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Young reporters to capture AFCON highlights

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 30 Jan 2013
Samsung Youth Reporter, Refiloe Machaba, writing a message of support on the Samsung campaign board.
Samsung Youth Reporter, Refiloe Machaba, writing a message of support on the Samsung campaign board.

Samsung Electronics' Youth Reporter Programme at the 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations will see three students documenting tournament highlights.

The students are from Samsung's various African educational CSR programmes and will play an active role in Orange AFCON by reporting on the tournament.

"It is crucial for us to provide youth with opportunities that enrich their daily experiences in and out of the classroom. We know how popular football is in this country, and wanted to provide an exciting platform to develop their writing and engagement skills while doing something fun," says Ntutule Tshenye, senior manager of CSR at Samsung Africa.

Part of Samsung's Orange AFCON sponsorship, under the theme, "Our Passion Powers Africa", the programme encourages youth participation in the tournament by giving them the opportunity to express their passion about football, says Samsung.

"This programme is directly in line with Samsung's CSR strategy and commitment to sports," says Yung Kook Lee, VP and head of global sports marketing at Samsung. Selection of the trio was based on academic performance and teacher recommendations.

The participating students - Refiloe Machaba, Lefa Makgato and Kuhlekonke Kawunda - will produce unique content and will be assigned various themes each week, which they will write about in a newsroom atmosphere. The young reporters will have access to Samsung's smart technology, taking turns editing, writing, taking photographs, interviewing fans and producing articles to be published. Each student will also get an opportunity to present the Samsung Fair Player Award at select games.

"This project has been so fun, and I am grateful for all that Samsung has done for me in the past and during the Orange AFCON," said Machaba, with fellow youth reporters adding that the programme has given them the opportunity to further their writing skills.

In their first blog post on the Team Kickoff Web site, the reporters detailed their experiences at the opening match, which saw SA take on Cape Verde. The aspirant journalists interviewed fans at the event, even discovering some friendly rivalry between a South African wife and a Cape Verdean husband.

"We understand that sports play a direct role in the lives of many children across Africa. Therefore, we wanted to give these students a chance to get involved in the continent's biggest football tournament, while learning new skills and real-life tools that will assist them as they pursue their future aspirations," Lee concludes.

To follow the students' journeys during the competition, visit www.teamkickoff.com or the Samsung Mobile SA Facebook page.

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