It all started on a Wednesday. I had been enjoying my holiday and thought it was about time to do something productive. I hadn't been writing at all and I felt the need to do so. With the homeless world cup around the corner I decided to phone the director of the South African Homeless Street Soccer to hear if they were ready to go. I was thinking of doing the story: the street soccer team head to the world cup in Brazil. But, the story turned out to be quiet different when the director, Clifford Martinus, told me that they weren't going due to lack of funds. They were missing about R200 000 to cover plane tickets and subsistence. I thought this might be a story, but phoned my lecturer Karen Jayes to double-check. She confirmed and I did a telephone interview with Martinus. It was too late to go to Schaapkraal by myself.
Early next morning, I tried to get hold of last year's sponsors to find out why they weren't supporting the team this year, but without any luck. It was impossible to get a comment from the department of cultural affairs and sport in the Western Cape. I was communicating with Karen on gmail and she helped me edit the story and told me to send it through to the Cape Argus without comment from government. It was crucial to get the story out as quick as possible since the kick off was only a few days away. We wanted it on every street corner, but the Cape Argus declined. They didn't take in articles from freelancers.
I then considered going online and contacted the Mail & Guardian. I already had Shaun de Waal's email address and he helped me connect with the online news editor. As I was waiting for the MG to get back to me Karen phoned. She had a contact at news24 and they wanted to publish the story. She filed the story and put me in contact with the editor. As news24 was preparing for the article to go online I got a reply from the MG news editor. He was also interested in publishing the story, but only if I could get a comment from government. Half-an hour later the story was live on news24: All kitted up with nowhere to go.
Later the same evening a woman phoned me. "I hear you're writing about the street soccer team." It was Linzi Thomas from MylifE, a foundation that works with at risk street youth and children. Her organisation had been working closely with SAHSS since 2007, assisting players on the team. She gave me all the information and contact details that I needed to do the story for the MG. That same night I did a phone interview with Lance Greyling, member of Parliament for the Independent Democrats.
The next morning I got up early to write the story. Once again Karen was assisting me online, editing and helping me find the focus of my lede. I sent the story through to the news editor and a couple of hours later it was in the MG's sport section: SA street soccer team struggles to reach Brazil. I couldn't believe it. It had all happened so quickly.
In the afternoon Linzi contacted me. They had a sponsor. Patricia De Lille had gotten Cell C on board. "The guys are going. We're working on getting them tickets now and we'll be gathering them here to tell them." With directions on a piece of paper, I called my flat-mate Tarjei, who studies photography at City Varsity. The news was great and we needed photos of the boys.
They were gathered on a soccer field in Gardens in their new humble gear. Green and Yellow colours. Happy smiles.
It was so amazing to be apart of their jubilation and there is especially one shot that Tarjei captured that I think portrays so well the spirit and the moment on that field, and that is the one that I chose to put up on my blog.
After talking to the boys, asking them questions about how they felt and what they expected from their journey, I went home to work through my quotes. I sent a message through to my lecturer Karen, telling her that they were leaving for the airport early the next day and that I planned to follow the story. She wanted to come with and came to pick me up at 3.30 AM. She's been such an amazing support and mentor, and I couldn't have done it without her. She was also really happy to see the result of the butterfly effect: 8 ecstatic boys on the Cape Town Airport ready for the Homeless World Cup in Brazil. (Leaving only 24 hours before kick-off)
I filed two different stories that morning. First one for news 24: Soccer team head to Brazil and one after I had spoken to De Lille for the Mail & Guardian: Soccer boys off to Brazil as De Lille secures sponsor.
I was absolutely finished. I hadn't been sleeping much since the story broke, but I was really happy that it was out there and that the boys were now up above the clouds on their way to Brazil. Most people didn't know that SA actually has a street soccer team participating in the homeless world cup. I hope that many of us now do, and that in the future there will be a proper structure securing the well-being of these young men.
When that is said, I want to share an important thing that I learned from this experience. You never do anything completely on your own. It is essential to be a team.
I would never have known about the trials for the cup if it wasn't for a friend of mine Jaques who told me about it earlier this year. The trial in May was my first encounter with the team. I also couldn't have done it without Karen, who got me through to news24 and who was always there to give me advice. Or Linzi Thomas, from the MyLifE foundation, who contacted me after the first story was out and gave me all the contact details that I needed to follow up the story. She constantly kept me updated with what was happening. Thank you to all of you.
I also want to say thank you to Tarjei who came with to take photos, and to the news editors at news24 and the Mail and Guardian, and Shaun de Waal.
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