I have been a volunteer with Tackleafrica since 2003, during that time I have worked on four projects across 16 countries and worked with over 20 local partner organisations. This in itself should tell you how strongly I believe in the work that Tackleafrica does, but I feel it falls short. I have seen firsthand on many occasions how well the kids respond to the HIV/AIDS messages we deliver and throughout a project there is always a very discernable improvement in the basic level of understanding of HIV/AIDS.
Football is the world's most popular sport - and in Africa it has attained enormous significance, breaking down barriers and providing opportunities for even the most disadvantaged to shine.
By capitalising on this interest, TackleAfrica and its local partners can create a platform that can be used to as a tool for communicating vital messages, mobilising communities to join the fight against HIV, enabling people to protect themselves properly and challenging the plethora of stigma and misconceptions that surround the disease.
Since 2003 we have been working with expert local partners in 16 sub-Saharan countries, using football as a method of reaching young people and using classroom based activities to deliver HIV/AIDS related information. In January 2007 we successfully took that information out onto the pitch with unique coaching drills specifically designed to inform players about HIV/AIDS as well as improve their football skills.
At the end of 2007 we produced our HIV awareness through coaching manual, and are continuing to work with local partners and young people across Africa. As well as visiting countries across Africa with professional football coaches trained in delivering the HIV/AIDS through football drills, we train local coaches, teachers and partner-employed multipliers to use the manual to extend and continue the reach of our work.
What We Do
Fund activities organised by our partners in Africa including youth football tournaments, peer education training, HIV/AIDS awareness football events and projects to encourage safe behaviour amongst young people
Build the capacity of local partners with coaching projects, football tours and by distributing our HIV/AIDS awareness through football coaching manual
Train local coaches, youth workers and leaders to deliver HIV/AIDS messaging through football
Train UK football coaches to deliver HIV messaging through football in Africa, raise funds for our partners and raise awareness in the UK of the HIV pandemic in Africa
TackleAfrica launched its ground breaking new coaching manual during a series of coaching projects which took place across Ghana during the recent African Cup of Nations tournament.
The coaching manual consists of a series of specially designed coaching drills that not only improve football skills but also the players' understanding of how to stay safe from HIV/AIDS, how the virus works, challenging myths and stigma and where to go for support. The drills have been developed by TackleAfrica's volunteer coaches during a series of football projects across Africa and will enable other volunteers and partner organisations to carry out coaching sessions that help to teach young people in Africa about HIV/AIDS in an innovative and engaging way.
Working with over 1,000 young people and 50 local 'multipliers', the 8 TackleAfrica coaches visited a number of locations around Accra and Tamale to ensure that the impact of the project will be sustainable by enabling local staff to continue HIV/AIDS through football sessions in the future. Tackle Africa would like to thank local partners RAINS, SOS Ghana, Children Better Way and Goal Ghana for their support in this project.
Charlie Gamble, a trustee of TackleAfrica and author of the coaching manual comments:
"We believe that the launch of the manual - particularly at a time when football was even higher on the local agenda than usual - has enabled us to deliver crucial HIV/AIDS messages to large numbers of young people in an interactive, positive and memorable way. Most importantly, our work with local coaches and multipliers is the first step in ensuring that the positive impact of the manual can be continued long into the future"
Dr Bella Bello Bitug, Campaigner, sport for development, currently working with SOS Ghana, adds:
"Football is a great way of reaching young people in Ghana and The Cup of Nations provided us with an excellent opportunity to raise vital issues and spread messages about HIV and AIDS. We're really looking forward to working with TackleAfrica further, and using the coaching manual"
The following information has been taken from the Tackle Africa Website www.tackleafrica.org :
TackleAfrica's work is focussed on Sub-Saharan Africa, the part of the world most affected by HIV & AIDS. An estimated 24.5 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2005 with approximately 2.7 million new infections occurring during that year. The 18-35 years age group are the most affected - an indication that it is the economically productive segment of the population which is hardest hit.
It is estimated that 2 million people in the region have died as a result of HIV/AIDS infection in the last year. More than twelve million children have been orphaned by AIDS.
The extent of the epidemic is only now becoming clear in many African countries, as increasing numbers of people with HIV are now becoming ill. In the absence of massively expanded prevention, treatment and care efforts, the AIDS death toll on the continent is expected to continue rising before peaking around the end of the decade. This means that the worst of the epidemic's impact on these societies will be felt in the course of the next ten years and beyond. Its social and economic consequences are already being felt widely not only in health but in education, industry and agriculture.
Rates of HIV infection are still increasing in many countries in the African continent, as the rate of HIV infection in the general population rises, the same patterns of sexual risk result in more new infections simply because the chances of encountering an infected partner become higher.
Although anti-retroviral drugs are available, fewer than one in five Africans in need were receiving them at the end of 2005.
TackleAfrica is helping to reduce the increasing infection rate by giving young people the information they need to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS.
All monies raised from the event will be donated to the ALL STARS ACADEMY in Kampala, Uganda. The ALL STARS was set up five years by Coach Moses, it is a self funding project that takes kids with promising talent and offers them a chance to work hard on them pitch to increase their talent.
Two years ago thanks to K.C.C.C.’s (Kamwokya Christian Care in the Community) micro financing project the all stars where able to open the sports hall that charges 6p admission to watch premier League, and FA cup matches on satellite TV. This is the only source of funding for the Academy. Kamwokya is the slum area of Kampala, and it is here that the ALL STARS players are recruited from. Many of these children have been affected by HIV and AIDS as prevalence rates in the area are estimated to be as high as 40%. It is well known that poverty and HIV are bedfellows and that education is way to beat the poverty trap. Because of this the ALL STARS are committed to furthering the education of all their members.
There are now over fifty children that are in school thanks to bursaries from the ALL STARS. Most of the children cannot afford the school fees and the only way that they can get an education is to show the academy that they are able to work hard and show social responsibility in order to qualify for full or part payment of school fees from the Academy.
This year Tackleafrica have secured funding to build a home for the ALL STARS, when I was on our first project there in 2007 we trained on a piece of waste ground next to Kitante School, the pitch that school normally allowed the ALL STARS to use was being used by the army for drill practice and totally unplayable (even by African standards). The new complex will have a football pitch, accommodation block (use for football clinics), and most importantly an HIV testing and counselling centre. As there is still a massive problem with stigmatisation, anyone can use the HIV facilities under the guise of football, if you wish. The monies raised by this event will go to funding the HIV testing equipment and counselling services.
I hope you will find this useful in understanding more about the work that tackleafrica does. There is more information on the Tackle Africa website and some useful links if you wish to find out more about the subject.
Graeme Sears
Volunteer Coach.
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