The team

Martin Deacon, Project Director
Antonio da Costa, Co-founder
Elvis Mvulane, National Director of turn the tide 4 children
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Martin Deacon, Project Director

Martin is the soccer4children Project Director and co-founder. Martin is the Executive Director of Turn the Tide, a NGO related to Walk Thru the Bible Southern Africa, he helped establish in 1990 in South Africa. As CEO of the Walk Thru the Bible team, a committed group of 16 staff members that serves thousands of pastors and teachers in their network in 15 Southern African countries, this ministry is the vehicle that WorldTeach, Purpose Driven, Equip and SilverRingThing partners with to accomplish their mission goals in Southern Africa. From the end of 2005 to 2008 Martin served as Senior Vice President of Walk Thru the Bible’s Global Church Ministries and was then seconded to become the Vice President of Mobilization for Call2All.  Martin is also assists in facilitating the Clothing4Children project. Martin and Anneli have been married for 21 years. They have a daughter, Linne, (13) and a son, Martin, (10).

Martin graduated from the University of Johannesburg and Dallas Theological Seminary. Martin is an international faculty member of the Haggai Institute and lectured at the University of Johannesburg and Baptist Theological College in Johannesburg.

Antonio da Costa, Co-founder

Antonio is a senior manager at a Big 4 auditing firm and co-founder of soccer4children. He is proud to have been part of the 2010 FIFA Local Organising Committee’s Financial Platform team (for 4 years) that delivered an exception 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Antonio’s experience include administration, compliance, monitoring and controlling of various accounting activities including budgeting, procurement, payroll, cash flow projections, investment strategy, tender procedures and internal control functions.

Antonio is currently enrolled at UNISA to complete his FIFA CIES Program in Sport Management diploma during the 2011/12 calendar years.

Antonio is passionate about soccer and attended both the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals and are looking forward supporting Bafana Bafana at the 2014 event in Brazil. soccer4children enables him to live both his dreams – his passion for soccer and his love for the South Africa’s children.

Comments from football administrators:

“I am encouraged that Antonio da Costa is part of this program and believe that his oversight, work ethics and passion for football and children would be a great value to this program”.” Antonio has demonstrated outstanding ability to listen, understand and offer solutions to challenges facing projects” – Mr Leslie Sedibe – Chief Executive Officer – SAFA

“He has been pro-active in his support of the OC Finance team to ensure we are able to meet our deadlines, while maintaining the quality standards” – Mr Farouk Seedat – Chief Financial Officer – 2010 FIFA World Cup .

Elvis Mvulane, National Director of turn the tide 4 children

Based in Johannesburg, Elvis currently serves as National Director for turn the tide 4 children (ttt4c) and Walk Thru the Bible South Africa and he is the CEO of Leadership Warehouse.

Elvis is married to Susan and they have a son of 7, Cebolenkosi, and a daughter of 2, Buhlebenkosi.

He is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene. He pastored a church for six years and raised two qualified pastors under his leadership.

In 2000 Elvis served as a Church Growth Coordinator and the Jesus Film Coordinator in Africa for the Church of the Nazarene. In 2002, Elvis joined Walk Thru the Bible and served as a World Teacher Coordinator. In 2004 he was appointed as the National Director for Walk Thru the Bible South Africa and later also the CEO of Leadership Warehouse.

Elvis matriculated at Ithuteng Commercial High School. He studied a B Com at the University of Johannesburg between 1993 and 1995 and went on to study a Diploma and a Bachelor of Theology Degree at the Nazarene Theological College and Canadian College for another four years between 1997 and 2001. Elvis registered for an honours degree with University of Johannesburg between 2003 and 2005 and is currently a master’s degree student in New Testament Leadership with the South African Theological Seminary.

“As a pastor and leader I want to minister to leaders who have had the same challenge I had of being largely irrelevant from the pulpit, to the real needs around me. I was trying to copy models and methods that do not originate from within the needs of our communities. This now will help others to minister and serve where the need actually is.” Elvis Mvulane