Sport4Change

Our Mission Statement

Using the power of soccer in the fight against AIDS, Grassroot Soccer provides African youth with the knowledge, skills and support to live HIV free.

Executive Summary

Two forces dominate life in sub-Saharan Africa: soccer and HIV/AIDS. “Football” is religion and professional players carry celebrity status. At the same time, HIV/AIDS has devastated southern Africa’s population. In Zimbabwe, for instance, as many as 2 million of the 12 million population are HIV-infected, giving it one of the highest HIV rates in the world. Africa’s young people are especially at risk; fifty percent of those living with HIV/AIDS contracted the disease during adolescence.

Recognizing both the potential of sport to bring people together and the dire need of adolescent education, Grassroot Soccer has developed a soccer-based curriculum to teach HIV prevention. Founded by former professional soccer players in 2003, GRS trains African soccer stars, coaches, teachers, and peer educators to deliver an interactive, games-based HIV/AIDS prevention and Life Skills curriculum to youth. GRS activities are designed to teach key messages, including info about positive life choices, AIDS/HIV awareness and prevention, and healthy sexual behaviours. GRS established its first flagship site in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, four years ago, and has recently added sites in Lusaka, Zambia, and Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Additionally, over the past three years GRS helped design and launch projects with partnering organizations in Liberia, Ethiopia, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and Sudan.

So far these projects have reached over one million young Africans. In 2004 an independent evaluation of the GRS curriculum by the Stanford University Affiliated Children’s Health Council showed that the programme effectively increases students’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceived social support surrounding HIV/AIDS prevention.

Achievements

Grassroot Soccer estimates that in 2007 more than 17,750 African children will graduate from its combined direct and partner programmes. What’s more, the organisation has trained 275 trainers, delivered its programmes in 175 schools and formed multiple partnerships with other advocate organizations. Working in partnership with other organizations, GRS-Zambia in 2007 has successfully trained more than 150 Zambians as GRS educators.

Also in 2007, Grassroot Soccer-Zambia, working with Barclays Bank and the Ministry of Education, was able to train 26 teachers to join the Barclay’s Miles Ahead Program to implement the GRS HIV/AIDS programme in the schools. In South Africa, Grassroot Soccer and partners aim to provide comprehensive, activity-based HIV/AIDS and life skills education to more than 5,000 young South Africans in 2007.

Also in 2007, GRS-trained volunteers with the Ubuntu Education Fund’s After School Program in South Africa are becoming qualified to deliver the GRS curriculum to at-risk youth in two local high schools. And GRS, along with Mercedes Benz, launched soccer programmes in Cape Town, South Africa.

Programmes

• Schools & Holiday/Weekends Programme
• Schools Intervention
• Street Football Leagues
• Goals 4 Girls
• World Cup Programming
• Ubuntu Stadium (connected to World Cup 2010 in South Africa)
• DeBeers Youth Street Soccer League
• Training of Trainers
• KickAIDS

Goals and Objectives

To put 1.25 million African youth through the GRS programme by the end of 2010 and leave a lasting legacy in southern Africa; to utilize soccer and powerful role models to their maximum potential to reduce HIV transmission among youth; to have the most effective HIV prevention education and life-skills curriculum programme in Africa.