Utilising Sport As A Catalyst For Change
The JAG Foundation uses sport to create change in the lives of children in disadvantaged communities and that is one of the main reasons Stor-Age supports this initiative.
In its 11th year of creating sustainable change in South African high-risk communities, the JAG Foundation utilises sport and play as educational tools to impart life skills and offer children in these communities an alternative path to gangsterism, drugs and abuse.
Their value-based play programmes target children’s degraded belief system of themselves, their community, their lives and future. By creating safe and trusted environments in which learning and self-esteem building can take place, they expose children to the real and attainable opportunity of an alternative life path - one of hope and an escape from a societal predisposition of their future. The JAG Foundation currently brings this hope to 33 000 children annually in over 15 communities in the Western Cape.
Stor-Age, whose ethos is to assist with the easy transition in one’s life by providing space, has committed to JAG Foundation’s cause by offering the organisation free storage space, which they use for accepting donations and storing equipment. As a company which prides itself on the core values of excellence, relevance, sustainability and integrity, assisting organisations such as the JAG Foundation is a fundamental focus.
The foundations programmes utilise running, cycling, netball and rugby as codes or disciplines to expose the alternative life path, by imparting paramount core values learned through sport, play and fun. These vehicles take form under the brands JAGRunners (Cross Country), JAGRiders (Cycling), JAGNetball (Netball), JAGRugby (Rugby), and JAGBullyProof (Ball games).
A unique addition, as seen above, is a programme called ‘JAGBullyProof’. It is an in-school intervention programme which focuses on empowering children with tools to stand up to bullying and build confidence and self-esteem. The programmes are there to help children overcome bullying, rather than degrade the few children acting out in bullying behaviour, as JAG feels that inspiration is a far more powerful tool than punishment. Making a relevant change in these communities is something that inspires Chris Oosthuizen, Head of Sales, Marketing and Product at Stor-Age, “We aim to be relevant in all that we do. We are extremely passionate about empowering our country’s youth in disadvantaged communities and we see real value in JAG Foundation. We hope that by providing a safe and convenient space to store their goods, they can focus on the elements of their programme that make a real difference.’’
The JAG Foundation was founded in 2007 by ex-Olympic long-distance runner Elana Meyer and international businessman Greg James. It is currently run by Barry Clarke as General Manager under a board of trustees. Barry Clarke comments, “Without the invaluable assistance of ‘like -minded’ companies such as Stor-Age, our task at hand in trying to ‘Create the Change’ would be so much more difficult.”
Please visit the JAG Foundation website, for more information on how you can get involved.
To see how Stor-Age can assist with your space needs, give us a call on 0861 18 18 18 or visit www.stor-age.co.za for more information.