Our history
Stars in their Eyes is an innovative and proud football project which uses the phenomenal impact of sport to deliver a sustainable contribution to the future of the disadvantaged communities of South Africa. Stars believes that if managed properly, sport has the potential to change the world which we live in.
In 2003 the Dutch fresh produce company Cool Fresh International established the international fresh produce brand ‘Freedom Fruit’. The slogan ‘Doing good by buying right’ encapsulates the companies vision for the fresh produce chain. Freedom Fruit was (and still is) the very first fruit brand with a very clear message to the fresh produce supply chain: by creating broad partnerships the business world can create cost savings which can be reinvested in social projects in developing countries. The company subsequently became involved in social projects in South Africa and Namibia.
In 2005 Cool Fresh International realised that the in order to create structural change in disadvantaged communities, one would need to move away from the traditional ‘relief aid’, and rather focus on ‘local solutions to local problems’. The announcement of the World Championships 2010 provided a unique opportunity to bring many parties together in order to engineer social change.
The following question was at the basis of creating a long-term vision for the Stars in their Eyes Foundation: “What will all of the glitz and glamour of the 2010 World Football Championships mean to the disadvantaged youths in the impoverished rural areas and the slums of the big cities? Could football (and indeed the 2010 event) also be used as tools to mobilize boys and girls, men and women to create their own future and their own role models, and inspire them to make the right choices in life?”
While doing an evaluation of the Stars in their Eyes project on behalf of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape, the renowned Western Cape research company researched the benefits that sport has for children. It found that the modus operandi of Stars in their Eyes contributes to the welfare of children, in that not only does it keep them physically healthy, but italso keeps them from the streets, gangs and drugs, builds their self-esteem and teaches them to work hard within a team.