Johannesburg - Football body FIFA says it is on track to roll out about 20 Football for Hope centres across Africa after this year's World Cup.
The ambitious project is seen as one of the major legacy initiatives FIFA wants to leave after staging the first ever World Cup tournament on the continent.
They will feature a mini-pitch otherwise known as a football turf, along with classrooms and health care facilities, providing the youth with access to counseling, health and educational services.
"We are definitely on track and we want to complete the centre by 2012. In fact, work on three of the centres will start in Nairobi and Kenya in the next three weeks," said FIFA's Henry Nasale, who is the director of the centres.
"We are receiving a lot of support from the governments and local communities so indeed our work is progressing and people will be seeing these legacy centres very soon, its just a matter of time," Nasale said at a media briefing on Monday.
Five of the centres will be built in South Africa and one is already operational in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. It is used as a vehicle to promote education, health and community development in this fastest growing township.
Nasale said each centre is designed in close collaboration with the community to ensure that the infrastructure is consistent with local needs. Football-based activities are used at the centres to provide an out-of-school learning experience for young people.
Former Bafana Bafana Captain Lucas Radebe, who lent his name for the campaign, says football should go beyond the pitch. "I think the time has come that football makes an impact in the lives of people, many of us have become role models through football and many kids are looking up to us so it only makes sense that we are involved in some kind of community development," Radebe said.
"The centres are emphasising what we refer to as the power of football because with this game you can do anything and what better way to use the power of the sport than investing in community upliftment. I'm happy to be part of this," he said.
He will be traveling around the continent helping FIFA to set up the centres that aim at leaving a social legacy for the continent.
FIFA's six official partners - Adidas, Coca-Cola, Emirates, Hyundai, Sony and Visa - had last year also committed to contributing about $500 for every goal scored during the more than 800 World Cup qualifying matches, which will result in a donation of at least $1 million. - [src.: BuaNews]
Showing posts with label football for hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football for hope. Show all posts
29 June 2010
29 January 2010
great book: "Eleven - Making lives better: 11 stories of development through football" by Steve Fleming
Focused on eleven individuals Eleven contains stories of how football can transform the lives of disadvantaged people around the world. Each story focuses on a different social issue from drug and alcohol abuse to HIV, poverty and gang crime, and looks at how the power and popularity of football has inspired people to turn their lives around.Based on the work of organisations from countries such as India, Uganda, Colombia and the UK, the stories also tell how the Development through Football movement has emerged over the last ten years.
With a foreword by England coach Fabio Capello, who speaks of his own experience of football being used to tackle HIV in Africa. He champions the book's message that football has a role and a duty to do more in promoting social development. The book is co-edited by streetfootballworld, who are partnered with FIFA to run the Football for Hope programme, and who will be promoting the book in the run up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Supported by adidas as part of their ongoing and long-term commitment to Development through Football. [src.]
With a foreword by England coach Fabio Capello, who speaks of his own experience of football being used to tackle HIV in Africa. He champions the book's message that football has a role and a duty to do more in promoting social development. The book is co-edited by streetfootballworld, who are partnered with FIFA to run the Football for Hope programme, and who will be promoting the book in the run up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Supported by adidas as part of their ongoing and long-term commitment to Development through Football. [src.]
16 October 2009
Football for Hope Festival, 04 - 10 July 2010, Alexandra, Johannesburg
While the best football teams in the world are facing each other in the 2010 World Cup™ in South Africa, the "Football for Hope Festival" is taking place in Johannesburg's Alexandra township. 32 international teams, representing local organisations that use football for positive social change in the areas of anti-discrimination and social integration, children's rights and education, health promotion, peacebuilding etc., will compete in a fast-paced tournament to be crowned Football for Hope world champions on 10 July 2010.
To highlight the social dimension of football all matches will be played in mixed teams (boys & girls aged 15 - 18) and without any referees. Any disagreement between the teams on the pitch will be ressolved through direct dialogue.
All teams taking part in the festival were not only chosen because of their football skills, but because of their contribution to social change in their field of work in their home countries. In the tournament 13 African teams from all over the continent are meeting 8 teams from North & South America, 6 European teams, 2 Asian teams, 2 teams for Oceania and 1 team from the Middle East. Pls see www.streetfootballworld.org for more info about the tournament, the festival, workshops & activities and the intercultural celebrations taking place during the 04 - 10 July 2010!
To highlight the social dimension of football all matches will be played in mixed teams (boys & girls aged 15 - 18) and without any referees. Any disagreement between the teams on the pitch will be ressolved through direct dialogue.
All teams taking part in the festival were not only chosen because of their football skills, but because of their contribution to social change in their field of work in their home countries. In the tournament 13 African teams from all over the continent are meeting 8 teams from North & South America, 6 European teams, 2 Asian teams, 2 teams for Oceania and 1 team from the Middle East. Pls see www.streetfootballworld.org for more info about the tournament, the festival, workshops & activities and the intercultural celebrations taking place during the 04 - 10 July 2010!
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