South Africa Club Teaches Township Youth Kayaking

A group in South Africa's largest township, Soweto, is helping¹ young community members learn kayaking.

The Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club offers young people from the mostly Black township the chance to gain skills in kayaking and canoeing. The two sports are similar, but use different equipment.

Traditionally in South Africa, water sports like kayaking are usually only experienced by upper-class members of the country's white minority. But the Canoe and Recreation Club -- created in 2003 -- has aimed to change that. The group currently² has 72 members that range in age from seven to 22.

One member is 20-year-old Benjamin Mntonintshi. He spoke³ to Reuters while taking a kayak down the Klip River, which runs through Soweto township.

"The water helps me focus and be alone with my thoughts. When I'm facing challenges in life, I come here, take the boat and get into the water," he said.

Soweto, like South Africa as a whole, suffers from high youth unemployment. The latest national data from June showed that nearly half of young people aged⁴ 15 to 34 are unemployed⁵.

The club says on its website that it also offers help to members beyond the development of sports skills. These include educational programs designed to aid students in graduating and exploring possibilities for continuing schooling⁶. In addition, the group offers career guidance and employment assistance.

Nkosi Mzolo is a coach at the club. He said the group has to work to overcome traditional beliefs in the country that evil spirits can live in lakes and rivers.

"There are still negative connotations attached to children being in the water," Mzolo said. "People still believe that there is a (supernatural) snake that lives in this dam, so kids should not be playing here," he added.

Mntonintshi says he successfully overcame those fears. Now, he is dreaming of very big things in the sport of kayaking. He says he aims to keep training hard and hopes one day to be good enough to compete in the Olympics.

Mntonintshi currently ranks second in the under-23 grouping in Gauteng, the area around South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg.

The club says it has already produced "some of the most exciting up and coming paddlers in the country." Among them is Siseko Ntondini, who became the first black South African to finish at the top of the Hansa Fish Canoe Marathon in 2015.

Words in This Story

kayaking – n. the act of riding a long narrow boat that is pointed⁷ at both ends and that is moved by a paddle with two blades

club – n. an organization for people who want to take part in a sport or social activity together

focus – v. to give special attention to something

challenge – n. a difficult task or problem

coach – n. a person whose job is to teach people to improve at a sport, skill or school subject

negative – adj. not having desirable opinions about something

connotation – n. the feelings or ideas that words give in addition to their meanings

paddler – n. one who paddles something, such as a canoe or kayak

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

5 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

6 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。