Living Globally, Acting Locally
This time last week I was waking up in Cape Town, South Africa, planning to climb Table Mountain with some new friends, and full of energy from my short stay and experiences at the Beyond Sport Summit. As many of you may have read, I was there representing globalbike, learning about how bikes can transform lives and communities – much like they have in Spartanburg. I was also privileged to join the Beyond Sport Summit for 4 days as a speaker and participant. This conference led me to several observations that are, I think, very applicable to Spartanburg.
- The world is very, very small! While exploring the Cape of Good Hope one of my new friends from Tennessee ran into a college sorority sister! In some ways, this is a silly example, but the bigger picture is this: we live in a global society. The outcomes of our children here in Spartanburg and the children growing up in the Khayelistsha township are bound together. Ultimately our society’s success is dependent on all children having a successful childhood and education. I couldn’t help but draw the parallels to the Mary Black Foundation’s work in Early Childhood Development and in the Northside of Spartanburg. The world is small and so is Spartanburg – our future success is dependent on all children’s success.
- Sports are a common language. I had the opportunity to play soccer (futbol) with a group attending the conference. I was by far the least experienced footballer on the pitch. I was joined by former pro soccer players, men and women, current players, and recreational players who
play far more often than I do. What was phenomenal about the game is that as soon as we started to play the 4 others on my team were one, despite the fact that we all came from different corners of the world. I left sore, but smiling ear to ear (as referenced by the picture). - Sports can change lives for the better. From learning about Box Girls’ work with local girls to boost self esteem and self defense, to listening to the numerous “sports change my life” stories, the power of sports to change lives was evident. I had the pleasure of interacting with a group of youth who had learned to surf and were now teaching others. But surfing was just the carrot – the real deal was that the kids had to be a part of a local HIV clinic. In their community the HIV rate was 30%. Only 60% of those infected got tested. Of those testing positive for HIV, only 1 in 5 take anti-retrovirus medications; not because they aren’t available, but because of the associated stigma. Surfing was breaking down the barriers and teaching lessons far beyond the water.
If you have 2 minutes check out this video about how soccer is transforming on part of Khayelistsha.
-Curt McPhail