The Fifa World Cup in 2010 was lauded as a huge success for its host nation South Africa. Much was made during the tournament of efforts to ensure that everyone in the country benefited from the event, making history of those widespread images of barefooted boys playing on dusty dirt patches.
However, months after the last match was played, some communities – such as one in Magaliesburg, a small town north-west of Johannesburg – still struggle just to play the game, with few resources to organise clubs or even buy kits.
That’s where Patrick Maphoso stepped in. In 2007 the South African businessman, who currently resides in Ireland, set up African Schools Sports Aid Ireland (Assa) with the intention of procuring soccer kits for underprivileged children in South Africa.
Some of these children come from war-torn countries such as Uganda and Sierra Leone; others are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and are unable to afford proper soccer boots, shorts or shirts.
“Assa ensures that African kids are empowered to participate in sports,” says Maphoso. “We collect football kits either new or used to ship to South Africa.”
He continues. “By obtaining kits, Assa is instilling a love of football in the children of South Africa, and by occupying the children with football matches we are helping to keep these children off the streets. Otherwise they can be lured into prostitution, drugs or worse.”
Maphoso hopes Assa’s work might see the country’s underprivileged communities produce another African star like Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor or Chelsea’s Didier Drogba.
He also highlights the work Assa is doing in schools. “And we acknowledge the generosity of numerous organisations that made donations,” he adds.
Assa is appealing to sports organisations or schools that may be in a position to help by donating valuable soccer kit. For further information contact African Schools Sports Aid Ireland, 37 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1 (E-mail: assairl@gmail.com; Web: www.assaireland.org).
– Barbara Filaih
