By Ntombekhaya Busuku
When Noel Reddy’s young cricket team, comprising 20 boys and one girl, clinched their first-ever match, he says their jubilant roar of joy echoed like a world cup triumph. For Reddy, the community engagement officer at Rhodes University’s Department of Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, this moment crystallised his life’s purpose.
In Makhanda’s Currie Street area, where schools once lacked any sports programmes, Reddy has become a catalyst for change. Frustrated by the absence of physical education and opportunities from the Departments of Education and Sports, Recreation, Arts, and Culture, he helped launch the Young Warriors Cricket Programme (YWCP).
“When we got there, there was no physical education whatsoever. We started giving lessons and taught them how to play cricket,” he said.
This initiative transformed the lives of Grade 7 learners by improving their behaviour, boosting classroom performance, and uniting families around their children’s newfound passion.
“My role is deeply rewarding because I’m creating opportunities for kids who would otherwise have none,” Reddy says. “I know I’m making a difference, and that heals my soul.”
Beyond cricket, Reddy is deeply involved in multiple community upliftment projects. He runs the PLAY (Physical Literacy and Activity for Youth) volunteer programme, using Human Kinetics and Ergonomics (HKE) undergraduate students to teach physical education to Grade 7 learners at three under-resourced Currie Street schools. As secretary of the Young Warriors Cricket Programme, he reports to funders, co-ordinates events, and manages equipment and coaches.
Reddy also oversees HKE service-learning projects, with third-year students developing gross motor skills in foundation phase learners and, pending Graeme College’s approval, honours students assisting the Graeme College Cricket team with strength, conditioning, and sleep education for holistic growth.
Reddy manages the High-Performance Centre in Joza, providing strength training for local athletes and supporting community teams. He also leads the SleepCHAMPzzz research project, tracking sleep and mental health in Grade 8 learners across three universities while giving learners vital support and education.
Reddy’s drive stems from his own challenging upbringing in a small, poverty-stricken community in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, marred by drugs and limited prospects. “My wife and I worked tirelessly to escape that life and give our children a better future,” he says. “Now, I want to show others they can break that cycle too.”
For the past two and a half years, Makhanda has been home, and Reddy’s mission has been to empower its youth. His work, however, faces constant financial hurdles. “Funding is critical,” he explains. “Without it, sustaining these programs is a struggle.” But Reddy’s commitment to instilling hope is unshaken, bolstered by the HKE department’s support in securing resources.
Reddy is quick to credit the “village” behind the initiative’s success. He praises Diana Hornby, Rhodes’s director of Community Engagement, and Chris Totobela, a local merchandiser who manages Makhanda’s only women’s football team, African Connection, for their relentless dedication.
The inaugural YWCP Festival, held last December at Kingswood College Junior Sports Field, marked a turning point for cricket in Currie Street. Schools like St Mary’s Primary, George Dickerson Primary, and Grahamstown Primary came together to celebrate their progress, fostering a sense of accomplishment and community pride.
