kicking Ageism as Game Changers Unite: ACC and Grannies International Soccer Tournament Unite for Healthy Communities and Good life.

African Coaches Connect (ACC) and Grannies International Soccer Tournament Team Up for Wellness and Healthy Communities
In a heartwarming fun-family care partnership, African Coaches Connect (ACC) and the Grannies International Soccer Tournament are joining forces to promote healthy lifestyles, community engagement, and wellness through football.

The Grannies International Soccer Tournament is a joyful celebration of active aging, featuring teams of grandmothers and aging women from around the world. ACC recognizes the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles and social connections for older adults. Through this partnership, ACC and the tournament will work together to develop initiatives that support active aging, health, wellness and social engagement, cohesion and connectivity.
The founder of Grannies International Soccer Tournament is Madam Rebecca Beka Ntsanwisi nicknamed and fondly called ‘Mama Beka’ was born in a rural area in Tzaneen Limpopo Province, South Africa 1968. She is the first born to Mr. Rene Ntsanwisi, who was a circuit manager and Madam Julia Ntsanwisi, a former high school principal.
Mama Beka grew up passionate about music and therefore went on to pursue it at tertiary level. She holds a degree of Music from the University of Venda. Mama Beka started working at the South African Broadcasting Corporation for 25 years till date and became a prominent voice on the airways raising awareness on many problem facing every-day South African including HIV/AIDS, diabetes and TB, empowering the youth and people with disabilities as well as working with the elderly women in destitute communities to physically, emotionally and financially empower themselves to face responsibility and cope with day-to-day challenges. She has led many campaigns to remove social stigma about the sick and destitute and has dedicated her life as a volunteer to assist those in need. Beka is well known for her philanthropy work.

She has assisted many poverty-stricken households usually headed by young women or elderly women and young children, who could not afford basic housing by building houses and donations for food and clothing. She has also assisted many young people to complete their tertiary studies with financial aid from poverty-stricken backgrounds.
She received National recognition for her work by the former President of the Republic of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki and received the Presidential award- the Order of the Baobab in 2008 at 39 years of age. She went on to win numerous awards nationally and received international recognition.
She is an Ashoka Fellow, a global organization that recognizes the work of trailblazers that are changemakers aiming to better the lives of others in their countries and communities.
Above all, Mama is a daughter, wife, a mother and a Grannie!

Preparations for the 2025 Grannies International Football Tournament are underway and it is expected that 8 new nations will join the tournament boosting sports tourism in the country and increasing the impact of her work.
Vakhegula- Vakhegula Football club is Beka’s lifetime project and was established in 2007 in Nkowa-nkowa township in the Limpopo Province. After Beka wasdiagnosed with advanced stage of colon cancer. She was unable to walk confined to a wheelchair for many years. As she recovered from the illness, as part of her routine to stay fit and healthy, she started to exercise with elderly women in her community, who also were plagued with illness and through her passion for sport, she introduced exercise with a ball and from there established the first grannies’ soccer team. Many elderly women started joining the movement and grannies’ football has spread all over the country.
Vakhegula-Vakhegula Football Club is now an established brand and is known all over the world. Vakhegula-Vakhegula FC has been on many tours playing against other elderly women in different countries. Since 2010, the team has travelled to the USA, France, Brazil, Russia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Mauritius and upcoming trip to Spain.
Beka has used this platform to educate elderly women on physical and mental
health as well as address social ills and challenges faced by the elderly such as diabetes, hypertension, gender-based violence and poverty. The team offers a space for exercise, socializing and a sense of community and support for these women.
In 2023, Mama Beka became the first African Women in the world, through Beka Ntsanwisi Foundation to host the first ever Grannies International Football Tournament nick-named (Grannies World Cup), whereby ,16 teams from six different countries incuding the USA, France, Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe competed in the first edition of the tournament for grannies and over the age of 60 on African soil. The tournament took place from the 26th to the29th of March 2023.

ACC and the Grannies International Soccer Tournament will collaborate on community football initiatives, providing opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in the sport. This partnership will focus on:

– Recreational football programs for older adults
– Community outreach initiatives to promote health and wellness
– Social connections and support for local communities.

Mama Beka emotionally said, “This work brings healing and peace to me every day. Football is for everyone – it’s a platform that transcends age and background. Health is a right and a responsibility; it takes being very sick to realize how valuable life and a healthy body are. I’ve been through my own health struggles, but I’ve never given up. Never let go of your dreams, no matter how difficult it gets. Keep pressing on, and trust that your determination will take you places you never thought possible. I believe in the power of sport to transform lives, and I’m committed to empowering women and girls through football.” – Mama Beka Ntsanwisi”

ACC’s Founder and President equally deposited; “As we join forces with Mama Beka and the Grannies International Soccer Tournament, we’re reminded that ‘football is for everyone’ – it’s a platform that transcends age, background, and borders. At ACC, we believe that football has the power to transform lives, build stronger communities, and promote healthy lifestyles. We’re excited to harness the power of football to support active aging, health, and wellness, and to empower women and girls to take control of their lives. As Mama Beka says, ‘health is a right and a responsibility’ – we’re committed to working together to make a positive impact in our communities and promote wellness through sport.”

This partnership will bring numerous benefits to both organizations, including:

– Increased opportunities for community engagement and social connections
– Promoting healthy lifestyles and wellness through football
– Supporting active aging and older adult development

## Join the Fun!
ACC and the Grannies International Soccer Tournament invite sponsors, partners, and supporters to join this exciting initiative. Together, we can make a difference in our communities and promote healthy lifestyles through football.

## Get Involved!
To learn more about this partnership and how you can get involved, please contact us. Let’s work together to build healthier, happier communities through football.

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