Martin Afrika, a story of hope
Posted on 03/09/2009
All I know is about gangsterism. That, you can tell me nothing about because I know that and I've learned it...I have earned it. But I don't want to be a gangster anymore. I want to be a normal person. How can I not go overseas and earn more experience? That's what I want to do. To go and explore and bring good news out of South Africa and to another place....
Martin Afrika, 2008
At just five years old, Martin Afrika ran to the streets, hoping that street life would be better than life at home. As he tells it, he left his house in the township and ran and ran and ran until he arrived in Cape Town. As he grew, Martin became a member of one of South Africa’s notorious number gangs and gained rank throughout his life. After the age of five, he spent twenty-one years on the street and six in jail. Martin is now thirty-two years old.
In 2008, Martin entered the trials for South Africa’s Homeless World Cup team. He carried himself so confidently on and off the pitch that he not only made the team but was also named captain. He moved off the streets into a group home and immediately stopped using drugs, sharing his story of hope with anyone who would listen. Incredibly charming and charismatic, it is easy to get to know Martin. Stories roll of his tongue with ease and he seems to keep no secrets.
The community leaders and coaches around him were shocked, declaring they’d never seen such a swift and extreme recovery story before. Martin attributed his transformation to the hope he gained through preparing for the Homeless World Cup.
But things weren’t easy for Martin. His family was dead. The school he attended as a child had burnt down and the hospital he was born in had the same date on two different years listed as his birthday. With no record or proof of his identity, Martin couldn’t get a valid passport and visa in time to travel overseas and was unable to participate in the 2008 Homeless World Cup with his team.
Almost a year later, Martin admitted that losing that opportunity was one of the most painful experiences of his life. He relapsed for several weeks, disappearing onto the streets, using drugs again. Yet despite all of this, Martin persevered. He moved back into his group home in order to try out again for South Africa’s 2009 Homeless World Cup team and again has made the cut. After spending years trying to make an identity for himself, he obtained an ID and passport and is counting down the days until his arrival in Milan, where he will represent South Africa.
Amid the ups and downs of this last year, Martin shared, “The thing is, I don’t give up hope. Hope is the most important thing in life. If you give up hope, it means, you might as well die.”
Armed with ID papers and hope, Martin is ready to fully experience this new season of life.
Martin’s story, along with the stories of his team and community, is highlighted in the feature documentary film, Streetball, to be released in 2010. Streetball was funded by a South African based Public Benefit Organization, From Us With Love (www.FromUsWithLove.org). You can find regular updates about Martin’s experiences in Milan at www.StreetBallFilm.com. There will soon be daily pod casts including video footage and interviews with Martin and his teammates on the website.
