Swiss game is making an impact in South Africa

The impact “Mission South Africa” has created was more than the Straubs could ever dream of. Many workshops with facilitators of community centers, NGOs and NPOs were conducted, various schools, universities, sports clubs, townships (Alexandra, Khayelitsha) and prisons (Pollsmoor) were visited in Johannesburg and Cape Town and the Swiss embassy as well as the Swiss council supported the mission. Rahel and Marcel Straub presented their visions at the residence of the general council to 40 invited guests in attendance of the Ambassador, Helene Budliger Artieda, as well as representatives of the Western Cape government. As a result, the demand of Street Racket workshops increased daily and the feedbacks were overwhelming. In three extra sessions, Marcel Straub trained 11 sports coaches and PE teachers to become official Street Racket instructors who can now conduct workshops for schools, communities, prisons, businesses and various social programs on their own. A very pleased Marcel Straub sums up the current situation before leaving back to Switzerland: “The demand for Street Racket classes is very high and there will be thousands of people playing this very versatile movement game in South Africa very soon”. One of the goals of this mission was to prove how easy it is to implement this sustainable tool to promote health and activity in a new part of the world. Street Racket is a powerful instrument to fight obesity and inactivity and the Straubs are now getting requests to teach their game in many new countries around the globe. “It's wonderful to see the positive outcome of this mission and to now be able to travel the world and spread our ideas. The more people know about Street Racket the better”, says Rahel Straub when asked about her feelings and the success of the mission in Africa. To increase the impact and to educate more instructors the Straubs are planning to return to Africa in June – anyone interested in learning about Street Racket can contact them: [email protected]