Fun With Freire : Grassroot Soccer, Participatory Learning, and HIV and AIDS Prevention in South Africa

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the universality of soccer, and participatory educational methodologies as tools to combat HIV and AIDS through a case study of Grassroot Soccer (GRS). GRS is an organization that empowers African youth with the knowledge, skills and support to combat the HIV and AIDS pandemic. This thesis specifically explores GRS's work in Port Elizabeth (PE) South Africa. The role of sport, specifically soccer, as a form of Entertainment-Education (E-E) is explored in order to exemplify the value of an otherwise overlooked avenue of positive social change. Paulo Freire's notion of participatory learning is used to analyze the GRS methodology in order to establish the ways in which the program uses interactive learning structures through soccer as a tool to enhance the GRS student's sense of self-efficacy and overall knowledge about HIV and AIDS. This thesis substantiates the effectiveness of GRS's participatory learning structure made possible through sport.