The South East Football for Hope Centre

The South East Football for Hope Centre in Ramotswa (Botswana), was delivered as a highly responsive, on-the-ground collaboration with its client organisation, the South East District Youth Empowerment Association (SEDYEA), a youth club using football to support young people in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Citizen Architect Elisa relocated to Ramotswa for the duration of the design and construction phases, working closely with staff and young people to ensure the building directly supported their programmes, priorities and future ambitions. For SEDYEA, this close collaboration resulted in a building precisely tailored to the way they work, shaped through daily dialogue and close engagement. For its funder, FIFA, the project formed part of a lasting 2010 World Cup legacy: a robust, adaptable community facility capable of supporting long-term social impact – delivered on time and on budget.

The centre is one of 20 built across Africa under FIFA’s Football for Hope initiative. Designed and project managed by us for Architecture for Humanity in collaboration with Botswana Architecture practice Mosienyane & Partners.

Alongside their football related activities, SEDYEA offers a variety of activities aimed at empowering young people, particularly young girls. Their homework club encourages teenagers to stay in education, while their catering program, supported by their own vegetable garden, raises funds for the centre while teaching key business and nutrition skills. In short:  SEDYEA’s ambitions far exceeded the modest project budget, making it essential to maximise usable space.

Their brief was for a building that was “simple but smart”. This led to a design that prioritises generous covered outdoor areas, significantly extending the centre’s functional capacity without increasing cost.

Responding to Botswana’s extreme climate, the building uses orientation, shade, ventilation and thermal mass to create comfortable learning environments with minimal resources. Teaching spaces face north–south, carefully designed roof overhangs and screens control heat gain, and high floor-to-ceiling heights create cross ventilation. Locally made clay bricks, stone sourced from the site, woven reed ceilings and recycled paper insulation ground the building in local materials and practices.

Many elements draw directly on Tswana building traditions. Low stone walls define outdoor rooms and provide informal seating, creating permeable thresholds that invite young people to gather, participate and take ownership of the space.

The design aims to show how buildings can be adapted to the local climate by making a few key design decisions, while using common local building practices and materials.

The building won a number of awards:

●      Autodesk Award for Sustainable Building 2012: Winner

●      Architecture for Humanity Annual Awards: Exterior Detail: Winner

●      Project of the Year: Finalist


View of a building with wooden and stone exterior, open door revealing chairs, with a man standing outside near a food stand, and a restroom sign on a white wall.
Three women outdoors near a building with a yellow wall, wooden accents, and a decorative wooden slat privacy screen. One woman is sitting on a stone ledge, and two others are standing, engaged in conversation.
Soccer field with green netting on the left and a building with a porch on the right, in a dry, dusty outdoor area under clear blue skies.
Children playing soccer on a dirt field in a rural area with small buildings, trees, and a blue sky in the background.
A building with a modern design, featuring wooden slats on the upper part and a stone and stucco lower part, in a rural area with a dirt ground, children playing outside, and a blue sky with clouds.
A woman and a young girl smiling and hugging in front of a building with a women's restroom sign.
A soccer field with green artificial turf, surrounded by a blue advertising barrier, next to a building with rectangular windows, and trees, under a partly cloudy sky.
A young girl smiling and standing next to a table with food and utensils outdoors, near a building with a wheelchair accessible sign.
A yellow building with open white window shutters, a corrugated metal roof, and an outdoor shaded area with a wooden slat wall, set in a dry, bare landscape under a clear blue sky.
Outdoor scene at a school or community center with a white building, multiple tall windows, and a large palm tree in the foreground. Several people are standing or sitting outside, engaged in conversations or waiting.
A smiling woman with braided hair standing outside near a building that appears to be a public restroom, with a woman in the background entering.
Group of boys playing chess at a wooden table outdoors, with some boys watching and smiling.
A young man playing a guitar while sitting on the lap of another young man, who is also holding a microphone, during a gathering with several people watching and taking pictures.
Three people sitting and leaning against a yellow wall with a wheelchair accessible sign. Two are sitting on a stone low wall, one is standing and leaning over, all looking at a phone together.