A former drug addict from Bonteheuwel is taking back his community one exercise at a time.
Riyaad Avontuur started a project to assist his community by opening an athletics club and outdoor gym.
It’s never too late to turn things around for you, that is the message from Avontuur.
Having survived trauma and years of substance abuse, Avontuur decided to pay it forward and make a change in his community. While it wasn’t always easy, the word, work and support from his community made all worth it.
Cape Town is notoriously known for drug abuse, high unemployment statistics and gangsterism which has become a norm for so many young people, in some cases children as young as ten-years-old. Two years ago, Avontuur started an athletics club in the heart of Bonteheuwel.
It was his way of getting the children off the streets and avoid being recruited by gangsters. Fast forward to 2021 in the midst of a pandemic, and Avontuur wanted to do more. So he decided to rally the community and opened a fitness outdoor centre for his community. With no registration or membership fees he relied on his community’s support and love for people. Eyewitness News asked him why?
“I set a goal for myself that I want to stand for Bonteheuwel, you understand? I don’t want to be the mayor, I don’t want to be the councillor. I just want to be the guy that’s doing fitness in Bonteheuwel. People have to come out and see that Bonteheuwel also has a positive side.”
Avontuur said that he started this venture to help people with their fitness and also to bring everyone together. Gender-based violence is one of the social issues the area struggles with. He said that having the outdoor gym was an escape for so many survivors of gender-based violence and abuse.
“There’s people that maybe comes from a bad space in their house. I have some of that people in the club, they spoke to me. They get abused, verbally abused, so now the hour every night helps them to come out of the house to a positive thing like athletics, you understand, and fitness.”
There is a spark in his voice and sense of joy every time he talks about the club and fitness outdoor centre. But it wasn’t always easy for him, as for years he battled substance abuse and no one knew that he had fallen into the trap of substance abuse, something all to familiar for many people living in Bonteheuwel.
“Like myself, when I used to do drugs, most of the people I know I used to go in their houses, go smoke in their houses, never robbed people, manipulated people. They didn’t know I was on drugs, everybody trusted me.”
He said that since the launch of the club and fitness centre it was a dream come true for him. Many members in the club are Sassa beneficiaries. Avontuur said that seeing their fitness transformation and pure joy was a reminder for him that everyone could make a difference. He said that even though they were in need of funding and sponsorships, they would not ask memberships fees at this stage, out of fear that people may stay away.
Eyewitness News spoke to some of the members of the Bonteheuwel Athletics clubs.
Delene Oosterwiyk said that being part of the club had helped her a lot.
“I just want to say that being part of this group and being part of this project has given me the ability to restore my health, a good mindset and being able to reclaim Bonteheuwel for our youth and the fact that athletics is being brought back into our community.”
Dominique Fredricks has praised Avontuur for helping his community.
“Our coach’s love and passion for people and children to get the kids off the streets off drugs and out of gangs and changing lives. This group has really changed lives forever. This project is doing amazing work in our community.”
Riyaad Avontuur said that his dream was to open various community clubs for the community, by the community.
-EWN
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