March 2010: Our sincere thanks to everyone who has generously contributed so far. The total for the appeal now stands at £3523.72, representing 235 footballs. So we've already surpassed our initial target of 220 balls!
ACHIVA chair Kathryn Ellis recently returned from a visit to South Africa to help launch the second stage of “Fund a Football”. Kathryn took with her a number of donated balls and football kit, which are now enabling Kidlington’s link parish, near Mafikeng, to launch the second stage of the initiative. A youngsters’ league of teams from the surrounding villages will now receive coaching at a local stadium on a regular basis. The delivery of 250 footballs, made by “Alive and Kicking”, will take place in May from the central distribution point in Mafikeng. "Alive and Kicking" is a charity in Lusaka, Zambia which employs HIV positive people to make footballs bearing educational messages.
The vision of the donors is to use the attraction of sport to bring to the young people the chance of healthy recreation away from drugs and alcohol, and also to support HIV preventative education by incorporating specific messages into the practice drills. Most of these children have never had a football before; most have used plastic bags, tightly packed, as an alternative. The natural instinct to throw or kick a ball somehow overcomes the absence of toys and equipment, but we are also hoping to develop social and leadership skills out of the training, and give the children a better chance in life.
Addressing the Challenge of HIV and AIDS
