PADBURY 15-year-old Kirsten Mellows has taken netball to disadvantaged children in South Africa.
The St Stephen’s School Year 10 student is on a two-week school service tour to work in orphanages and schools in the Cape Town and the Port Elizabeth areas, aiming to improve the lives of disadvantaged children.
The main task will be at the Jehovah Jireh Haven orphanag,e where the 17 students and three staff members will spend five days building a jungle gym playground and laundry using a sea container.
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READ NOWStudents have been raising money to help buy washing machines, pavers for the area outside the laundry and for plumbing to make water accessible.
They also attended a workshop at Bunnings to learn the basics of paving, bricklaying and carpentry.
Kirsten approached her Northern Jaguars Netball Club to see if it could help. She collected netball and soccer shoes, while the club donated netball nets and rings, balls, bibs and whistles.
The students visited the Cape Town Sports Academy to run netball and soccer clinics with Langa School.
Students have also spent time with children from the Sinethemba homeless shelter.
The tour follows last year’s trip where students worked to upgrade sporting and other facilities as well as donate 250 pairs of football boots to local children.