Kick4Life recently delivered the Lesotho United curriculum at Kananelo School for the Deaf, providing some of the most marginalised young people in the country with the chance to play sport, as well as enabling them to develop skills and knowledge related to gender rights and health education.
The sessions were facilitated by two of Kick4Life’s newly trained life skills coaches: Ntsekiseng Thetsane and Ts’epo Letsika. Their partnership was both inspirational and symbolic of Kick4Life’s pledge to break barriers. Ntsekiseng, who learned sign language in 2019 , has long been passionate about youth empowerment. She supported Ts’epo, who is himself deaf, throughout their training, stepping in to interpret and working with him to prepare for sessions. Together, they built a strong foundation that carried through into their delivery at Kananelo.
At the school, Ntsekiseng facilitated the girls’ module while Ts’epo led the boys’ sessions. During the course, learners fully engaged, culminating in a graduation ceremony where participants proudly received certificates of completion. Teachers at Kananelo, who provided invaluable support throughout, joined the celebration alongside Kick4Life’s Community Programmes Manager, Mbulelo Mochochoko, who thanked the school for embracing this pioneering initiative.
Reflecting on the journey, Ntsekiseng described the experience as both rewarding and challenging, particularly because of the differences in sign language used. While both she and Ts’epo primarily communicate using Lesotho Sign Language, the school relies on American Sign Language. This created a communication gap at times, requiring patience and creative adaptation. With the combined support of Ts’epo and the school’s teachers, however, Ntsekiseng found joy in bridging the gap and working with learners who were “brilliant and determined to learn.” Her broader passion for youth empowerment, grounded in her work as a counselor and her experiences supporting survivors of GBV, guided her approach and helped make the sessions impactful.
Ts’epo also played a key role in ensuring the boys’ module ran smoothly. Drawing on his lived experience as a deaf person, he engaged participants in interactive exercises and games, helping them understand their rights, health, and well-being in ways that were accessible and meaningful. The collaboration between the two coaches demonstrated how teamwork, patience, and lived experience can overcome barriers to learning.
The impact of the intervention was evident in the expressions of the learners. Resitsitsoe Makibinyane shared that she had learned about knowing her body and rights, and that abuse in any form is unacceptable. Boitumelo Motlaopa emphasized that both men and women must respect one another, rejecting harmful justifications for gender-based violence, and highlighted the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse on mental health.
For both coaches, the experience at Kananelo has opened new doors. Ntsekiseng hopes to do more work with deaf communities in the future, while Ts’epo’s first steps as a facilitator proved that his leadership and involvement can inspire others.
Kick4Life is now exploring new ways to expand our curriculum delivery to ensure that more children and young people with disabilities can enjoy sport through adapted and high impact interventions.
