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Photo: Grassroot Soccer

Who would have thought that the FIFA World Cup and education went so well together, but it seems that the 1GOAL campaign isn´t the only one receiving attention during the tournament.  Grassroot Soccer is a globally run program that educates kids about HIV and AIDS through the game of soccer.  The organisation was founded in 2002 by former professional soccer players, and they are using the 2010 World Cup to further promote their mission, which is:

“Using the power of soccer in the fight against HIV and AIDS, Grassroot Soccer (GRS) provides African youth with the knowledge, life-skills and support to live HIV-free” (Source http://www.grassrootsoccer.org/who-we-are/).

The organisation trains African soccer players, coaches and teachers to implement awareness and learning about HIV for children, through soccer.  For example, if a child hits a cone it´s 3 pushups, if he does it again, it´s 3 pushups for the entire team, and the cone represents an HIV related illness.  Soccer is something that the children can relate to, and the interactive activities and discussion topics include making healthy decisions, avoiding risks, building support networks, reducing stigma and discrimination, increasing knowledge about testing and treatment, addressing gender issues, and assessing values.  Grassroot Soccer bases their methods on 3 principals:

1. Children learn best from people they respect
2. Learning is more effective when children actively participate
3. It takes support from the community to really make a difference in the long term

With the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Grassroot Soccer have begun an ambitious campaign to reach 1 million children with their work before the 2014 World Cup begins.  If you want to find out more, visit the Grassroot Soccer website.

Tags: 1GOAL, 2010 FIFA World Cup, Grassroot Soccer