MEDIA RELEASE PR 37446
Opening of First Football for Hope Centre Heralds a New Dawn for Khayelitsha
CAPE TOWN, Dec. 5/PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
The first Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha in the outskirts of
Cape Town opened its doors today (5 December 2009). FIFA President Joseph S.
Blatter was joined by Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, 2010 FIFA World Cup
Organising Committee South Africa (OC) CEO Danny Jordaan, South African
Football Association President Kirsten Nematandani and Executive Mayor of the
City of Cape Town Dan Plato at the celebration of the latest milestone of 20
Centres for 2010, the Official Campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM). Among
the special guests were Football for Hope ambassador Dr. Gabriele Princess
Inaara the Begum Aga Khan and former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe.
The centre, which is the first of 20 community centres, will help to
tackle HIV/AIDS and some of the biggest issues facing young people across the
African continent. "With the opening of this Football for Hope Centre, we can
now see the real legacy that the 2010 FIFA World Cup will leave in Africa,"
said the FIFA President. "This centre will use people's passion for football
to transform communities and to provide hope and opportunities for young
people. Many years from now people will still be benefiting from this and the
other 20 Centres for 2010."
The next five centres will be built by FIFA and its strategic ally
streetfootballworld in disadvantaged communities in Kenya, Namibia, Mali,
Rwanda and Ghana and will address crucial issues like health, education,
gender equality, peace-building and the environment as well as HIV and AIDS -
considered to be one of the greatest challenges faced by young people in
Africa.
"When the FIFA President asked me to become a Football For Hope
ambassador several months ago, I accepted very happily. Football for Hope
offers a unique platform for various sectors of society to implement social
change," said Begum Inaara Aga Khan.
The centre in Khayelitsha has been built in an area once notorious for
crime and violence as part of an initiative to breathe new life into the
community. It provides rooms for public health services and informal
education, office space, common space for community gatherings and a football
turf pitch.
"We are hoping that this initiative will have a positive influence in our
society and enhance our efforts to build a better future for our young
people. For us it was always important that this FIFA World Cup would touch
the lives of ordinary people, and this campaign is a great example,"
explained Nematandani.
Each of the 20 centres will be run by an existing community organisation.
The Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha will be managed by Grassroot
Soccer, a South African-based non-profit organisation that uses football to
educate young people about HIV and AIDS and empower them with the knowledge
to live HIV-free. "This was more like a crime spot, but now it is more like
an activity spot where people come to enjoy themselves," said Zamayedwa
Sogayise, chairperson of the Khayelitsha Development Forum.
Note for editors:
Footage, photos, press and background information from the inauguration
(Username: media_sa, Password: obisRfXen632), on the FIFA Media Channel
About Football for Hope
Football for Hope is a movement which uses the power of the game for
positive social change. The movement is led by FIFA and streetfootballworld.
About streetfootballworld
streetfootballworld is a social profit organisation that promotes
positive change through football. Founded in 2002, the non-governmental
organisation is a leading contributor to the field of Development through
Football and works toward social change on a global scale. At the core of
streetfootballworld's work is the streetfootballworld network, which connects
82 organisations in 54 countries worldwide that use the world's most popular
sport to address social issues.
To find out more about Football for Hope, please visit FIFA.com and
FIFA Communications & Public Affairs Division / Johannesburg, December
5th 2009 / 2009-2010FWC-FFH-Centreopening-E.doc
For more information please contact:
FIFA Media Office Johannesburg (RSA):
FIFA Office (RSA):
Delia Fischer
Mobile: +27832010470
Wolfgang Eichler
Mobile: +27832010471
streetfootballworld (RSA):
Mike Geddes, Communications Manager
Mobile: +27765073157,
Geddes@streetfootballworld.org
streetfootballworld (Germany):
Carolin Strunz, Head of Communications
Mobile: +49(0)30-39-80-72-07,
strunz@streetfootballworld.org
SOURCE: FIFA
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