Ask Aaron
I was born in Boipatong about 70 miles south of Johannesburg on 25th November 1980, and I am the youngest of 7 children.
I loved all sports and really enjoyed playing basketball. I played football regularly and was fortunate to have had a lot of encouragement by my family and friend. My professional football career started with Jomo Cosmos.
I currently play for English Premiership club Portsmouth who I joined this season. I have been really honoured to accept the captaincy which is a fantastic opportunity for me. For more information on my playing career, check out the Aaron section of the web site.
To play for my country is a great honour. To be called up at 17 was a dream come true and I could not have been more proud. In September 2009, I achieved a record of 50 caps as captain. I am all too aware of my responsibilities as captain of Bafana Bafana and understand my role as a leader who must motivate, encourage and enthuse my fellow teammates. 2010 is the most important time in our nation's history, when the eyes of the world are on South Africa as we host the FIFIA 2010 World Cup. It is an exciting time to be a South African and it is an important time to be focussed in order to deliver on the field at the biggest football show on earth..no pressure!!
I wanted to give something tangible back to the people of South Africa, leaving a legacy that I am proud of which makes a real difference in people's lives. I have been very fortunate to get to where I am today, though it was not without a lot of hard work and sacrifices, and I want to give childrenand young people opportunities to learn. I also started from humble beginnings and I know what good development work can do in the townships to help talented kids make a better life for themselves.
I had been thinking about starting a Foundation for a few years. I started the process of developing my Foundation in October 2008 undertaking a review of where there were gaps in provision in SA and where I felt my Foundation could have an impact and make a difference. Following this review I launched my Foundation in my home area of Sedibeng in May 2009. I wanted to start there as a 'thank-you' to the people who helped me get to where I am today. The Launch was sponsored by the Emerald Resort and Casino and Sedibeng District Municipality. The Foundation is also registered in the UK, for fundraising purposes. The official launch of the UK arm of my Foundation took place at the South African High Commission in London on 27th January 2010.
The best and source of latest news as well as everything relating to the foundation can be found in the Media coverage section of this web site
The website is the one of the best places to find out about the programmes being planned by the Foundation. We will post all planned programmes on the web and also advertise these in the local areas.
Anyone can get involved with the Foundation. If you feel that you can offer something unique, sponsor something or just generally want to get involved with the Foundation then all you need to do is drop an email to the Foundation and we will be happy to get in touch with you.
The Foundation will deliver its services in South Africa. The first area we concentrate delivery will be in Boipatong, my home area. The programmes will then gradually rollout to other Provinces.
My team are really accessible and can be contacted by telephone, E-mail, Post, Website! Check out the "Contact Us" section of the web site.
The Foundation has started to attract sponsors and supporters. The Foundation has many affiliations with brands in South Africa. These brands include;
Sedibeng District Municipality
Emerald Casino resort
Nike
South African Breweries (SAB
SAFA Legal and Management (SLAM)
Msanzi Football
How do I get involved?
Can I volunteer services to the Foundation? Of course! Anybody can volunteer their services to the Foundation. Just get in touch with the Team and let us know what you would like to do for the Foundation and we will be very grateful for your help.