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Dear Friends of Grassroot Soccer,
GRS is gearing
up for our 4th year of programs. In the first 2
years, we developed our curriculum and launched GRS
Zimbabwe, and had an independent evaluation that showed
our program was effective and culturally appropriate. In
Year 3 we started GRS Zambia and GRS Botswana, and we
developed a strategy—training local groups—that allows us to
reach many more youth while making use of local talent and
infrastructure. In Year 4 we will start programs in South
Africa and continue to refine our training program.
I am truly delighted to announce that Methembe Ndlovu, a
friend, former Zimbabwean National Team captain and
Dartmouth graduate, is returning to his home country to lead
GRS Zimbabwe. This is a huge boost for our program. Thank
you to those who have contributed on his behalf.
Thank you to Ethan Zohn and the tens of thousands of US
school children who have contributed to GRS by participating in
Kick AIDS, raising awareness and dollars for Grassroot Soccer.
If you gave last year, thank you. With your help we have
made great strides. As part of our second annual giving
campaign, I would like to ask all of you to contribute to
Grassroot Soccer.
• $200 will equip a school with Extra Time, our HIV
prevention soccer magazine.
• $1,000 will fund a 4-day training of trainers.
• $5,000 will buy a vehicle to get our trainers safely to
rural
sites to work with local groups.
• $10,000 will allow you to be an "owner" of one of
Methembe's youth peer education teams.
• $100,000 will cover all costs to run GRS in a country for a
year.
Thank you for your support, and best wishes for the
holidays.
Tommy Clark, MD
Founder and Executive Director
Grassroot Soccer
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GRS Co-Founder Returns to Run Zimbabwe Program |
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Methembe Ndlovu, one of Grassroot Soccer’s founding
members, is returning home to Bulawayo to manage GRS’s
flagship program in Zimbabwe starting this January.
Methembe is a Dartmouth College graduate and former
captain
of the Zimbawean National Soccer Team. In the words of
former Dartmouth teammate and GRS Executive Director
Tommy Clark, “Perhaps the only things more impressive
than
his achievements are his quiet sense of humor and his
humility.”
Methembe’s work is made possible in part by the Thrive
Foundation. Methembe, pictured above with some of his US
fans, couldn’t be happier. “GRS has done so much great
work in the past couple years. I can’t wait to get back with
the team.”
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Extra Time Takes the Field |
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Extra Time, Grassroot Soccer’s student workbook, is
ready for distribution after months of testing and design.
Created to resemble a soccer magazine, the workbook
includes photos, inspiring quotes and interviews with
professional soccer stars, as well as activities teaching HIV/
AIDS prevention. After completing Grassroot Soccer’s in-
class training, students will be able to use the workbook
as a youth peer educator’s guide.
Kirk Friedrich, GRS’s Managing Director, worked with our
partners at the Academy of International Development and
Johns Hopkins University to create Extra Time. “This
tool wiil be a key component of our training program,” said
Kirk. “Extra Time will let kids take the lead in
teaching HIV prevention.”
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Zambian National Hero Praises GRS Program |
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The launch of Grassroot Soccer’s 1st project in rural Zambia
was a great success, surpassing training goals, eliciting the
praise of Zambian former president and national hero Dr.
Kenneth Kaunda, and earning GRS extensive coverage in
national and international media.
Dr. Kaunda (pictured at right, with GRS’s Jeff Decelles and Eric
Brown) participated in the training, and praised GRS’s program.
His remarks and coverage of the event were carried across the
continent on 180 Degrees, ZNBC, Voice of America, and SABC.
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Kick AIDS Finishes 3rd Banner Season |
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Kick AIDS, GRS’s US education and advocacy program, reached
more students in more cities than ever before, encouraging
them to “Educate, Advocate, and Donate.” Ethan Zohn, Kick
AIDS Program Manager and GRS co-founder, said, “Every
year, it keeps getting better!”
For a full report on Kick AIDS results, and how your school can
get involved, visit the Kick AIDS site (link below), and watch
for the February issue of “The 12th Player”.
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Join Our Team |
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If you’d like to help bring GRS programs to even more kids
across Africa and the Carribbean, please consider contributing
to our
annual fundraising campaign.
Donations can be made online at www.grassrootsoccer.org (link
below).
You can also mail a check, made out to
Grassroot Soccer, to:
Grassroot Soccer
P.O. Box 5545
Hanover, NH
03755
Or consider buying Christmas gifts for the soccer fans in your
life at the Grassroot Soccer On-line Store, where
you can find tons of great GRS gift ideas. The
link
to the GRS Store can be found under "Quick
Links" at the bottom of
this page.
All
donations are tax deductable, and all
proceeds go to GRS.
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Thanks! |
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Thanks to Mike Wilson, The Minnesota Thunder,
and the Dark Clouds Booster Club for the
fundraiser dinner and auction they held for GRS.
Thanks also to Todd Hoffard, One On One Soccer, Ethan
Zohn, and all of the soccer stars and reality TV
stars who turned out for a terrific weekend of soccer and a
dinner and auction in
Lancaster, PA. At that event, David Mauser
presented GRS
with the proceeds of his
Bar Mitvah project to benefit our Africa programs. Also,
thanks to Alice Keeney, who
photographed our Africa programs so beautifully and
allows us to use them to
demonstrate our work. Her photos can be found at
www.alicekeeneyphotography.com.
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