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Active HIV Awareness: A study into the meanings of sports as a medium of HIV awareness in a South African township
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Utrecht University, Utrecht School of Governance, Organization, Culture & Management

This thesis concentrates on community development work aimed to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. It focuses on certain sports activities which function as a medium to reach this goal. The local situation of the Tshepong Aids Project (TAP) in Ikageng formed the setting of the research. Ikageng is a township nearby the medium-sized town Potchefstroom in the North West province in South Africa.

Within this township several non-governmental organizations are active in the field of HIV/AIDS. Within the sub-field of HIV/AIDS awareness, TAP is probably the most important NGO in Ikageng. They have developed several awareness initiatives primarily aimed at reaching Ikageng’s youth through sports trainings and league days in basketball and netball.

The central research question of this thesis was as follows: What is the meaning of sports activities, as practiced by the Tshepong Aids Project, for parents, teachers and especially for children between eight and fifteen years of age in Ikageng? The thesis finds that children want excitement and fun and that these two elements, together with personal involvement in action and opportunities to establish and reaffirm friendships during games determine the success of a project that uses sports to realize its goals.

[Abstract adapted from the author]

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