Grassroot Soccer

“Using the power of soccer in the fight against HIV and Aids”.

Grassroot Soccer is a non-profit organisation founded in 2002 by former professional soccer players Tommy Clark, Methembe Ndlovu, Ethan Zohn and Kirk Friedrich. The organisation trains African soccer stars, coaches, teachers, and peer educators in Africa (and more recently some South American countries) to deliver an interactive prevention, educational and life skills program to the youth utilising the attractiveness of soccer to increase the impact.

Grassroot Soccer particularly uses role models to influence what young people think and therefore how they behave, however, they have realized that lifelong learning also requires lifelong community support and promotes community involvement through youth outreach, long-term partnerships and special events such as graduation ceremonies for graduates.

Grassroot Soccer has been operating in South Africa since 2006 and set up its African headquarters in Cape Town in 2008.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup offers a ‘one of a kind’ opportunity for organizations such as Grassroot Soccer to use sport for development and, given soccer’s proven success as a tool for social development, the organization is a very strong contributor to the “Football for Hope” project run by FIFA and the streetfootballworld Network.

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