Real Madrid Foundation launches in Joburg

The Citizen

2 days ago

'In the context of high youth unemployment in South Africa and significant gaps in access to quality education, programs like this are essential,' said Jevron Epstein, Executive Director of Generation Schools.
The Real Madrid Foundation has presented its Educational Football Program in South Africa in collaboration with Generation Schools. The project was launched at the beginning of the year and caters for 100 young people at the centres in Sunningdale and Imhoff in the Western Cape. There are a further 50 participants in the centre based in Johannesburg, which aims to take over 300 children by the end of the year.
Real Madrid collaboration
The collaboration between the Real Madrid Foundation and Generation Schools combines high quality coaching with personal development, with structured mentorship programs, value education and socio-emotional growth support.
To date, Generation Schools has awarded seven full scholarships, six of which include accommodation, and 20 semi-scholarships to young people from low-income communities in Cape Town. These scholarships provide recipients with access to independent education, board and active participation in the program, offering a stable and nurturing environment in which students can excel academically, socially and physically.
The Generation Schools and Real Madrid Foundation program also supports the communities around the centres. Every Friday, the sports team offers coaching in vulnerable areas such as Masiphumelele, nearby Imhoff, leading sessions for some 150 children from low-income backgrounds.
'Education and personal growth'
'In the context of high youth unemployment in South Africa and significant gaps in access to quality education, programs like this are essential. We use football as a tool to create real opportunities for education and personal growth, assisting young people in developing their futures in sport, in the classroom and in their communities,' said Jevron Epstein, Executive Director of Generation Schools.
The Johannesburg event, held on May 28, was attended by the Spanish ambassador to South Africa, José Manuel Pascual; Andrés Muntaner, director of Campus and Clinics at the Real Madrid Foundation; Jevron Epstein, Executive Director of Generation Schools; and more than 900 families interested in learning more about the program.