Schoolboys in Kakamega, Kenya make do with a homemade ball, a patch of ground and a winning attitude, but a number of social enterprises are using the power of soccer to change lives for the better. (Photo courtesy of quietway.org and stanevansphoto.com)
Now this oft-touted claim by proponents of the game with chips on their shoulders can sometimes seem a bit like calling water "the most popular drink in the world," but within the claim lies an unusual power...
If kicking a round ball around — with specialized shoes or without, on a fancy turf field in Burnaby or in some trash-strewn alley in Burundi — constitutes the most popular sport in the world, maybe soccer can be the answer to some of the world's many problems. Maybe soccer can save the world...
From poverty in the developing world to literacy in the overdeveloped one, chances are there is a soccer-based charity devoted to almost any cause you can think of. There are literally thousands of them. Chris Singer, 39, runs a web project devoted to the very question posed by our title,
cansoccersavetheworld.com, so we asked him: "After three months of research, it's too soon to give a definite ‘yes', although my heart would argue with that. However, I can definitely say that I'm not the only one who thinks so. I've featured almost 50 organizations so far and I'm just scratching the surface...
Some move the needle at mainstream with celebrity player endorsements while others are content to help a handful of folks in tangible ways rather than worrying about corporate fundraising, grabbing a million Facebook friends, or negotiating Carlos Tevez's ridiculous rider requests.
"The surprising, and most enlightening, part for me thus far is the diversity of the projects themselves. Whether it's building awareness on global social issues such as homelessness, homophobia or refugees (HWC, The Justin Campaign and Darfur United); empowering amputees (Passing Hope and Amateur Amputee Soccer Association); giving prisoners a second chance (Hope Academy); or changing the lives of underserved girls (JoLi Academy, Yuwa India, Girls and Football SA), it's clear to me there is definitely something about the beautiful game that mobilizes, motivates and inspires positive social change..."
Some of the social enterprises and non-profits a soccer lover with a big heart can find out there are ultra-local and will accept donations of used equipment as well as money to help at-risk youth or other, underserved populations. Others are truly global and use soccer as a primary tool or language to reach out to people in need. Some move the needle at mainstream with celebrity player endorsements while others are content to help a handful of folks in tangible ways rather than worrying about corporate fundraising, grabbing a million Facebook friends, or negotiating Carlos Tevez's ridiculous rider requests. Regardless of size or scope they have all tapped into soccer's universal potential. If you love the game and are sick of being a "ball hog" in real life, there's an org out there that'll ring your cherries, guaranteed. Singer's
site is a great place to start -- and he has books planned as well.
To get a better handle on the grand scheme of soccer charity worldwide, we contacted three representative groups doing great work internationally: The Homeless World Cup; Uncharted Play, makers of the revolutionary sOccket ball; and Soccer Without Borders. We asked each group to expound on soccer's appeal when it comes to "giving back" putting to them the trillion dollar question: "Can Soccer (Actually) Save the World?" And, as we found out, these groups aren't just teaching poor kids how to do wicked step-overs or giving balls to impoverished communities -- they're intent on kicking society's many injustices to the curb.
Homeless World Cup
The
Homeless World Cup is exactly what it sounds like: a World Cup for homeless people. Seriously. Operating since 2001 out of Edinburgh, Scotland and partnered with
Street Soccer Canada domestically, the organisation is as radical as it sounds and boasts a truly impressive success rate of 70-percent -- meaning that seven out of 10 people engaged moved into homes, repaired key relationships etc. (i.e. they got off the bench and back out on the field). To the untrained eye, it might seem like the last thing the homeless guy at your bus stop needs is a pair of Sambas and the remainder of a 5-a-side team to play with, but HWC's big vision and practical methods yield results. Homelessness is an issue in every nation, from the richest in the West to the poorest in Africa, and the HWC has touched the lives of over 200,000 people since its inception. They don't just set goals -- they score them.
Thanks to the reach of soccer-based organizations like the Homeless World Cup, the future looks brighter from Brazil to Brampton. The HWC's ultimate goal is to end homelessness. Period.(Photo Credit: Benjamin Moldenhauer/Photographers for Hope, HWC 2010 Rio)
"Football is an international language that everybody can understand," explains Mel Young, President and cofounder. "Everybody can play it. We think that football is a perfect motivational tool to make homeless people get inspired and restart again: coming off drugs, alcohol; reuniting with their families, finding a job, getting back into education..."
The most recent iteration of the HWC took place in Paris in August and counted Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger among its most vocal supporters. Superstars Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand, and Emmanuel Petit are global ambassadors. The main tournament is held in a different country each year and 2012's will take place in October in Mexico City with 72 national teams competing, including a record 16 on the Women's side. It really is a world cup except the players are homeless rather than pulling up to the venue in paparazzi-flanked Ferraris.
In Kicking It, a documentary made at Cape Town '06, narrator Colin Farrell (yes, that Colin Farrell) captures the impetus behind the HWC well: "Is a roof over one's head, a place to call home, a sense of belonging and community a lot to ask? These basic human rights are a mere dream to over 1 billion homeless men and women of our planet. Too many of our own live on the fringes of acceptance, exist beyond the boundaries of societal respect, they are not without hope, often without help... Through the simple and beautiful game of football, the complex struggle to find meaning and purpose in life is being won..."
The main tournament is held in a different country each year and 2012's will take place in October in Mexico City with 72 national teams competing, including a record 16 on the Women's side.
By using soccer to energize the lives of homeless people worldwide, the HWC goes far beyond its flagship tournament with the ultimate goal of ending homelessness. Under their guidance, national partners help homeless people with needs ranging from legal help to employment, education and healthcare access. A Queen Margaret University researcher at the Paris 2011 tournament concluded that 97-percent of spectators agreed that the HWC "promoted good values" and 90-precent believed the event "broke down stereotypes about the homeless community." Ninety-two-percent of spectators agreed that the HWC "demonstrates how sport can make a difference."
sOccket/Uncharted Play
The
sOccket is a true game changer and the ultimate "lightbulb moment." Imagine a fully functional soccer ball that turns every shot, pass and header into stored electricity that can be used to power vital accessories like an LED lamp, a water purifier, a phone charger or a hot plate. (You might recharge with orange slices but they won't do much when it comes to lighting your home after dark...)
Energy poverty gets a swift kick in the ball... Uncharted Play's revolutionary "sOccket" turns kicks and headers into storable electricity. The power of play has never had a stronger expression. (Photo courtesy of soccket.com)
Here's the deal: In many regions of the world, access to electricity is patchy or nonexistent so people light their homes with kerosene lamps that spew noxious fumes. These fumes create the health equivalent of smoking 40 cigarettes a day and are no treat for the atmosphere, either. Given that one in five people on the globe lives without electricity, indoor air pollution of this nature kills 1.6 million humans a year. The sOccket provides an answer that is deceptively simple, green, portable, and -- best of all -- fun. A gyroscopic mechanism inside rotates as the ball rolls, creating electricity from every possible axis of motion. The claim, "Man, she has a powerful corner kick" has never been truer...
Uncharted Play, Inc., maker of the flagship sOccket, is a for-profit benefit corporation with a separate 501(c)3 non-profit foundation. The New York-based company's mission is to: "Encourage people around the world to rethink the purpose of play and keep joy at the forefront of their lives. Life is short. Play more."
"The universal love of soccer made it the obvious choice for a powered by play portable generator," says Melissa Seligmann, VP Business Development, 26. "The inventors were not soccer players, but understood the universal love of the sport and the potential power... Although skeptics (and engineers!) initially believed the ball would not capture a useful amount of power, the sOccket team knew that the ability to harness even a little bit of energy could make a huge difference in the lives of billions around the globe who love soccer and live without electricity."
The sOccket has received props from Bill Clinton's CGI, with the former President saying of cofounder Jessica Matthews, "It's quite extraordinary, really... If ever there was an innovator, she's it."
TED didn't pull any punches: "An idea with revolutionary potential."
The sOccket requires no inflation, is water resistant and has a lifespan of three years, whereas a normal ball might last six weeks in the kind of rough ground that passes for a "soccer field" in most of the world. Testing took place in three African nations and, early this year, 2500 of the newest generation sOcckets will make their way to Haiti, Mexico, El Salvador and Costa Rica. The group partners with reputable NGOs in developing areas for distribution and funds that distribution by two models: "Buy One, Give One" (B1G1, think TOMS Shoes) and corporate sponsorships.
The sOccket provides an answer that is deceptively simple, green, portable, and -- best of all -- fun. A gyroscopic mechanism inside rotates as the ball rolls, creating electricity from every possible axis of motion.
"Our ‘end users' are children in resource-poor communities as they are often most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of ‘energy poverty,'" explains Seligmann. "The initial response is pure joy – and that is before they even know there is anything different about the ball. Just to have a real, spherical, honest-to-God ball is a blessing in itself... With a little extra electricity, children can spend a bit more time on school work after dark without having to expose themselves to dangerous power alternatives. Additionally, the sOccket concept illustrates for kids that imagination has a place in our world today; we hope that the ball will inspire youth the world over to think creatively about how to address the challenges in their own communities through innovation."
(UP's other genius solutions in the R&D pipeline include fashion accessories that address malnutrition, energy-grabbing bouncy shoes and video games that deal with real-world social injustices.)
Besides lighting up major press outlets, including CNN, and a surge of awards, the still-newish sOccket is supported by world football's brightest stars: David Villa, Dani Alves, Kun Aguero, Thomas Müller, Julie Foudy et al. It even gets support from The Roots so the "cool factor" is proper. If you ever wondered just how feasible the notion of soccer saving the world could be, the sOccket is staring you right in the face, begging to be kicked. Fun can be functional!
Soccer Without Borders
Soccer Without Borders is, in some ways, the quintessential footy charity. The group uses the power and language of the beautiful game to reach beyond the field of play and change lives, one at a time.
Soccer Without Borders holding it down in Kampala, Uganda. (Photo courtesy of soccerwithoutborders.org)
"While there are many positive sporting experiences, soccer is the most universally accessible," says Mary McVeigh, Executive Director, 30. "At its most basic level, it offers playing opportunities that are low-cost, physically beneficial, inclusive and enjoyable. Soccer also enjoys worldwide popularity, making it the perfect platform from which to develop physically, socially, and individually. [SWB] believes that the potential of soccer to make change is deeper than simply playing the game. Rather, our programs are built around the philosophy that soccer's interpersonal environment has unique potential to meaningfully impact participants..."
SWB concerns itself with giving under-served youth a kind of toolkit they might not otherwise have access to. Many kids who are traditionally excluded from team sports also miss out on the personal growth that comes from "digging deep," working with others, getting fit -- and even occasionally receiving the singular epiphany of a frozen ball in the face. The group works internationally and is headquartered in the US and current programs focus on refugees, immigrants, girls, and indigenous youth.
"SWB responds to the varying community needs and available human/physical resources by leaving space within our program structure to provide resources, programs, and services specific to the target population and local culture," explains McVeigh.
The group's programs have helped young people in North America, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Uganda and elsewhere -- with success stories aplenty. In '09, a Granada participant was named to U-20 Nicaraguan Women's National Team and a NYC refugee participant from Liberia went on to college. SWB Nicaragua recently won the Girl Effect Challenge, hosted by the Nike Foundation and Global Giving, becoming one of 12 featured Girl Effect programs for 2012.
"SWB programs are at least 50-percent soccer [with] the other portion made up of team-building, civic engagement, lessons/workshops, and culture exchange..." says McVeigh. "While playing the game recreationally has its benefits, SWB aims for age-appropriate instruction that builds skills on the field and off, and provides a sense of identity and community..."
The group works internationally and is headquartered in the US and current programs focus on refugees, immigrants, girls, and indigenous youth.
The group keeps coach/player ratios low, requires player contracts for attendance and behavior, and engages parents and local leaders as well. Whatever it takes, right?
So Now What?
Soccer's pace and inherent production values might not always compete well with the NFL or NBA on TV, and the sport's haters in north America are a loud -- if shrinking -- group, but the powerful platform offered by a sport with such a global appeal and low barrier to entry is undeniable. (As comedian Daniel Tosh famously pointed out: "It costs a ball.") We have no research to back this up yet, in recent history, we'd bet only beer and smiling have broken the ice on more international friendships than "the beautiful game." Soccer might not "save the world" anytime soon but, thanks to organizations like these, the game is helping to make it more livable for millions of people every day and giving injustice the red card.
The author joins an impromptu game at a rural schoolyard in Kenya. The ball was a tether ball, the field had maize on one side and a pit of sharp rocks on the other, and many at this school are AIDS orphans. No shoes? No problem. Soccer is the universal language. (Photo courtesy of quietway.org and stanevansphoto.com)
The non-profits and social enterprises examined here are meant only as representative samples of all the good work being done in the world today using soccer as a platform. A cup of coffee and 10 minutes on Google will yield other excellent groups that mesh with your own philanthropic values, politics, geographic soft spots etc.
Further Reading:
Right to Play: Based in Toronto and operating worldwide, Right to Play is behind the famous "red ball" and is the leading org, "using the transformative power of sport and play to build essential skills in children and thereby drive social change in communities affected by war, poverty and disease."
Grassroot Soccer has a vision of a world mobilized through soccer to create an AIDS free generation. The group has already graduated half a million youth participants through its programs and their site has incredible results tracking and transparency.
Kick It Out is soccer's inclusion and equality campaign. If you follow the international game, this year has seen huge strides when it comes to on-field racism, and Kick It Out has played a big part.
Pelada is not an organization but a great documentary about the community-building power of the beautiful game. Two former college stars set off on a journey, chasing this notion: "From prisoners in Bolivia to moonshine brewers in Kenya, from freestylers in China to women who play in hijab in Iran, Pelada is the story of the people who play."