Children refuse to be pawns
ALEXANDRA - Chess was at the centre of Alex children and youths' commemoration of World Aids Day on 1 December at the Eastbank Hall.
Facilitated by Hlalefang Alexandra Chess Club, attendees packed the hall for a tournament where they displayed their knowledge and skills. “[Chess is] not the preserve of any social group but is for anyone with zeal and a desire to exercise their mind and to acquire problem-solving skills,” said club founder Jonathan Maliboho.
He said the game was a good substitute for other social activities which got children into trouble such as taking drugs, drinking alcohol, and indulging in unprotected sex which could lead to sexual infections and HIV/Aids.
“The tournament is to celebrate their commitment to stay clean and protected from HIV/Aids while also commiserating with those who are infected and affected,” he said.
“They are human like us, need compassion and the disease needs to be de-stigmatised.”
Maliboho added that while the commemoration was for HIV/Aids, the club intended to use chess to promote awareness about other ailments such as asthma and cancer, which are also scourges affecting the community. ”
Also, we want to develop [chess] as a tradition known to improve children’s scholastic performance, make it comparable to other sports, in particular soccer – which has become like a religion – and to have it as an alternative occupation for critical thinking and improved decision making by the youth to discourage them from engaging in anti-social activities when they are desperate from joblessness.”
The club is in the process of formalising membership with the Joburg Metro Chess Organisation. It participated in the Ka Nyamazana (Mpumalanga) Scholastic Chess tournament and made it to the knockout stages.
The club receives limited sponsorship and seeks more support to strengthen the game of chess in the township.
Details: 078 338 0672.
