Together, we can (RE)write the future!

picture courtesy of nikefootball.com/red

Football or Soccer depending on your preference is the most popular sport on the planet. More people watch, play, analyze, debate and follow the game than any other sport. The global reach of the game is epitomized by the popularity of the FIFA World Cup which happens every 4 years in a host country that gets converted into a multinational celebration of the "beautiful" game. For the first time ever the World Cup will be hosted in Africa, South Africa to be precise.

Nike, a global sports sportswear and equipment supplier has major investments in football. In preparation for the World Cup they have put out a viral video featuring some of the biggest stars in the game sporting Nike equipment. The video has received millions of hits on the internet:



Prominently featured in the video is Didier Drogba, Africa's best player. Many across the continent take pride in the exploits of the Ivorian who has been a force of nature on the European football scene. Beyond the game Drogba has played a part in uniting his country as civil war pit Ivorians against Ivorians.

More recently, Drogba has become part of the NIKE (RED) campaign which is a movement that directly impacts the work of Grassroot Soccer. NIKE and (RED) seek to leverage the power and popularity of the game to fight against HIV and AIDS. The plan is simple but the impact potentially huge! Purchases of NIKE (RED) laces all go to the Global Fund and to football-based programs that help fight AIDS in Africa.

Grassroots Soccer is one of the recipients of these funds because of their focus on youth education in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Funds going to the Global Fund support HIV/AIDS programs that support the purchase of life-saving Antiretroviral (ARV) medication, training of medical staff, HIV testing and treatment to help prevent the transmission of the virus from pregnant mothers to their babies.

Nike features Grassroot Soccer and the valuable work they do here.

The support of Nike and other major players in the game highlights the desire to see the HIV/AIDS virus eradicated. The future looks bright. As much as I am inspired by the first video's invitation to write the future on the field, I am also emboldened to say that by supporting each other we can re-write the future, a future without HIV/AIDS!