January 2016
Aim
To provide soccer balls, to groups of the accessible poor who cannot afford a soccer ball.
Background
Personal experience, reinforced by an article in a recent National Geographic illustrates that the popular game of soccer is played in many places without ‘real’ soccer balls.
Balls are made from any alternatives that are to hand e.g. plastic bags. Children and adults living in poverty in many parts of the world need so many things that are essential: food, shelter, education: an overwhelming amount of requirements. They also need fun and play. While this program cannot begin to provide the essentials, the aim is to try to encourage play and fun for a few by providing soccer balls to those who have time and energy to play but no soccer balls.
Why Soccer?
- It is a team sport, and cannot be played alone.
- One ball will provide ability to play the sport to many.
- It is a gender-neutral sport (does not require too much physical strength played at the amateur level).
- It is generally not a violent game.
- It is a good spectator sport.
- Not much space is required to play and the ‘pitch’ needs little if any preparation
Request Procedure
Requests for balls should be made to SFI. Requestors should provide a brief statement for why a donation is needed and the expected impact of the donation. SFI will evaluate requests on a monthly basis.
If a request is approved, SFI will provide the requestor with cash, via a Western Union transfer, to locally purchase the ball(s). The requestor will be obligated to provide a picture (cell phone photo) of the receipt for the purchase of the ball(s).
Initially a maximum of three balls will be provided to any requestor or any group.
While not essential, one or more photos of recipients of balls would be much appreciated.
Donation made to Las Terrazes Community School, Cuba
Las Terrazes Community School