Let's move!

Hello, I'd like to welcome you to my blog. You've probably been led here from my various fund raising efforts for my one year Field Intern experience in South Africa starting this August. I would like to thank you for your interest and support.

From the onset I want to let you know that I truly believe in the work that Grassroot Soccer does in Africa, and this is evidenced by the innovative work they do and their growing influence in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

I received confirmation earlier this month about the Field Intern position to much excitement. Opportunities come up in life all the time, but every once in a while a particular one strikes a nerve. This one did just that! I had worked with the organization before, raising over $250 for their work in a Lose The Shoes tournament that we had at my school (Providence College) in April of 2009. I co-ran it with a friend and I remember thinking how nifty it was that we could raise money through something as novel as a soccer tournament.

Since Grassroot Soccer was founded in 2002, there have been hundreds of Lose the Shoes tournaments around the United States, they have all been mediums to support the important work that GRS does in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Sub-Saharan Africa has suffered greatly from the effects of HIV and AIDS. Being from Zimbabwe, I am fully aware of the impact the disease has had. In fact according to my country's life expectancy at 22, I have reached/passed the halfway point of my life since life expectancy for males is something over 35, frightening.

The disease is worth fighting and Grassroot Soccer has emerged as a new innovative agent of change. Working particularly among youths the organization uses local trained individuals and popular soccer players to engage the youth and spread the word about the HIV virus. The use of the beautiful game, that is soccer has been effective in reaching out to many African youth and there is still work to do!

The popularity of the Lose the Shoes tournaments in the United States, such as the one we had at my school again made the most of the popularity of the game, and the impact of these initiatives and other work that GRS does has been tangible.

A summary of the organization's capabilities from their website:

"With an annual budget of $4.2 million, 61 employees and over 300 volunteers in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the United States. GRS delivers its Skillz interventions to youth between the ages of 12-18 every day across this geography and regularly hosts training events for staff and volunteers.

GRS’s activities are divided two areas: global activities and in-country activities. Globally, GRS focuses on curriculum development, measurement and evaluations, strategic development and financial management. In-country, our teams execute on the GRS and partner funded programs managing all aspects required to fulfill our mission and satisfy the funders’ financial and programmatic needs. In addition, outside GRS’s three core countries (South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe), the global team provides technical assistance to implementing partners who deliver Skillz interventions. GRS’s global team identifies partners capable of sustaining a football based HIV prevention program, matches them with funders, provides in-country training and ongoing technical assistance and assists in the overall capacity building of these organizations.

Through these activities, GRS engages hundreds of young role model educators (coaches, teachers and peer educators) on a part time or volunteer basis in several African countries."

To date Grassroot Soccer is based mainly in 3 flagship countries, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia. They also have partner sites in Malawi, Tanzania, Sudan, Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Cote D'Ivoire and Liberia. They have collaborated with more than 30 government agaencies, corporations, NGOs, CBOs and FBOs worldwide, providing comprehensive HIV prevention and life skills education to more than 270,000 young people throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They have partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, Nike, the English Premier League, FIFA, usaid, UNHCR, the WHO and the Ford Foundation to name a few. This 8 year old non-profit is making major moves and I am excited to be part of the team.

My passion for the game of soccer and desire to join the fight against HIV and AIDS meant that this internship would be the right for me from the moment I learned about it. I hope that you can support the movement, by either continuing to follow this blog, visiting the GRS website, making a donation to my firstgiving account or simply improving your awareness about HIV and AIDS in your own way.

Our ability to make a difference is heavily influenced by our willingness to move. And that is my challenge to you!

GRS video: