By Buziwe Nocuze
- Babalwa Rubusana left her job to run a free, mobile chess programme for children across Gugulethu township schools.
- She pays for tournament fees and transport herself, since most parents in the community can’t afford to.
Babalwa Rubusana gave up a job in a debt management department to teach children in Gugulethu how to play chess, for free.
Rubusana, from Gugulethu in Cape Town, started teaching informally in 2016 with her brother, her two children and their friends.
What began as the Gugulethu Chess Club grew into something bigger. In 2019, she left her job to focus on it full-time, registering it as an NPO called Gugulethu Chess College.
Today, she runs what she calls a mobile chess college, travelling to schools in underdeveloped areas to teach children the game. She works at private schools on Mondays and Fridays, and uses that income to fund what she does in township schools the rest of the week. She brings her own chess sets to every school, since none of them own a single piece.
Chess isn’t cheap. Unlike many sports, where clubs pay a single yearly affiliation fee, chess requires entry fees for every tournament. Rubusana looks for donors to help cover these costs and transport, but often pays out of her own pocket instead.
“Most parents don’t have money, so I didn’t want to ask for it because other kids wouldn’t be able to join even if they wanted to. I decided it must be free so that I don’t leave any child behind,” she said.
For Rubusana, the work goes beyond the game itself. She helps with the children’s schoolwork, checks in on their daily lives, and even buys them birthday cakes.
“I’m helping them because I know chess will benefit them. It helped me, I can take responsibility for my actions, it kept me off the streets, taught me when to take risks, and improved my concentration,” she said.
Parent Linda Mabasa, whose 14-year-old plays in the club, said Rubusana has become far more than a coach.
“Our children come from a gang-related township where gangsterism is at its peak right now. It is every parent’s prayer to God to spare their kids from gangsterism,” Mabasa said.
“She’s more than a coach, she offers them advice, treasures them, and celebrates their birthdays. She goes out of her way to buy them cakes.”
Tsholofelo Mgoqi, 18, joined the club in 2023 after leaving a previous one.
“The sportsmanship and support I saw in her club really attracted me. I have advanced a lot in terms of meeting people and pushing my limits in higher tournaments,” she said.
Pictured above: Babalwa Rubusana from Gugulethu township in Cape Town, who started teaching chess informally in 2016.
Image source: Supplied
