PeacePlayers South Africa Storybook FINAL - Flipbook - Page 20
II. GROUP EFFORT
A strong group of 13-14 Durban University of technology (DUT) students were "the majority of the workforce"
before the organisation became “official" in 2001, Sean says. Devin Tuohey, Sean’s brother, and Keith Urgo, a family
friend, would visit South Africa on university holidays to support the informal "team." Thibault Manekin came in
one year and a half later, in 2001, with the business acumen they were seeking to push Playing for Peace forward as
a fully registered, established, and recognised Non-Profit Organisation in South Africa.
After approaching schools in the City area, such as Addington Primary, St. Anthony's Primary, and St. Augustine's
Primary, a collection of twenty-somethings (age) started a 3rd and 4th-grade league at Albert Park. Schools wanted
a new sport, and the young adults wanted to share their love for the game through coaching. Coaches were proud
to be a part of something that felt natural, and the organisation excelled.
The young staff eventually approached Morningside Primary, their first white school. Sean remembers the local
white community being "difficult to infiltrate [involve them in the programme] at the time" because they were so
closed off and unwelcoming to other races. He recalls Playing for Peace being able to "operate 6 black or coloured
schools with the amount of energy it took to get 1 white school in the programme." However, other white schools
like Clifton and Glenwood would soon understand the vision and join the programme.
Community partnerships in the City, Umlazi, Glenwood, and Morningside were pivotal in the early growth stages
of the organisation. Soon, Playing for Peace would employ over 70 coaches. And many more pivotal figures would
come aboard during Sean's tenure in SA. You’ll hear about a few people and locations of significance throughout
the storybook.
One important figure, Thibault Manekin who is considered a Co-Founder, had this to say about Sean: "My job, and
all of you guys' jobs who are listening here were made easy because somebody took that first step, and I'll never be
able to thank Sean for bringing me along for the ride early on. I’ve seen this guy in hectic situations and I don't think
like fear exists in it, I don't think it's a word he knows and because of that, the program’s worked in 22 countries,
tens of thousands of kids, thousands of coaches and volunteers, and we we've got Sean to thank for starting down
that journey."
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PEACEPLAYERS SOUTH AFRICA STORYBOOK
