We are two sisters, Elisabetta and Elena Iasci, and have played field hockey in Kent, England, since a  young age. Hockey has shaped our life in many ways, giving us a safe place where to have fun, make friends and (sometimes) forget about a bad day. Over the years, hockey has helped us develop self-confidence, resilience  and strenght ( hockey never stops, comes shine, cold or torrential rain). More than anything, hockey has always put a smile on our faces.

When our school organised an hockey tour to South Africa for Summer 2025, we started to look at hockey over there and we came across the story of Katleho Bontle Motingoe and the Panda Club. Katleho had founded the club  to introduce hockey to underserved communities and create a sustainable pathway for young children to flourish and grow, breaking down the cycle of limited opportunities. This was definetely a world foreign to us. 

So we began thinking of ways to nurture our connections with the hockey  community to then use  our South African trip to bring whatever we could to South Africa. Eight months went by and during our July 2025  trip we visited Chuma Primary School in  Kayleitsha , a Towship near Capetown. Their hockey sticks had all been stolen and they had just  received our  first donation. It was an honour to play with such passionate, talented and enthusiastic teammates. They also had a smile on ther face...
From here, we can only keep going - one goal at a time!