By Evelyn Adamson

ROOIGROND, South Africa — As darkness falls, a 7-year-old girl scans the crowd for her brother. The temperatures have dropped as the winter night approaches and her brother, who is not much older than her, is the one who will bring her a jacket. Her parents are commonly found drunk or away from their shack home, so it is her brother who takes care of her.

He arrives and lovingly places the jacket around her shoulders; he even brings her a second jacket to ensure she does not get cold.

Another 7-year-old girl is thinly clothed in a sleeveless dress that reaches her knees and, in an attempt to ward off the cold, she wraps her arms around her body. She cannot last outside much longer and returns home where her brother, age 8, stands over a boiling pot of water to cook dinner.

Sadly, this is the daily life of many Tswana children in Rooigrond. In this small township outside Mafikeng, most villagers live off of social grants from the government and seasonal produce from farms. Water is scarce, as the tanks supplied by the government are filled every one to three weeks.

Resources are in short supply and many of the residents live with no hope of life ever improving. Poverty, unemployment, adultery and alcohol are the social issues that plague this small township.

Boitumelo Itumeleng Khoza, a Tswana pastor’s wife who works in the area, shares why alcohol is such a prevalent problem: “I think maybe drinking to them is like making them to forget the problems around the home. So if they drink too much, by the end of the day, they’ll go to sleep and forget what happened through the day.”

Local Christians are trying to combat the hopelessness of the people and the brokenness of the family structure by offering the hope that is found in Jesus Christ.

One strategy for breaking through and building relationships is to host soccer clinics for the children and show the JESUS film, along with various World Cup matches, to the adults. To accomplish this task, IMB missionaries brought in a team of American students from the University of Louisville and Clemson University to work alongside South African students from Northwest University in Mafikeng, South Africa.

The clinic had four stations set up so the children could improve in every skill set — drilling, passing, shooting and goalkeeping.

The Evangeball, which uses colors to represent the steps to salvation, was used to help the Tswana understand and embrace the Gospel message.

Though the ground was sand and rock, the kids played as though they were in one of the World Cup stadiums. It was evident from the expression on their faces that the chance to play soccer and improve their skills brought joy to the children.

“Before we even get there [everyday], they’re out there in the soccer field and they’re ready to go,” says volunteer Katie Herrmann from the University of Louisville, “and they’re very excited that someone wants to invest in them and show them love.”

After the clinic, students had the opportunity to walk around Rooigrond and visit families to invite them to watch the games and then attend a church service.

“I do love soccer. I might not be very good at it, but I love it,” said Motlatsing Moreki, a Northwest University student. “I grew up playing it, so it was great sharing what I know, combining that with Who I believe in and letting people know about Jesus through what I love.”