they matriculate.
Two other girls from LIV Village have also shown growth during their time with
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PEACEPLAYERS SOUTH AFRICA STORYBOOK
