Nurturing youngsters who refuse to be defined by disabilities

RESILIENCE: NPO committed to helping individuals to discover their abilities, worth, and divine purpose

By Jo-Mangaliso Mdhlela

You can either feel sorry for yourself, or do something worthwhile to help yourself rise above your disability. Many young South Africans have chosen to defy their disabilities – choosing instead to use sport to achieve greatness and recognition.

Thanks goodness, a Durban-based Non-Profit Organisation (NPO), Made for More, has chosen to play an active to encourage young people with a disability to be involved in a surfing sport activity.

Made for More NPO is a South African organisation that empowers and equips people with disabilities to lead purposeful lives.

It is committed to breaking stigma and to foster inclusion through sports, mentorship, community projects, and faith-based initiatives.

The NPO uses sport as a tool to build hope, relationships, and skills, as it also offers coaching, exercise therapy, leadership camps, and community support, “to help individuals discover their abilities, worth, and divine purpose”.

As a result of their effort of helping young people to put a should to the wheel, the organisation is helping young people to make strides, and become champions in their own rights, and become masters of their fate.

This week, the NPO has been named Recreation Body of the Year at the South African Sport Awards event at the Sun City Superbowl, near Rustenburg, North West Province.

General manager of the entity Anele Zama has expressed joy at winning the award, stating that they feel humble to have won the recognition of others.

“Winning this award is humbling… it belongs not only to our team but to every sportsman and woman with a disability.

“It belongs to those who have paved the way, those who are rising, and those who are still to come.

“The biggest glory belongs to God. Without God, none of this would be possible,” said Zama.

The theme of this year’s sports awards was ‘Celebrating Sporting Excellence.’

Zama paid tribute to the remarkable achievements of athletes, coaches, administrators, and media professionals who excelled in their respective disciplines and inspired the nation through resilience, passion, and performance.

She expressed gratitude for the hard work shown by the KZN-based NPO, Made for More, which has been breaking barriers through para-surfing, using sport to bring hope, build community, instil values, and open doors for athletes with disabilities to shine on provincial, national, and international stages.

Zama added: “The award belongs not only to our team, but also to every sportsman and woman with a disability.”

To find out more, visit www.madeformore.org.za