Futbol Friends Fall 2023 Impact Report
Hello Futbol Friends, we hope you're enjoying Fall in New England (or wherever you are), the return of organized and professional play, and looking forward to a healthy and happy holiday season with friends and family.
Speaking of seasonal events with your *futbol friends, that you assuredly look forward to each year, the 15th-annual Six2Six Soccerthon will return on Sunday, December 3, 2023, make sure to mark your calendars!
But, onward to the purpose of this article, we've been busy this past spring and summer supporting youth organizations at home and abroad. Below you’ll see the many ways YOU have made a difference in the lives of children around the world with your continued support of Futbol Friends.
Kloe Young Star Foundation, Rural Ghana, 2023
FFI grants to Reverend Worlanyo Afewu and the Kloe Young Star Association have equipped three hundred players from economically deprived schools in rural Ghana. With funds we provided, Rev. Afewu purchased the balls, pumps, and uniforms needed by thirteen boys teams and two girls teams for participation in interscholastic soccer in the Volta Region. Most teams comprise students in the ten to thirteen (U-13) age group while two teams feature players in the twelve to fifteen (U-15) range.
The goal of KYSF is to equip a total of fifty teams in the region’s rural schools. Thirty-five schools are yet to be equipped. Wrote Rev. Afewu: “I hope to express my extreme gratitude to FFI for their contribution of soccer balls and equipment. The happiest to receive the donations were two communities of peasant farmers located in a far-off forest. For the first time, their children were able to participate in inter-school soccer with official uniforms. The children are very happy. Football is an encouragement to stay in school for some students and we hope some football-loving students who have dropped out will return. Since youth football is a major source of entertainment in poor areas, entire communities have benefited from your gifts.”
American Friends of Kenya, Central Kenya, 2023
Connecticut-based American Friends of Kenya [AFK] has used three grants from FFI, including a 2023 grant of eighteen hundred dollars, to develop soccer programs in three of the poorest regions of Kenya. In coastal Likoni; Ekalakala in central Kenya; and Kongoni in the west, more than five hundred young players ages eight to twenty-five have benefited directly from the purchase of needed equipment. Approximately forty percent of players are girls or young women: a percentage that continues to increase over time. AFK notes that the communities as a whole have benefited. Football provides an outlet for alienated youth and a focal point for the community to come together. In these communities where youth soccer is one of the few sources of entertainment; hundreds of friends, family members and community leaders turn out to watch games. In addition about one hundred and fifty adults are involved as managers, coaches, or assistants.
FFI’s partnership with AFK ensures that our grants have maximum benefit for young players in communities with the greatest needs.
School Supply Charity Shop, Ghana, 2023
Futbol Friends took a new approach to funding when Reverand Worlando Afewu and the Klore Young Star Foundation reached out about assisting the start of a store to supply school supplies to schools in rural Ghana. The store will exist to supply necessary school supplies and its profits will be reinvested into the community including the many soccer teams within KYSF’s reach in the region.
Reverand Worldando Afewu wrote, “All is set for the start of the charity shop. I bought the books, they will be kept in one of the rooms of the mission house where I stay. I created a small portion on the porch for exhibition. Our slogan and motto is: We start small and grow bigger in the future... Buy one exercise book, and support a future jersey, or football project.
Bridgetport F.C., Bridgeport CT, 2023
FFI is proud to support Bridgeport United Football Club (BUFC), a free soccer program for girls. The three-year-old club is a program of DIG USA, and its founder, Coach Dan Pelletier. Grant funding from other sources pays most of the bills, including for coaching and logistical support. Our grants helped purchase soccer uniforms and equipment. Under the supervision of a professional coach, BUFC players practice multiple times per week, play games on weekends, and participate in summer camps and winter indoor training.
The players, all Bridgeport residents, live in a city with many challenges, including a rise in gun violence. Coach Dan estimates that for half of the girls in the program, BUFC is their only chance to play a sport. “Due to logistics, money, and cultural differences, we are their only option because we are local, we help with logistics and we’re free.” BUFC travel team plays most of its games against more affluent teams in Fairfield County, and though it loses most games, the girls have progressed over the past three years. According to Coach Dan, “The girls all love each other and love our coaches. Adding, “Not winning doesn’t stop them from having fun and experiencing the benefits of being a part of a team.”
Thank YOU for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you at Six2Six on December 3rd, at Newtown Youth Academy, from 6:00 am - 6:00 pm.