Young Legends mentor South African youth and break cycles of violence

To everyone’s astonishment, 28 young men came to play.  There was just one problem – Freeman did not own a football!  Thinking quickly, he got them jogging laps around the sports field, then managed to buy two balls for the following night.

Young Legends was born.

The ministry is having such success that the city of Cape Town has provided Young Legends with the use of land and have accepted them into the South Peninsula Football Association League. It is also spreading, with projects being replicated on the other side country in Johannesburg.

Why such success? Because Young Legends is about much more than just playing sports and doing activities.

During the COVID pandemic they prepared and distributed food to many needy families, shared the word of God, and offered prayer, encouragement, and words of wisdom to people.

During the COVID pandemic they prepared and distributed food to many needy families, shared the word of God, and offered prayer, encouragement, and words of wisdom to people.

Discipleship, in partnership with local churches, is also very important. Each Young Legends leader is assigned two members to mentor. As a result, there continues to be a growing spiritual awareness and sense of purpose in the children and young people

Their testimonies speak volumes. One young man says: “Being around the Young Legends family and living with one of the members, I’m taught about the word of God, and I started attending church.” Another says: “Young Legends is a blessing from God, and I am proud and happy to be part of it.”

Beautifully summing up the ministry, Xolisa Mdamoyi, a Young Legends football player, puts it like this: “The vision is not about playing soccer, and winning tournaments and leagues so that we can make money, but it was something totally different. Basically, what the Young Legends family wants to do is to change lives.”

Thanks to the initiative of Freeman and his friends, in partnership with churches and organisations like SIM, that vision is becoming a bigger and brighter reality.

“Young Legends is a blessing from God, and I am proud and happy to be part of it.”