By SayPro Chief Learning & Monitoring Officer -Tsakani Rikhotso
6 April 2025
Good morning, esteemed guests, community leaders, colleagues, and most importantly—our youth,
It is both an honour and a deep responsibility to address you today on the occasion of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace—a day that celebrates more than games; it celebrates growth, resilience, and measurable progress.
As the Chief Learning and Monitoring Officer at SayPro, my role focuses on asking critical questions: What are we learning? Are we truly making an impact? Are we holding ourselves accountable for the promises we make through sport?
Why Monitoring Matters
At SayPro, sport is more than a physical activity—it is a strategy. But like any powerful tool, it must be measured, improved, and constantly adapted. That is where learning and monitoring come in.
In 2025, our SayPro Sport & Development Program engaged over 25,000 young people across 10 regions. But what’s more important than the number is what we learned:
- That community-led sports programmes are more sustainable.
- That youth thrive when sport is linked with life skills and mentorship.
- And that peace-building is most effective when tracked, documented, and shared.
We are not just running activities. We are tracking transformation.
Learning Through Sport
Every football match, every netball game, every training session is an opportunity to observe, reflect, and grow. Through our internal systems, SayPro collects stories, feedback, and data from the field—directly from our youth, coaches, and communities.
This helps us answer key questions:
- Are girls participating equally?
- Are rural areas receiving enough support?
- Are we reaching those most affected by conflict or poverty?
Learning is not a one-time event—it’s an ongoing journey. And we are committed to learning with humility, listening with intention, and improving with evidence.
Accountability for Peace
Sport without accountability is just play. But when monitored and evaluated, it becomes a catalyst for real change.
That’s why SayPro is investing in tools like:
- Mobile-based feedback systems
- Real-time dashboards for programme outcomes
- And community scorecards where young people rate their own experiences
This isn’t just monitoring—it’s empowerment.
A Call to Action
To our fellow development partners:
Let’s integrate learning and monitoring into everything we do. Let’s make impact not just visible—but verifiable.
To governments and funders:
Support data-driven sport programmes that learn as they grow, and adapt as they serve.
And to our youth:
You are not just participants. You are leaders, evaluators, and storytellers. Your experiences matter. Your feedback drives our future.
In Closing
At SayPro, we don’t play for applause—we play for impact.
We don’t run programmes for numbers—we run them for change.
And we don’t celebrate progress only when it’s easy—we measure it, even when it’s hard.
Because true peace, like sport, is built step by step, pass by pass, voice by voice.
Thank you for believing in this mission.
Thank you for being part of our journey.
Together, let’s continue to learn, grow, and play—for a better world.
Ke a leboha. Ngiyabonga. Dankie. Thank you once again.
Leave a Reply