Cape Town is (literally) buzzing with the arrival of the 2010 World Cup. Flags are the latest décor covering windows, cars and even substituting as hair pieces. No advertisement is complete without a soccer ball thrown in for good measure, and Shakira’s theme song can be heard coming out of nearly every minibus taxi.

Coming up to the halfway mark now, World Cup fever is leaving no area untouched! It has offered an exciting distraction for so many South Africans not excluding the littlest ones. At the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, the staff have gone out of their way to hang flags throughout the hospital and even installed a life size Zakumi in the main foyer. Doctors have even added colorful hats to their typical scrub attire in support of the festivities (which makes quite an impression in the operating theatre).

These days, it is every child’s dream to become a professional soccer player and mini vuvuzelas and soccer balls litter the wards. Toddlers have been outfitted in green and yellow “Bafana” beanies and Zakumi tattoos – completely unaware of their allegiance (and how adorable they look!).

Connect-123’s child life program has taken full advantage of the excitement and utilized the diski dance as a means of getting the children moving, soccer facts as conversation starters, and has coined the games, “name that flag” and “what else could this vuvuzela be?” The latter could also be called, “let’s think of something else to do with this besides annoy everyone around us.”

Even in a place where illness and injury don’t take a break to follow the matches, World Cup excitement is high. It is everywhere. Pride resonates from every corner. Even though our passion for soccer ranges from person to person and our country of allegiance may differ, we have all been touched in some way or another.

Working in South Africa through Connect-123 was a lot like studying abroad in the soul of a country that has been forgotten by the rest of the world. The tempo of society slowed down a little bit but the catchiness of the beat remained the same. The ease of traveling through the country and meeting people is similar to how easy it is visiting different stores in a shopping mall. South Africa is a place to go to listen, absorb, then reciprocate for the good of society. Unmatched in beauty, South Africa is absolutely wonderful.

I worked for a non-profit organization that uses sport as a vehicle for youth leadership. I implemented an SMS based feedback program that allows participants of the program to report immediately to the organization. It saves time, paper, and allows for instant feedback which is priceless nowadays. When I wasn’t working on that though, there were children running around playing soccer or basketball and I was always welcome to shoot or kick around with kids who were taking a break from the everyday hardships of their lives. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

With its natural beauty and mix of diverse cultures, Cape Town is a photographers dream! As we’d like to start showcasing some of the moments captured by our interns and volunteers, Connect-123 will be launching a monthly photography competition for all our program participants in Cape Town.

In the spirit of the World Cup, we’ve decided to kick things off with a “Best World Cup Photo” competition. Your photo should capture anything from the fans and parades to the flags and the footballers – the most “Ayoba” photo wins! There will be a prize of a dinner voucher of R250 that you and a friend can use to take advantage of the winter special at the sophisticated Five Flies restaurant.

In order to participate in the competition you need to add your best photo of the 2010 Soccer World Cup to the “Best World Cup Photo Competition “ album on the Connect-123 Facebook page. Please add your name to the title of the photograph so that we can identify it as yours. You need to do this by Monday the 5th of July.

Our esteemed judging panel of photography experts (ie the Connect-123 team!) will select the Top 5 photos, and you will be asked to vote for your favourite in a Facebook poll – voting will close on Thursday 8th and the winner will be announced on Friday 9th of July. Remember you need to be a fan of our Facebook page to vote!

Get those cameras out and start snapping!!