Nigel Pascoe founded Goal50 in 2010 to tackle poverty in South Africa after visiting the country for the World Cup. His most recent visit was his 20th trip.
One of the main services that the charity provides is food to the poverty stricken communities of the Cape Flats, in particular Heideveld where its soccer school is based.
‘The Heideveld food programme was very much a reminder of the great need in the area,’ he said.
‘Without food people die. Many will queue for two hours to ensure they get some food.’
Over the course of the week, 6,000 sandwich packs were distributed in Heideveld with a further 14,000 being given out in township communities.
One night Goal50 programme coordinator Mario Van Niekerk, alongside his wife, Michelle, handed out 2,000 sandwiches from his home.
‘Life is quite challenging for these people,’ Mr Pascoe said.
‘Goal50 is pleased to offer some hope in the desperate situations in which they live.’
Mr Van Niekerk is a reformed gang leader, who set up the Heideveld football academy after becoming Christian, to rescue others from falling down similar paths.
Fears of increased gang violence have been raised in the Cape Flats recently following the fatal shooting of an alleged gang leader earlier this month.
The day before the incident, a three-year-old girl was shot and killed while travelling with her mother.
Cape Flats Safety Forum chairwoman Abbie Isaacs described how extreme the problem has become.
‘More people are dying on a daily basis in gang fights in the Cape Flats than those who are dying in the Russian-Ukraine war.’
On the trip Mr Pascoe also addressed the new inmates at the Ark Drug Rehabilitation Centre, where 500 men are going through a biblical rehabilitation programme.
The men are all criminals, mostly due to gang-related activities.
‘There is desperate need in this area,’ Mr Pascoe said.
‘You can feel it in the atmosphere. Sadly, violence and gang crime is at an all time high.’
Other projects included taking footballs into the community, handing out jumpers made by Guernsey knitter Lorna Tulie to children in the Goal50 safe house as well as other toys knitted by Mr Pascoe’s 91-year-old mother.
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