Country: Netherlands

Organization: Stars in their Eyes Foundation

Sport: Soccer

Year the initative began (yyyy) 2007

Project URL: http://www.starsintheireyes.nl and http://www.freedomstars2007.blogspot.com

What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? We create intense internationational cooperation between disadvantaged South African communities, and Dutch villages and their football clubs through a process of one-on-one twinning.

Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? Stars is a multi-party international partnership, ‘driven’ by various stakeholders, such as provincial government(s) in South Africa, local community leaders, private business, and amateur soccer clubs. Each party has a vested interest in long-term sustainability and success, and each party acts as ‘supervisor’ on the others. Ongoing communication between South African community coaches and their ‘twinned’ Dutch coach and village ensures that the benefits of the 'Football for Community Development' training is not diluted as time progresses. Personal visits and time investments in to the South African villages by the Dutch partners, and intensive international publicity draws in social investments, both in time and funding. Basically, Stars functions as a locomotive, which powers a 'train of change'. Any organisation which has the same philosophy is welcome to come on board, and to create synergy with like-minded parties. The uniqueness of Stars lies in the fact that a high-profile public relations profile is being carried by volunteer organisations which BELIEVE in 'doing the right things'.

What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? Stars in their Eyes focuses on disadvantaged, rural communities in South Africa, characterised by low income, high poverty, and extremely limited sporting facilities. In these communities crime is often high, socio-cultural problems relating to drug and alcohol abuse threaten family life, and unsafe living conditions prevail. More often than not, football is the only ‘escape’ for youths from an otherwise bleak existence. Participation in the Stars programme, which involves football and lifeskills activities with a ‘serious fun’ approach, requires intense efforts and manpower!!

Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? Extensive publicity is used to create twinning relationships between Dutch and SA communities. Dutch coaches mentor and guide their SA counterparts to ensure that the knowledge base is continuously strengthened. Mini tournaments and 4 versus 4 training are used in a highly 'fun-filled' manner. These components have since proven to play a huge role in bringing communities together by way of a ‘serious fun’ approach. Excitement around structured football and lifeskills training is now being created in all participating communities. With the ‘Football for Community Development’ program, a tried and tested curriculum and course materials are used, ensuring an excellent pass rate amongst coaches. The intense life skills component equips coaches to act as 'confidants' in the communities. South African coaches who participate in the Stars program, are expected to train at least one other coach from a community which is close to his/her community. This creates a national ‘ripple effect’, driven forward by a broad base of volunteers.

How do you plan to grow your innovation? The involvement and public support of corporate sponsors and committed television networks creates a very high publicity focus, resulting in more and more communities WANTING to participate. The successes of Phases 1 and 2 have generated interest from a number of additional provinces, paving the way for even more momentum. In the period 2008-2009 an additional 80 disadvantaged communities and 350 community coaches will be empowered via this route. Following this, the project partners will bring selected SA coaches and a number of Stars 'Dream Teams' to Europe for intensive community coaching clinics, and to obtain experience at various European football clubs. In the second quarter of 2010, the Stars-project will host a widely-publicised community tournament, which will bring together all communities which participated in the various clinics, as well as additional communities. The objective of the tournament will be to highlight (via television) the positive developments which disadvantaged communities will have gone through as a result of this ‘Football for Community Development’ project.

Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. Establishing an international network aimed at taking soccer and personal development in South African disadvantaged communities to a higher level, using football as locomotive.

What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? Examples: Stars community coaches have succeeded in uniting two different racial entities. Before Stars, these races were fighting on an ongoing basis, yet today, they have joined forces against crime and aggression. These community coaches now work with local churches and schools, in getting children off the street and into the schools. Stars community coaches (one of which is an ex-convict) have been tasked by the local prison warden with changing behaviour. Every week, 2-3 times per week, the prison delivers 20-30 prisoners to the Stars-coaches, where they work together in creating a new outlook on life. The results are that prisoners are competing to get onto the Stars-program. Once on the program, prisoners remain model-prisoners. They understand that life can be different. Behaviour in the prison has never been as exemplary as after Stars and the prison joined hands. In the same vein, Stars coaches work with the police in changing behavior of street children. Beneficiaries are primarily disadvantaged communities in rural areas.

Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? The Stars foundation has started working with local schools in disadvantaged communities to develop e-learning relationships with Dutch schools, so that educational and cultural exchange knowledge can be exchanged. The participating Dutch villages are also moving their respective business communities into action, in terms of investing (not necessarily in a financial sense) in the South African disadvantaged communities with which they have been twinned.

What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? The project relies heavily on identifying the results which are being booked at community level, and keeping all stakeholders of these results. This process of identifying and communicating is labor-intensive, and requires manpower. Stars is reluctant to establish a 'top-heavy' staff complement, because that will syphon off money from the intended beneficiaries. The main barrier for Stars therefor is to establish a low-cost reporting system which can identify and communicate results on an ongoing manner.

How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? The project is partly financed by corporate sponsor, governmental grants (South African and Dutch), and from international development cooperation funding.

If known, provide information on your finances and organization. Annual budget: Euro 175 000. Annual revenues generated: Euro 195 000. No fulltime staff. All work is performed by voluteers, both in terms of organisations and individuals.

What is the potential demand for your innovation? The Stars in their Eyes project has a wide appeal. Not only the demand side (disadvantaged communities) but also the supply side (European soccer clubs and their respective villages), stakeholders are eager to enter into a relationship which is based on cooperation, mutual trust, respect and the belief that sport can indeed change the world. Current objectives include training 450 South African coaches as community coaches; developing 20 new health posts; and linking 40 European schools with 40 SA schools to create e-learning.

What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? Corporate sponsors are crucial in carrying this project forward. It is of paramount importance that results are identified and communicated on an ongoing basis to these sponsors, so that their commitment and support can be secured on the long-term. A professional organisation must be established, so that these processes of identifying and reporting can be performed professionally, without threatening the financial life-line of the most important work, i.e. that which is being done at community level.

What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. The initiating sponsor, Cool Fresh International, has been involved in trade with South Africa for many years. From this, an intense understanding of the problems facing rural workers developed. In 2004 the Freedom Fruit project was developed by Cool Fresh International, involving the use of ethical trading principles with which to generate additional profits. These profits are subsequently re-invested in social projects. Through its subsequent broad-based activities in the rural areas, Freedom Fruit realised that work needed to made of a structural approach to community development amongst these disadvantaged, rural communities. Freedom Fruit then invested more than 18 months in developing the Stars in their Eyes project, and in bringing together and getting the buy-in of many stakeholders. The result as that when the first phase was initiated, it was done so with overwhelming support and commitment.

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. Nicolas Jooste was born in South Africa, and lived there for a period of 35 years (1957-1992). After relocating to the Netherlands in 1993, became involved in projects involving corporate social responsibility. He has created and implemented a number of social projects.