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Keep up with all the latest Kick4Life news here...
- Jan
Pusha Love Chomees - Start Living!Leila Hall blogs about Pushal Love Chomees - an HIV/AIDS and life-skills program for young adults in Lesotho implemented by Kick4Life. Some of the coaches from the program share their stories and experiences. Thank you to Meri Hyoky Photography for the beautiful pictures!
- Aug
Kick4Life at the Football for Hope ForumKick4Life Cofounder blogs about the Football for Hope forum in Brazil...
For a split second there was absolute silence as the capacity crowd, overwhelmingly yellow-clad Brazilians, anticipated the opening chords of their national anthem. The music started and the people remained standing, poised for their moment to accompany the rousing march. And then is began, the collective voice of 50,000 Brazilians raised in the most passionate chorus I have ever witnessed. On the big screen I saw Tiago Silva, Brazil's captain, moved to tears, and the shortened version of the anthem could not stop the crowd from completing their song, as the remaining verses reverberated around the Mineirão. No band required.
Later that night, on the way back to the hotel and from my 13th floor window, the sights and sounds of Belo Horizonte were markedly different: army trucks transporting troops to the front-line, youths running through the street, the booming fire of tear gas and the voice of the people, this time raised in collective protest.
These two experiences may seem at odds with each other, yet in my fleeting but event-filled trip to Brazil, I saw enough to suggest otherwise. I was struck by the level of economic and industrial activity, a country seemingly in transition, on the verge of a great turning point in development and progress. Numerous quarries carved into the cityscape, freight carriers, cranes and diggers, buildings going up alongside the bustling favelas perched on hillsides, all signs of a country on the move. On every main street hundreds of people queue for buses which are packed like the London tube at rush hour, passengers standing in the aisles and clinging to the overhead bars. The 10% increase in bus fares which instigated the nationwide protests clearly affected many people.
With such unprecedented social change, characterized by great opportunity and challenge, it is perhaps no surprise that the joy of the stadium sits alongside the frustrations of the street. Democracy was hard and recently fought here, and political apathy, even in a time of low unemployment and growth, is not on the agenda.
I was in Brazil for the Football for Hope Forum, an event organized by FIFA alongside the Confederations Cup, to celebrate and support the ongoing development of their use of football for social change around the globe. The Confederations Cup is a trial run for next year's World Cup in Brazil which is of course another key factor in the current, largely peaceful, protests. A hand written cardboard sign at the airport said, 'We don't want the World Cup, we need better health services and education.'
The Forum did not shy away from the issue, and on the opening day there was a vibrant debate. Many Brazilian speakers said the protests were a good thing, a sign that people wanted to improve their country and to tackle corruption. FIFA representatives also highlighted the role that football, and the presence of the World Cup, has played in bringing about this push for social and political improvement.
There were also critical voices, particularly relating to the cost of stadium construction, funded by tax payers while bus fares go up and many public services remain poor. Wilfried Lemke, the UN Special Advisor for Sport, Development & Peace, also criticized FIFA for pressuring the Brazilian government to change the law, enabling alcohol to be served inside stadia.
But Lemke and many others also highlighted the wonderful achievements of Football for Hope in supporting more than 100 organizations around the world to deliver high quality programs for disadvantaged people. At Kick4Life we can certainly testify to this. Our organization and the impact of our work has been transformed by the development of the Lesotho Football for Hope Centre, enabling us to reach many more children with health education and testing, literacy skills, mentoring and the chance to play sport. It has also helped us to improve the financial sustainability of Kick4Life through a growing range of social enterprises – the topic of my presentation at the Forum. The centre in Lesotho is just one of 20 in Africa which will continue the legacy of the 2010 World Cup for decades to come.
It seems to me that the cost of the World Cup in Brazil has helped to spark a reaction to much deeper and longer-term social challenges in Brazil. We had a similar, if less mobile, response to the Olympics in the UK last year, but once it arrived it was enthusiastically embraced by nearly everyone. I hope that despite some of the valid responses to the challenges of hosting a World Cup, the people of Brazil will likewise get behind the tournament and use it as a springboard for the next exciting phase for their country. One thing is for sure, football has been thrust once again into the heart of the social, economic and political arena, and there has never been a more exciting time to be involved in the world of Development Through Football.
- Apr
Together we canCamilla Higgins reflects on her time in Lesotho during her last week with Kick4Life...
Somehow, although I have known it was coming for such a long time, the idea of my imminent departure from Lesotho has suddenly come up upon me a bit like a steam train: at times when it is right in front of me it seems to be hurtling onwards, but when I do not look directly at it, it chugs along consistently. I will not bore you all with a lot of reminiscence but suffice it to say that I have learnt a lot from my time at Kick4Life, and hope that I have reciprocated and will leave something solid, some valuable contribution behind me.
One thing that I have come to appreciate is that Lesotho is not a country to take at face value. It is not just the impoverished little sister swamped by South Africa that many might believe; there is so much more to this country, this kingdom, than that. I hate generalisations, but for one I think it is fair to say that the Basotho are some of the most characterful and individual people that I have ever met anywhere. Many are the times when I kick myself for not properly learning Sesotho so that I can understand the musical mayhem of dialogue and other vocalisations that take place around me in the office. Despite being far less tropical than other countries in southern Africa it is nonetheless colourful in its own way, and intricate like the beautiful Seshoeshoe patterns many women wear.
Although it may not always be emphasised publicly, many people here are passionate and willing to do extraordinary things to make change. I have been privileged to work with some wonderful partner organisations here who are working hard to positively affect lives at a grassroots level. What is really inspiring, is to hear of individuals who really care and are willing to put great personal effort and sacrifice into addressing the challenges they see around them, making change in their own small way. It really moved me recently to hear of a lady in a remote area who was herself affected by disability, and took the initiative to start a home and school for disabled children. Her facility now serves all the children in a large area and she works tirelessly with only 3 staff to care for these children every hour of every day, slowly piecing together sources of income bit by bit. I can only admire and be humbled by such selflessness and commitment in this one corner of the country, to make change at least in the small space which one inhabits; it is exactly such small changes, rippling out and coming together that can have the greatest impact on real lives.
I have come to recognise that this is the great power of the Siyakhona Project - they take these little ripples and amplify them, add volume to the individual voices to make a much bigger noise.
This was how I came to find myself walking through Tsenola village and thinking about the colours and patterns of Lesotho. There is something so attractive about the composition of the village, despite the poverty which is woven into it, but this is not why the Siyakhona team have come to film here. Look a little closer, in fact take a deep breath, and you may start to realise why. I do not want to give away too much just yet, but Tsenola does not have access to a reliable water supply. And the smell does not come from inadequate sewage disposal, the villages outhouses are perfectly orderly, it comes from the water they use to drink, and to wash, cook and clean.
One woman we spoke to told us that when she drank it, it made her want to vomit. And yet water is the one thing we absolutely cannot live without, we cannot even conceive that life could have existed on other planets without it, it is a fundamental human right. Something is very much not right when a whole village must depend on such a clearly inadequate and potentially dangerous resource. And so the Siyakhona team have come to dig into the root causes, to try to get to the bottom of how this situation has come to be, to determine if this is a rare example or if other villages are facing similar challenges elsewhere. And most importantly, with their investigations and with the help of the community, they hope to identify a solution.
As we met the team at work in the village, who had been there since midnight to shoot an entire day of the family from 2am start to 8pm finish, I was so impressed with their energy and enthusiasm. There is no doubt that passion about the opportunity to make change is driving them more now than in anything they have done in the project so far. Right here we have a group of young people inflamed by the potential power of their actions, by the need to act against injustice, where so often young people sit quietly and listen, respect and do nothing. This is not to say that respect for elders does not have its place, but it can prevent young people from having the confidence to stand up and innovate. Young people need to be given the opportunity to speak and contribute and feel that this is valued, before they get tired of not being involved or of nothing changing, and stop trying.
That is what I think is the vital contribution of Kick4Life and I am proud to have been a part of that. We are not just vaguely doing youth empowerment as a convenient descriptor, we really do set out to empower youth, and I think we are succeeding. I am really moved by the changes I have seen in the young Siyakhona participants in just a matter of weeks, and I really hope that they continue to grow and gain self-assurance about their ability to be change-makers, that they assert their right to achieve the life they want. Every young person should have the means to achieve their potential. Siyakhona means Together We Can in Zulu, which seems to me the best kind of kilo, but I will let the guys show you how it is done...
- Feb
Launch of Siyakhona blog!An exciting blog by Kick4Life's Camilla Higgins about Siyakhona, a new project teaching young people skills in media, film production, and journalism, and showing them how to use these skills to become a voice for social change in their communities...
A boy and a girl are walking across the grass in front of the Kick4Life Football for Hope Centre, having a slightly heated discussion. The girl in her frustration, throws the skin of the banana she is eating to the ground and begins to storm off, but something the boy says causes her to spin around in a fury and march back towards him, forgetting about the banana skin which she inevitably slips on and falls to the ground.
Somebody yells Cut! and the tense crew, who have been concentrating hard on holding all the cameras, microphones, leads and reflectors in exactly the right position, relax and smile at each other. Somebody else nods approval that they are happy with the shot.
It looks like Kick4Life has become the set of the next great Hollywood rom-com, well OK, perhaps more like another slap-stick farce with old jokes, but the attitude of the film crew is serious and professional, their pride in the results and infinite care taken over handling the complex equipment is evident. So this might not be Hollywood, but we might well be coming soon to a screen near you!
All of this is part of the new and exciting Siyakhona Project at Kick4Life. Siyakhona is Zulu for 'together we can' and is part of an Africa-wide scheme sponsored by Sony and FIFA building on the success of the Football for Hope initiative. The first two projects were in South Africa in Alexandra and Khayelitsha townships, and now Kick4Life are privileged to have one of the graduates of the project, Herbert Mashishi, as well as Danny Lurie of Hillside Digital who created the curriculum, training our selected participants here.
So what exactly is Siyakhona all about? Well, I would rather let the participants tell you via their very own blog
This will be regularly updated with the participants' journal entries and photos as they document their experience during the training, and will soon feature their first films, but perhaps we'll leave aside the banana skin joke for now. So go check it out now to find out how we are using film to empower young people and help them to instigate positive social change in Lesotho. Meet our young participants, and follow their stories as they progress through the training and into their own filming projects. And who knows, their stories may soon appear on a screen near you!
- Nov
Youth Club Pilot CelebrationThe latest blog by Kick4Life's Leila Hall about the successful pilot of our new Youth Club project...
The 3rd of November was an unusual Saturday at Kick4Life. On our 11-aside pitch, the outline of a massive game-board had been marked out with lime. Up on the rooftop of our new Phase II building, a temporary cafe had been set up with comfy clusters of mattresses, blankets and cool drinks available. In various rooms around the Centre, giant decks of cards stood ready.
On the 5-aside pitch, music blared as over 60 peer-educators from three high schools in Maseru gathered in excitement. Many of them had never met before, but they all had something important in common: they were all members of the first ever Kick4Life Youth Clubs. For two months, the Clubs had been meeting weekly, and this Saturday was the final session of the Club experience, an all-day event with activities designed to maximise interaction between Club members, to provide the space for them to discuss opinions and experiences, and to give them the chance to demonstrate their new, deeper knowledge of facts and issues related to HIV/AIDS.
With support from USAID, through a subgrant from PSI Letlama Project, the Kick4Life Youth Clubs were designed specifically as a follow-up to our current HIV/AIDS and life-skills curriculum, which thousands of young people in Lesotho have already graduated from. In our current curriculum, we use outdoor, soccer-based games and activities to teach key information about HIV/AIDS and to initiate important conversations about relationships, gender, risk-assessment and decision-making.
The information covered in this curriculum is vital, but as an organisation we recognised the potential to go deeper. Geared especially towards older learners, the Kick4Life Youth Club sessions take learning and understanding of issues related to HIV/AIDS to the next level. Instead of simply emphasising the importance of condom-use, for example, one of the sessions includes full condom demonstrations of how to correctly use both female and male condoms. New in-depth information on topics such as viral load, the window period, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and ARVs is covered. Our belief is that if young people truly understand HIV, they are more likely to make healthy, informed choices, and are also less likely to discriminate against or stigmatise those living with the virus. Gender is given a special focus, and participants are encouraged to debate and think critically about harmful gender norms in Lesotho: an issue which is intimately related to the spread of HIV, but which is often culturally sensitive and difficult to speak about.
The idea of future-focus is also introduced, with an entire session dedicated to encouraging participants to think about their plans and goals for the future, and especially the steps and action plans they can develop to help them achieve these.
The Youth Clubs are designed to take place in an indoor-setting, but as with our current curriculum, all the sessions are premised on interactive games and activities. Giant puzzles, playback theatre, and our very own talk show entitled The Real Deal, feature in the sessions, ensuring that the Kick4Life approach of learning while having fun is retained.
With the three pilot Youth Clubs having come to an end, the next step is to review the Curriculum and to see what worked well, and what still needs to be improved. Do we keep the sessions the same length? What activities could be simplified or extended? Once important changes have been made, the hope is to extend the Youth Club experience to many more young people in Lesotho. Next year, our focus is shifting to working especially with out-of-school youth between the ages of 18-25. With a very promising kickstart, exciting developments lie ahead for the future of the Kick4Life Youth Clubs project. Stay tuned!
- Oct
Getting Fit4WorkKick4Life's Fit4Work Coordinator Lash, blogs about running a Fit4Work course to help young people from the remote area of Mokhotlong to get on the road towards a sustainable livelihood.
Mokhotlong is situated on the North Eastern part of Lesotho and 95 miles from the capital city Maseru. It is one of the poorest and most remote areas in Lesotho and has a population of approximately 8,000 people. In Mokhotlong there is even a hill where tourists can ski at 3322 meters above sea level!! This district boasts one of the world's highest elevated mines namely Letseng Diamond Mines. Letseng Diamond Mines are sponsoring Kick4Life Test Your Team event and Fit4Work so as to empower the youth in Mokhotlong with the necessary life skills that prepares them for the outside world.
This is how from the 18th - 22nd June, Kick4Life hosted 11 students from Mokhotlong in one of its 5 day educational and residential workshops, Fit4Work. There were 5 boys and 6 girls and their ages ranged between 15-18 years. Fit4Work is a program that gives hope to Basotho youth who have dropped out of school or failed to pursue their studies, for reasons beyond their control. Participants are empowered with these skills amongst others: team work, presentation, communications, CV writing, interviewing etc. Letseng Diamond Mines found it necessary to equip the youth in their area of business with these skills so as to alleviate poverty.
For some of these kids, this was an adventure as it was their first time to travel to the capital city and also to see some of the famous local destinations like the shopping mall, the parliament and national convention centre to name a few. After we, facilitators and participants, all had dinner, we would sit together in a circle and let everyone showcase their talent. It was during these sessions that Tatolo Rafahla aka Deco, showed us that he was gifted as a poet!! He even wrote a poem about Kick4Life which you can see in a video below.
Experiences like this can hopefully have a lasting impact on the young people who are able to take part, giving them opportunities to explore and develop their future. This group was very inspired when they met celebrities they usually just see on TV and hear on national radio! They actually felt that their geographical location was not a challenge for them to achieve their goals but it is who they associate themselves with that will help them. At the end of the workshop, Tjama Mohapi aka Mzomane a single orphan, exclaimed "when I am playing football, I am playing life" and Mamoshoeshoe Molapo aka Shoeshoe, who is a double orphan, said that she has learnt to choose friends with whom she shares a common goal!!
- Sep
Changing lives through the mediaK4L's Basia Mapanya blogs about his experience as a coach, and his new role working on Siyakhona - our latest social enterprise. The project will provide digital media training to young people seeking a career in the industry, as well as running an income generating media production service with profits pumped back into programme delivery.
After taking my school certificate life was miserable not knowing what to do because I did not get good results and I just thought that it was the end of good things to come in my life. I would wake up in the morning hang around with friends till 15:00 to take a bath then go for training. I was playing for Maseru Arsenal FC back then that was my job going up and down.
It was in 2007 when I met Kick4Life through Maseru Arsenal FC. We were told that Kick4Life wanted some trainers to deliver their health education and life-skills curriculum, and they will sponsor the club; I wanted something to keep me busy so I decided to join the organization and went to the Training of Trainers (ToT). It was good and fruitful training for me and that's when I saw the importance of working for change in other people's lives. I volunteered with K4L from 2007 and in 2010 I got a job as Maseru Assistant Coordinator in HIV/AIDS Prevention.
It was a stepping stone for me but like any other child I had dreams, I wanted to study media at tertiary level: it was because of my results that I was not admitted to different schools and it was hard for me to cope.
This year around May K4L got the opportunity to work in a digital media project called Siyakhona and they wanted an assistant project coordinator. I took the opportunity by applying for that position so that I could work in a media related job and following interviews I was successful. I do believe that this will be my chance to do what I have been dreaming of. I am glad that I am going to be part of a project that is going to raise Kick4Life's profile: a lot of people have heard about K4L but they were not really sure of what we are doing so this will be an opportunity for people to visually see the impact of our programmes and our participants.
Siyakhona will help Basotho youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who had dreams of changing their communities, or becoming journalists and video photographers, but who did not have a chance because of insufficient income. A small group of young Basotho will get the opportunity to achieve their dreams by receiving professional training in media and film-making, skills which they will use to explore the burning issues affecting the youth of our country. They will also be facilitated to use their new knowledge to operate as a professional media production unit, hiring out their services and equipment in Maseru in order to generate a sustainable income for themselves and for the continuation of the project. This team of young people will also shoot films about Kick4Life programmes so that people can know about our work as a whole, and from the perspective of the participants themselves, rather than from staff.
I think this project will be good for the country because our youth will be able to express their views. Watch this space for updates and samples of the films they make. It's going to be exciting to see what they choose to tell the world about themselves, Lesotho and Kick4Life. Hopefully Siyakhona will grow from its own resources to involve many more young people from disadvantaged communities and contribute to the growth of the media in Lesotho.
- Aug
My Olympic LegacyThe latest blog from Kick4Life cofounder Steve Fleming.
So there it is. Done. Finished. The flag in Rio. The London Olympics now a memory. It was without question a huge success and the response from the public was exceptional. It has been declared (by the British at least) the best Olympics ever.
Deciding what to focus on for this blog entry has not been easy.To bang on about all the fantastic positive stuff would be too easy, from the wonderful opening ceremony, to the seamless organisation, the excellent coverage and the sporting triumphs of Ennis, Farah, Bolt, Phelps and the horse dancing to the theme tune from the Great Escape.
And to pick something controversial is to be perceived as negative in a nation whipped up in a frenzy of national pride. In fact I've noticed that anyone attempting to instigate a topical debate about anything which isn't exclusively bullish has been shot down in (Olympic) flames. I think they call it the Tyranny of the Majority.
So I won't be mentioning the questionable economic legacy, the relative elitism of many of the sports - rowing, sailing, equestrian, and how we make these activities more inclusive, the fact that, even though their performance was magnificent, Team GB would have fallen down the table if it was based on population/medal ratio, or the closing ceremony which was garbage IMHO. Oops.
Instead I'm going to try and find my own personal legacy. The slogan of the Games was 'Inspire a Generation', and assuming this refers to the 35-44 year-old category, I feel it is my duty to be inspired. And I am. Watching Wiggins destroy the field in the time trial, Murray fall to his knees on Centre Court and Rudisha storm the 800 metres, all sent a shiver down my spine.
But the event I most enjoyed was the Triathlon, and specifically the Brownlee brothers working together to drive each other on to success. More than their obvious sporting brilliance, it was their attitude that inspired me, Alistair at the finish saying nonchalantly, yet without pretence or bravado, that Triathlon is about pushing yourself to absolute limits. That is inspiring, and if I can take a little piece of that attitude and apply it to my own life it can only be a good thing.
Perhaps if we can all find our own way of using the Games to achieve a positive personal outcome, whether its getting fit, volunteering in our community or something else, then collectively we could achieve a social legacy that is significant. So I'm going to do a triathlon next summer, I'm committing myself to that now. I'm going to have to get fit, stay committed and find myself a bike, but I'm sure that if I manage to achieve this, it will make me a healthier, happier, better member of society.
I'd love to go on this journey with some other people so if you'd like to join me, whatever your level of fitness please let me know. Kick4Life will pay for your place and you'll just need to raise a very achievable minimum £250. (Date and event TBC).
Email email@example.com to get involved
- Jun
Case Study by S'thape, Literacy Programme Coordinator
Above: Kekeletso and S'thape
Kekeletso Tsietsi was 17 when he started living on the street in 2010. He comes from Qoaling in the Maseru Districts and has three siblings. He has lost both parents and therefore came from a child headed house-hold. It was a need to earn money that drove him to the streets.
"I went to the streets so that l can have enough money to buy anything I wanted", says Kekeletso. Before, Kekeletso used to commute daily to make money by carrying shopping bags for consumers, and then he decided to live on the streets permanently hoping to receive more money. However once he left home, life was not as glamorous as he predicted. The police threatened them a number of times with guns, and they could not enjoy a good night sleep because the people passing by threw stones at them. Not forgetting the cold and harsh weather conditions that he had to endure every night when going to sleep, these are some of the challenges that Kekeletso had to go through in order to survive the streets of Maseru.
Kekeletso also started smoking and eventually spent most of the money he earned on the street gratifying his habit. The main motivation of going to the streets which was to buy clothes was also not achieved because he had no place to store such clothes, and nowhere to clean them when they got dirty.
Kekeletso heard about Kick4Life and got involved through the Street League project which gives children and young people on the street the chance to play football and learn about HIV prevention. He says: "Kick4Life has helped me a lot because I did not know about HIV and how the virus is transmitted."
He was also assigned to one of Kick4Life's mentors who developed a care plan to support Kekeletso in accessing key services and to help him develop vital skills for pursuing a successful future. This includes learning to read and write and he has joined Kick4Life's Literacy Programme which helps young people gain key basic skills. He attends regular sessions at the centre and hopes to use this as a springboard to successful career.
He also participates in a course to help youth develop basic social and financial skills.. This has provided him with knowledge on saving money and using money appropriately and has helped him visualize the goals he has in life and what he needs to do in order to achieve them: He says: "I want to go to vocational school to learn wood work in order to earn a living. My dreams are to own my own home and to be able to help others who find themselves in a similar situation, as I have lived a very disadvantaged life myself."
Kekeletso has received an award as a participant in the Literacy Programme with the best attendance, and is also part of the Kick4Life Recycling Scheme, an income generating initiative set up by Kick4Life to help young people get back into education and training. By conducting collections of recyclable waste from subscribing customers, participants earn points which are translated into funds that can go towards their school and college fees.
With support from the Kick4Life mentor, Kekeletso has also been repatriated with his family and has gone back home to live with his siblings in Qoaling. "I will never go back to the streets because of the challenges that I faced there, and the environment there does not suit my new lifestyle."
- May
Into Africa PremiereKick4Life Volunteer Chris Bullock talks about an upcoming event to help Kick4Life change lives in Lesotho...
In September 2011 the world's greatest football freestyler John Farnworth travelled to Lesotho as part of an All Stars tour. His brother Mark came along too and filmed John's experience. Now the documentary 'Into Africa' is ready to launch!
On Friday May 25, we will be holding what promises to be a fantastic evening at Longridge Golf Club in Preston. It is sure to be a night which will provide great entertainment, many laughs but more importantly raise awareness and funds for the excellent work Kick4Life does.
The 'Into Africa' documentary will, through John's experience, give an excellent account of a Kick4Life tour to Lesotho, which includes delivering health education, playing football against local teams and experiencing the beauty of Lesotho's mountain region.
After gaining a great insight in to the truly amazing work that Kick4Life does and what the tour offers, the audience will be treated to some incredible entertainment, starting with a freestyle show from John, who will be displaying his breathtaking array skills which have wowed audiences right across the world. To get a taster check out this
The evening will also feature football impersonator Darren Farley who has been on many a tv shows including Soccer AM. He is sure to include some brilliant impressions of the new England manager, Roy Hodgson! Some of Darren's work can be seen here
The entry fee is £10 - the amount it costs to provide one child with health education and HIV testing, with those testing positive referred to ongoing medical treatment and support. There will also be a hotpot for every ticket holder, a DJ along with a raffle and auction with fantastic items up for grabs, including a signed Manchester United football kindly donated by the club.
So why not come along, have a great night, many laughs and find out more about a fantastic cause.
To buy tickets please e-mail email@example.com or e-mail email@example.com for more details.
- Apr
Be YourselfKick4Life has launched a writing club in Lesotho, helping young people to develop basics skills and express themselves through literature.
The following fictional piece was written by Limpho Phokojoe, a Kick4Life volunteer. She uses this story to emphasise the importance of having the strength to be your own person and not always follow the decisions of others. It gives a good idea of some of the tensions and challenges faced by young Basotho in terms of life choices - sometimes the fairytale life is not all that it seems.
Be Yourself
We should all be like a mirror, it never loses its ability to reflect, even when it is broken into a thousand pieces.
All that Mpho wanted was to be like her Aunt Lineo. She thought she was the coolest person ever. Mpho knew her Aunt Lineo was the best person to be around. The rich men in her village would drive her home every night when she went out. Lineo had all a person would want in life: A big house, a nice car, expensive furniture, and all the amazing clothes a woman can have. She was really Mpho's role model, she was all that Mpho thought was the best life to live for. Not the devastating life she was living with her sister, Lerato. Their mother died when Mpho was only six and their father died the following year, after she turned seven.
Mpho only knew the good side of Lineo's life and thought that was how life should be. She did not know that Lineo got all the things she had by being a sex worker, she did not know how bad and cruel this life was. She was HIV positive because she did not use condoms all the time she had sex with her customers. She seemed to be living a good life and people thought she had it all, but in reality she lived the worst life ever.
One day when Mpho went over to her Aunt's place, she found her in a bad state. She looked sick and Mpho told her she better go and see a doctor. Lineo told her she was not sick but worried: " I am worried because I realise you want to take the wrong route", she said. Mpho thought that was crazy.
"Why do you say I want to take the wrong direction?" she asked looking surprised.
"Mpho, I know you might think I am the best person to hang with, but I'm not. You might think I have got it all, yes it might look like it, but I regret every moment of my life. All I ever wanted was to have money and good things and I did not realise that I was digging a grave for myself. I am HIV positive, I date married men and, worst of all, I am a sex worker. I do not want you to be like me," she said in a sad, bold voice.
Lineo continued with her serious talk: "Mpho, my niece, I want to tell you the truth about life. Your life changes the moment you make a decision to act against life's challenges in a positive way. I did not do that. I made a negative decision. Mpho, in life, the biggest contest is against yourself. Measure yourself against yourself not against anyone else. Be yourself, not anyone else. Live to be you, not me and starting today, you should be yourself."
- Mar
Oh When the Saints go Marching in...to Lesotho
Just a five minute walk from the quiet road where I grew up, Southampton Common is an unusually large wedge of woodland and fields in the heart of the city's suburban sprawl. Here my friend Stuart Pollard and I spent many hours fishing for carp and roach in the lake, riding our bikes up and down the 'Bassett Bumps' and a few years later, and with varying degrees of success on both counts, drinking cider and trying to pull girls. But most of all we played football.
We normally started with a game of 'three-and-in' or 'headers and volleys', but before long we'd spot another group of kids doing the same thing and would intentionally miss-hit the ball in their direction. Upon collecting it we would state the challenge, Fancy a match?
Our passion for the game was also fuelled by our love of Southampton Football Club, and during the eighties and early nineties when I lived in the city, the Saints were a decent top flight outfit. The charismatic Dell stadium was half a mile down the road, and for just £1.50 we could stand on the terraces and watch our heroes take on the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United.
I left Southampton 15 years ago but am occasionally back in the city to visit friends and family. Over the last few years I've had another reason to return, with Southampton FC supporting Kick4Life through donations and fundraising opportunities. This link came via Pete, my brother and Kick4Life co-founder, who used to coach at the club.
Recently this partnership reached another level with a Southampton Supporters Tour to Lesotho planned for February 2013, and we are now looking for fans of the club to join us for an amazing ten-day experience.
For Pete and I this is one of the most exciting developments yet in the Kick4Life journey, not only because it involves our home club, but because it demonstrates how the football industry and football supporters in the UK can make a real difference for some of the world's most disadvantaged children. All through a shared love of the game.
Find out more about the tour here
- Mar
Making Kick4Life's Curriculum Accessible For AllKick4Life District Co-ordinator Stango talks about his experience of how Kick4Life has overcome the challenges of reaching young people who are often left out of HIV prevention activities, for example because of disability.
We had gone through several different schools in our district and we were unaware that we had been skipping Mount Royal School of the Deaf, not because we had deliberately decided to do so. But maybe because the coaches and I were not observant enough to attend to this school until one of the coaches approached me and made me aware that there is this school with disabled kids whom we haven't facilitated. The coach asked as to what we could do about them.
Firstly I didn't know what exactly we had to do or where to start because those kids too needed help - they also need to get the Kick4Life HIV Prevention Programme just as much as others. We had to come up with something, but what that something was, we really didn't know. We had no skills in facilitating deaf people at all, we had no techniques at all besides the wonderful curriculum.
I met the principal anyway and made arrangements. The next day the coaches were busy in circles with the kids. What a difficult task... communication was going one side and the response was something else. The coaches did not know what was being said in response.
The only thing the kids could enjoy was the Kilo (a way of praising people by clapping and pointing to the person being praised)!! But you would like to see a 'SILENT KILO' and the pointing of fingers to one another. Kids were happy and enjoying, but at the same time the coaches felt they were not doing their best. An interpreter had to join us in the few minutes because matters were getting worse.
Apparently, some organizations had come to the school and left even before completing their duties due to lack of good communication with the kids. They had promised to come back soon, or maybe after they had gone through the sign language courses, but I was told they never came back.
This made Kick4Life a unique organization because through the help of the interpreter, we were able to reach these unreachable kids. At Kick4Life we don't run away from a challenge. We have completed the interventions with this school by working together and using the support of the interpreter, and now that we know that we can, we won't be afraid to seek out those who are hard to reach in the future.
The movie below shows some facilitation with deaf children at one of the schools in Leribe. This is a Kick4Life coach and a teacher of Mount Royal Primary working hand in hand to see to it that all children get exactly what the coaches are facilitating during interventions. This is not an easy task to perform because it is time consuming because a coach has to wait for a translator to finish up her part and then carry on.
Hope u enjoy watching this clip and give feedback on how best this should/could be done.
- Jan
Being a Role Model, by Seff, age 20My name is Sefakoane F. Ntsoane, A.K.A. Seff, and I am a recent coach at Kick4Life. The day that I made the decision to come to Kick4Life was the most incredible day and the best choice I have ever made in my life. To begin with, I am a young scientist who is working slowly towards being a civil engineer, and I am certain you can imagine how hard it was for me to engage in social work initially! However, this does not mean that I had no intentions of changing other people's lives, especially young people. Making a difference was always my motive, whether socially, economically or politically. Being a coach changed me a lot, from the outside in. I now know how to listen to other people when they express their points of view (in K4L language, it is called being an elephant). For instance, when I was in school, I was always a group leader, but an unfair one I would say, because my word was always final. I would not take a point raised after my conclusion. In contrast, working with kids made me listen to their points of view when they talked about their experiences in life. This kind of conversation usually takes place at interventions [when we go out to deliver the Kick4Life curriculum]. In every practise in the K4L coaches play book, there is a part where participants are encouraged to share their personal, real stories; for example sharing with the group a time when they experienced someone close in an unhealthy relationship, and how they assisted that person. At this time and others I was forced to listen more and talk less. I learned that different ideas from different people can change lives. Furthermore, working with kids gave me an opportunity to learn how a person is like from the way they talk and their actions. This skill of being aware and focussed helps me a lot with identifying people who have problems or who may need my help without asking them whether they do. Sometimes, when I am delivering an intervention and one of my participants is not OK, I am capable of seeing that, and as a role model and coach I have to get to the bottom of the situation. One time I was facilitating at a local primary school, one of my participants was always sad or frequently did not participate when I talked about HIV and ARVs [Anti-Retro-Viral drugs]. I took the initiative of asking her privately and the answer that I got was reasonable: she said her sister had tested positive and her CD4 count is low, but the problem is that she prefers to die than to take ARVs, and she truly loved her sister. Last but not least, I have learned to be considerate. I am very passionate about helping others in any way that I can. Moreover I have acquired certain skills of managing a large group of kids which I never knew before. I have changed as a leader because I can organise and lead a group of people better than before. In addition, I am now good at asking questions and answering people's questions logically. Working with kids is really fun and challenging; they look up to me and I have to be a real teacher, who does not only preach but also practices what he preaches. Being a coach and role model is a life time experience and I sincerely encourage everybody to try it. They will definitely reap good results in the end.
- Dec
Lesotho blog post from Puky, Kick4Life Coach, age 22When I first heard about Kick4Life, I had no idea or interest in what it was about, I only wanted to travel and go places because the first time I heard about Kick4Life they told me they were going to the World Cup! I was with two friends and we were welcomed at Kick4Life, everyone who was there that day made us come every day because of their smile that was dancing at the corners of their lips. As time went by, there was a moment when we were playing games from the K4L playbook he he he! I had no idea of what I was doing, not bearing in mind that every game has a message. Mark my words people! I only understood when we were doing the last game, and I felt like we should start the games from the beginning. I became a peer educator, and after a short time I became a coach. What a nice time, working with different students from different backgrounds; it is challenging, but very terrific. My life then changed for the better, I then realised that for someone to change other people's lives is for her / him to start by first changing themselves. When I speak about changing, I am speaking about myself. I was just someone who does not care for other people, all that mattered was me. I remember in the year 2009 my aunt was suffering from HIV. She trusted me so much that she opened up to me, but I never cared for her, all I was doing was not giving her the support that she needed. Crazy me, I thought I knew but I was so in denial, I did not know anything. My aunt lost her life to AIDS and her death did not mean anything to me. At this point in my life Kick4Life came to my rescue. I was so shocked by her death, that not giving support to people living with HIV makes them feel alone and helpless, I then felt guilty and thought the guiltiness would last for the rest of my life. I thought: Oh no! There are counsellors at Kick4Life, why can't I contact them? I then made my move, I opened up and shared my story that was eating me inside, but the counsellor just wiped my tears and totally removed the pain that was inside. I then vowed that I would support people living with HIV, and teach others to do the same. I am motivated because I now know my strengths and my goals, and have erased the weakness and risks that challenged me. I have built relationships with people who support; supporters who help others to succeed and help others to bounce back and stay strong when facing challenges. Without Kick4Life I could not have know all this, I really thank Kick4Life with my whole heart, and in all my work here I hope to pass this strength and support on.
- Nov
It's a Goal!Today I turned 35. The official start of middle age. The end of youth. I was starting to feel sorry for myself, and then I heard the news about Gary Speed. My lasting memory of Speed will always be his performance for Leeds in a 4-0 win against Southampton in the 1991/92 season. I was a young Southampton fan and despite the heavy loss I remember feeling like I'd seen a special performance, and it was no surprise that Leeds went on to win the league. Speed, along with Strachan, was phenomenal that night. If I'm completely honest I never felt he went on to fulfill the potential that he showed in his first few seasons, when it looked like he could be a truly great player. But what he clearly did become was a model professional, with a great attitude, a commitment to keeping in top physical shape, the ability to mentor and support young players and, outside of the game, a dedicated family man. That such a person, rich in wealth and success, popular and loved, could see suicide as the only option seems staggering. But this I suppose is the nature of depression - indiscriminate. If anything good can come from a tragedy like this, it will be that Speed's death will help to diminish the stigma that undoubtedly still surrounds depression. In the competitive and power-fuelled world of professional sport in particular, it must be hard to seek help for an illness that it so often mistakenly associated with weakness. But over the last few years a number of projects have emerged which show that football can also be an effective vehicle for promoting mental wellbeing. The It's a Goal! Foundation uses the game to address mental health problems among men, who are four times more likely to kill themselves than young women. By running activities at a growing number of football clubs, the Foundation engages this hard-to-reach group in a way that traditional service provision cannot do, and it also uses the game as part of it's approach to helping people overcome depression. If you are interested check it out here: http://www.itsagoal.org.uk/ And here's some action from the Southampton v Leeds match: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd2l7UdUc7M
- Nov
Welcome to the new Kick4Life Lesotho blog!By Camilla Higgins, Communications Intern at Kick4Life The idea of these blog posts is to provide an update on activities at the centre, but also an insight into the minds and experiences of the people here who really put Kick4Life's purpose into action, working with the young people of Lesotho to encourage and support them towards healthy, productive futures. This is a unique space for the staff, coaches and volunteers in Lesotho to talk about what is important to them, and to share experiences, and for readers to delve into the reality of being a young person in Lesotho through the eyes of the people who work with them most closely. As the new Communications Intern at Kick4Life in Lesotho, I wanted to get the ball rolling by sharing an experience I had during my first week here when I went out to see a group of coaches delivering the famous Kick4Life curriculum at a school outside Maseru. The journey there was an experience itself as I transgressed the city limits for the first time: smooth roads and familiar urban structures quickly giving way to potholed tracks and scattered, dusty roadside villages, a world away from wet and green Northern Ireland. We eventually arrived at the school where two groups of children in green uniforms were playing games with two pairs of coaches. Of course a Kick4Life intervention is much more than just games, and the coaches were using these activities as a fun way to introduce the principles of team support and healthy decision-making. Aside from the innovative nature of the curriculum, what really inspired me was the enthusiasm of the young coaches who were delivering it. Fully embracing their status as role models in a way I cannot imagine my own group of friends having done as teenagers, these young men and women were really passionate about sharing what they had learned through Kick4Life; encouraging children to think about the impact of their decisions and support one another. Nothing like the subdued, nonchalant teenagers I remember hanging out with, these guys really cared about the message they were confidently sending out, and willingly shouldered the responsibility this entails. I was there just to learn more about Kick4Life's programmes, but I came away with a renewed sense of confidence, boosted by that of the volunteers, in the organisation's purpose, and in my being here to work towards achieving that. The best evidence of the happiness and satisfaction this left me with is the scribbled smiley face in my notebook. It is the confidence and generous spirit of young Basotho like these that make the wheels of Kick4Life turn here in Lesotho, and that really have the potential to dent the prevalence of HIV and poverty in this unique kingdom. Although you visitors to the website may be too far away to experience an intervention first hand, as I was lucky enough to do, I hope that you get a similar buzz of joy from reading the posts on this blog as I did that day. Welcome to Lesotho!
- Nov
Err, excuse me Your HighnessAs the taxi made its way down the winding road to Monte Carlo I had that rare and pleasant sensation of timelessness. This could have been the roaring twenties, and my cab ride the final leg towards a summer of cocktails and Jazz. But I was quickly jolted back into 2011 by the unmistakably modern bleep of a text message. It was Opodo informing me that my flight home tomorrow would be on time. This really was going to be a flying visit. I was on my way to Monaco for the Peace & Sport Awards, a glittering event in the Sport for Development calendar. My book Eleven, was one of three nominations for the Special Jury Prize, and it seemed an appropriate location given the key message of the book - how the great wealth of sport at the highest level can be mobilised to promote development for the many millions of impoverished global fans. The tarmaced streets of the Monaco Grand Prix are certainly a far cry from the dust bowl football pitches of rural Lesotho, and the imbalanced dichotomy of the sporting whole has never seemed so stark. As it turned out I would not win the prize, beaten to it by a United Nations comic which uses celebrities to promote peace. But I had another key objective. In the days leading up to the trip it had come to my attention that one of the leading dignitaries at the event would be King Letsie III of Lesotho. This was an interesting coincidence and a great chance to secure royal favour for Kick4Life. So my mission was simple: engage royal target in conversation about Kick4Life, invite him to our new centre and generally make a good impression. Easier said than done. On arrival at the Awards Dinner the King and the other royals from Monaco and Burundi were quickly and directly escorted from their vehicle to the head table. Furthermore there was now a large security presence positioned around the room, one bearing an uncanny resemblance to Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard - sharp suit, hair brushed forward, finger permanently in one ear presumably listening to some unseen observer indicating potential threats. It crossed my mind to let the opportunity pass, but eventually, between the main course and dessert, and armed with a copy of my book and a Kick4Life brochure I walked towards the toilet. As I neared the head table I took a sharp right, went straight for King Letsie and, without having pre-planned my opening gambit, stuttered: Err, excuse me Your Highness. Thankfully, having previously met Pete in 2006, the King was well aware of Kick4Life and he was complimentary about our efforts in Lesotho, adding that he was very much looking forward to visiting the new centre. After chatting for a few minutes he enthusiastically accepted the materials I proffered and warmly shook my hand before I retreated to table 9. Lesotho has a rich royal heritage dating back to the courageous and brilliant King Moshoeshoe who forged the nation in the 1800s, and having been received so kindly and humbly by the current King it is easy to see why the monarchy is still so highly revered by the Basotho people. As the night bus passed the yacht-filled harbour and the flashing lights of the casinos back to the hotel, I reflected on the Mountain Kingdom, thousands of miles to the south. It really is an honour to serve both King and country.
- Oct
And it's no sacrifice (at least not on the new pitch please)It's hard to select something to focus on from my incredibly eventful last two weeks in Lesotho. I could opt for the continuing trials and tribulations of a nearly middle-aged man playing football in Africa which resulted in a broken elbow and cracked ribs, or perhaps the landmark opening of the new centre attended by Lucas Radebe and hundreds of friends from Lesotho and internationally. There was also the tour experience itself with a brilliant group of people, the hundreds of children reached with health education, singing and dancing, games around the camp-fire and the always moving visit to a local orphanage. Instead I find myself drawn to a couple of events which seem to epitomize the contrasts between my existence here in the UK and the traditional way of life in Africa. The first occurred after our opening match against a group of teachers at a local school. Hundreds of children turned up to watch am impressive 5-1 win for the All Stars, but is was after the final whistle that things really got exciting. John Farnworth, freestyle champion and Kick4Life Ambassador, began to perform at the side of the pitch. It resulted in unbridled pandemonium, and John's mesmeric talents prompted a number of students to question whether he was using witchcraft. To us this seemed ridiculous, but to the children, who had never seen anything like it, it was a natural assumption. Thankfully, another ball was found, and John was able to convince the crowd that he had not in fact bewitched the football. The second event occurred during the opening of the new Football for Hope centre. A busy programme was lined up including a number of cultural performances, football matches, speeches, a ribbon cutting and the release of 13 helium balloons symbolising the 1300 children Kick4Life will reach at the centre each year. But for a couple of Kick4Life coaches one key ingredient was missing: the public sacrifice of two chickens on the pitch as a thank you to the Gods. When we realised what was planned, marked by the arrival of two plump white birds in a cardboard box, we quickly persuaded the coaches to escort their feathered friends off the premises. We had managed to avert a PR disaster and a live streaming of slaughter to a global audience via the Internet. Of course we were never going to let this happen, but perhaps we should not be so horrified by local customs and traditions. To those involved this was an important way to mark a hugely significant development in their country and in their lives. These two incidents showed me how easily we can dismiss things we don't understand, and how we can become rigidly boxed in our own cultural frame. Going to Lesotho always takes me a little out of my comfort zone, and you know what? I love it. Why not join me next year.
- Sep
Changing Lives through Football - a new blog by Kick4Life's Steve FlemingChanging Lives Through Football When a 33 year-old unfit Englishman plays full-back against a team of strapping young Africans under a tropical sun you can be sure of two things - he will suffer, and he will scythe. Trust me, l've been there. The trouble is I'm now 34 and later this month I'm heading out to Lesotho once again for more punishment. Over the last few months my much considered fitness plan has been delayed with every conceivable excuse, until today, with the impending vision of a barefooted Basotho charging down the wing at Bolt-like.pace, stirring me into a futile four mile jog through the Cambridgeshire countryside. But while I maintain plans to halt my alarming descent into middle-aged portliness and recapture the fitness of my youth, or at least a semblance of it, the upcoming tour of Lesotho is about far more than just playing the game. Back in 2005 my brother Pete and I founded a charity called Kick4Life which uses the popularity of football as a tool to deliver a programme of health education, life-skills development, HIV testing and mentoring for orphans and vulnerable children. The project is based in the beautiful and little-known country of Lesotho, and six years on Kick4Life has worked with more than 40,000 boys and girls, has a staff team of 17 and has even managed to bag a few awards. Along the way we've also come into contact with many other projects around the world using football as a tool for social development. My trip in a few weeks time is the fourth Kick4Life All Stars Tour - a two-week opportunity for fundraisers to play football in Africa and be trained to deliver some of our health education and life-skills activities to young people. It is a great experience and since the first tour in 2007 more than 60 people, men and women ranging from 19-71 have taken part, raising vital funds and reaching thousands of children with life-saving messages - an example of voluntourism that really does leave a lasting positive legacy for everyone involved. But this upcoming tour is extra special because it coincides with the opening of the Lesotho Football for Hope Centre. The main legacy scheme of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is called 20 Centres for 2010, and involves building twenty sport, health and education facilities across Africa. Kick4Life was chosen by FIFA and streetfootballworld to host the centre in Lesotho, providing a fantastic venue for us to run programmes for vulnerable children for many years to come. On the 24th September 2011 an opening ceremony will take place and we are thrilled that so many friends and colleagues from around the world can join us. The last six years have involved meeting some wonderful people, moments of great hilarity, astonishing incidents, ups and downs, a trip to the circus with the third in line to the throne and even a chicken offered in exchange for a tatty old football. This blog is an opportunity to share with you the ongoing journey of Kick4Life and my experiences in the wider world of Development through Football. I'll aim to blog about once a month, nothing too long. Hope you'll be back in October.
- Apr
Fantastic Football Memorabilia for AuctionSome fantastic prizes have been donated to Kick4Life and we are now auctioning them to raise funds for our work in Lesotho. The items include a Man Utd treble winning football and a stunning signed Gareth Bale display. Bidding closes at 11pm GMT on April 14th. Bids will be taken both online and at the Quiz 4 Life night at The White Hart Pub, 1 Mile End Road, London. The quiz starts at 9pm on the 14th. To bid on any item, or to donate further items to the auction, please email firstname.lastname@example.com or Steve on call 07710 999 169 All items come with a Certificate of Authenticity. You can check out all the items here www.kick4life.org/auction.php Massive thanks to Preeti Shetty for organizing this auction!
- Mar
Latest news from LesothoAs the centre construction continues apace, the Kick4Life team in Lesotho is working hard to ensure our day-to-day delivery continues to effectively reach many young people. There are lots of exciting and innovative developments on the go, and these efforts have been boosted by the recent appointment of Daniela Gusman as Country Director. Here is a snapshot from the first two months of 2011: - A new project called "Women's Ambitions for a Better Future" has been launched for vulnerable young women helping teenage mothers and orphaned and vulnerable girls living on the streets. - The Care & Support Programme for orphans and vulnerable children continues to develop and improve. 4 street kids have been re-integrated with their families and placed back in school. - We have launched a Recycling Programme for the Street Kids - first recycling initiative in Lesotho where street kids will be able to generate their own income which will be used for schooling, food and shelter. - We have also just launched a Kick4Life HIV Help Textline thanks to Vodacom Lesotho with weekly HIV awareness messages going out to the mountain kingdom. The response has been phenomenal with over 40,000 responses so far and the Information Communication Technology Campaign only started at the end of January and will run till the end of the year. - 40 new volunteer coaches have been trained in Maseru & Leribe to continue with the roll-out of the K4L Curriculum (health education and life-skills) to youths in new communities. Check back soon for more news...
- Feb
Welcome to the new Kick4Life websiteWelcome to the new Kick4Life website, and massive thanks to our online partners footytube.com who have invested their time and expertise in producing and hosting this fantastic new website free of charge. We hope you enjoy browsing the site and some of the exciting things we have going on right now - a few highlights... On April 17 leading football freestyler John Farnworth is attempting to complete the London Marathon to raise funds for Kick4Life. The construction of the Lesotho Football for Hope Centre is well underway with the date of the opening event to be announced soon. Join our new supporter club Kick4Life FC. For just £10 or more a month you can use your love of football to help Kick4Life change more lives. You are also entered into our annual prize draw, receive a Kick4Life t-shirt and get regular updates about how your support is making a difference. Please join us. That's all for now. Check back soon for more updates.
- Sep
Kick4Life wins Beyond Sport Award
Kick4Life was awarded the prestigious Sport for Health Award at the second Beyond Sport Summit in Chicago in September 2010. Up against some tough competition, Kick4Life won for its range of programmes focused on orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho, including health education and prevention, HIV testing, treatment and stigma reduction. Pete Fleming, K4L cofounder, who collected the award from Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, one of the world's most successful Paralympian's, said: "This is wonderful recognition for our team who have worked hard over the last four years to make a tangible difference in Lesotho. I would like to thank all of our supporters, fundraisers and volunteers who have played a key role in helping Kick4Life gain this award." As a winner Kick4Life will receive a minimum donation of $15,000 funding and a package of substantial business support. Pete added: "We look forward to using this award as a springboard to further developing the organisation, enhancing our delivery and reaching more young people." For information on all the winners visit: http://www.beyondsport.org/mediacentre/press-release/view/1346
- Jul
Prince Harry plays for K4L in HIV awareness football match
Prince Harry plays an activity from the K4L Curriculum with youth from Butha-Buthe
Prince Harry in action for Kick4Life
Prince Harry recently joined volunteers from Kick4Life and Sentebale in an HIV awareness football match against his army regiment from the Household Cavalry, Burnaby Blue.
The match was the concluding part of an HIV awareness day that launched K4L's programmes in the Butha-Buthe district of Lesotho.Over 500 youth attended the event that included interactive HIV education activities from the K4L Curriculum, HIV testing and football matches.
The match between Kick4Life and Burnaby Blue was a tightly contested battle. Despite conceding early on Kick4Life went into half-time 3-1 up. However, two goals in two minutes at the start of the second half brought Burnaby Blue level. Despite further chances at both ends no more goals were scored with the match ending in an honourable 3-3 draw.
Kick4Life and Prince Harry's charity Sentebale have formed a strategic alliance in Lesotho. The support from Sentebale is focussed on assisting K4L's work with orphans and vulnerable children and HIV positive youth. In particular this support is centred on the K4L Sports Scholarship Scheme.
- May
Two youth from the Kick 4 Life programme meet Beckham and the England team
Two boys from Kick 4 Life's programme in Lesotho had the trip of a lifetime when they were flown more than six thousand miles to meet some of the biggest names in world football to raise awareness of HIV.
Just two months before, 14 year-old Tsehla Rachere had tested negative for HIV during a Kick 4 Life Test Your Team event in Maseru. Over 350 other children were tested that day, with those who were found to be positive subsequently referred to life-saving anti-retroviral treatment. Tsehla's test had taken place in unique circumstances, in the presence of England manager Fabio Capello during an English FA visit to the African country. It was an experience that led an emotional Capello to champion the role of football as a tool for social good, and which saw Tsehla presented with an incredible opportunity.
Funded by the Sun newspaper, Tsehla and his friend Keketso Maanela, 15, who is HIV positive, were flown to London where they attended an England training session, meeting the likes of David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. Keketso said: "I discovered I was HIV positive in 2005. I was put on life-saving drug treatment and now I feel great and normal again. It's not nice to hear you are HIV positive, but as time goes by you have to accept it."
Keketso is part of the Mamohato Network for HIV positive children- an initiative set up by Prince Seesio and Prince Harry's charity Sentebale that aims to empower children with the communication and life skills that help them to deal with and live with their HIV status. The network was set up to provide much needed education about living with HIV for children in Lesotho and to offer them a safe, loving and respectful environment. Kick 4 Life deliver their life skills curriculum to youth throughout the network.
During the meet up at England's training ground David Beckham said: "read about Mr Capello watching the young boy having an HIV test and it was very moving. It's very important to break down the stigma around HIV."
Pete Fleming, K4L Director, said: "This was a fantastic opportunity for the boys to meet some of their heroes. The England team are huge stars in Africa and having them meet the boys is important in breaking down the prejudice surrounding HIV. It has also to further promote the positive changes that can be achieved through the power of football."
- Apr
England Head Coach Fabio Capello visits Kick 4 Life in Maseru
On April 16th, 2008 England Head Coach Fabio Capello attended an event staged by Kick 4 Life (K4L) in Maseru.
Along with former England goalkeeper Ray Clemence, Capello attended the next stage of K4L's award winning Test Your Team campaign. The initiative links football tournaments for youth with on-site HIV education and testing between matches. At the event more than 500 youth took part in K4L's HIV educational activities, which teach youth about HIV transmission, pathology, stigma and testing in an interactive and engaging way.
Throughout the day the football and HIV educational activities successfully created an atmosphere of positive peer pressure, encouraging the youth to test en masse. Nearly 300 people were tested for HIV at the event. Those who tested positive were immediately referred to the Baylor Paediatric Clinic for further evaluation, care and treatment.
Pete Fleming, co-founder of Kick 4 Life said "The campaign links the universal power of football with HIV testing and education. In Lesotho there is a huge stigma attached to getting tested and the disease in general. Knowing your HIV status in this country is not only a springboard for staying negative but it is also a gateway for accessing free anti-retroviral services".
In Lesotho, less than 10% of males and only 11% of females actually know their HIV status and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare estimates that close to 18,000 children are HIV positive. Currently there are fewer than 2,000 HIV positive children enrolled in anti-retroviral treatment and strong efforts are being made to reach a target of 3,500 children by the end of 2008.
Fabio Capello toured the site, observed two of the interactive HIV educational activities and gave coaching tips to one of the teams who had qualified for the final of the football tournament. The England Head Coach also observed an HIV test conducted by Population Services International (PSI), a moment he would later describe as one of the most moving experiences of his life.
Capello said: "What Kick 4 Life are doing here is fantastic and we need to encourage and support this type of programme.I suppose you could say this was a very good experience for our soul because it makes you understand the hardships in the world.I feel enriched because I have seen things that make me think and whenever you think, you get richer."
The event was staged in partnership with the Lesotho Football Association, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Baylor Paediatric Clinic and PSI.
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text:
Industry experts agree that there's no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to the provisioning of mobile devices. The two popular options are to have employees pick up all costs or to have the employee and company each pay a part (usually through a company stipend). Whichever option a business adopts, businesses should seize upon the willingness of employees to pay for some of all of their devices, service plans, and even apps, advises Ted Schadler, a principal analyst at Forrester Research.
The ideal route to consumerization at Nationwide Insurance, a company with 40,000 employees, is to keep BYOD cost-neutral. One quarter of its employees are reimbursed for their device, and these users will receive reimbursement for a new smartphone of their choice when their current contract runs out. (These employees mostly have BlackBerrys, as that had been the corporate standard.) All other employees are free to purchase a device and data plan of their choice at their own expense and request access to the corporate network.
Today, about 4,000 employees at Nationwide -- 3,500 smartphone users and 500 iPad users -- use non-BlackBerry devices and are managed through the insurer's new mobile device management (MDM) platform, from Good Technology. Of those 4,000 users, more than 1,000 are selfprovisioned BYOD users.
Policy around usage, or protecting the data, is every organization's No. 1 concern. At Nationwide, users agree to usage terms when they sign up for BYOD. In the spirit of shared ownership, BYOD users must understand that the company has a business to run and retains the right to discontinue usage or wipe a device when necessary. Users must also use passwords and encryption. For some individuals or groups, business usage of BYOD devices may be prohibited; Nationwide disallows BYOD use by employees paid hourly and by employees subject to certain regulations.
Management in the era of BYOD
BYOD and MDM go hand in hand. It's a key tool for the enterprise to track, monitor, and manage the mobile experience while securing business data and intellectual property. Gartner estimates that about 60 vendors offer MDM tools, about two dozen of which are viable for the enterprise.
Critical MDM capabilities that companies should look for in a product include support for device diversity, policy enforcement, security and compliance, containerization of applications and content, inventory management, software distribution, administration and reporting, and IT service management. It was these capabilities that Active Interest Media (AIM) sought out as the number of BYOD devices climbed and concerns about corporate exposure grew. (AIM's 400 employees in 12 offices produce magazines, consumer events, websites, and books.)
IT executives must remember that although tools are important, it's critical that the policies they execute make sense for both the company and the user. In other words, if you lock down too much or impose too many limitations, you're guaranteed to get user pushback and workarounds.
Done right, consumerization fosters a new relationship between the employee and IT and the employee and the business -- one that is more equitable and adult. Empowered employees are a business's best friend. A recent Forrester report, "How Consumerization Drives Innovation," concludes that empowerment does in fact drive innovation. These selftaught experts not only know how to use smartphones, tablets, and Web apps like Google Docs and Dropbox, they know what they're good for and how they can help the business. And they're willing to do just that. Furthermore, the research shows empowered employees improve work processes and productivity.

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Ultra Laboratrories Ultra Botanicals Ginkgo Biloba Extract - 180 Capsules
Ultra Botanicals Ginkgo Biloba Extract may help cerebral vascular health, short-term memory, headaches and ringing in the ears. They have combined organic Ginkgo Biloba powder and a standardized extract to insure you also recieve natural benefits of the whole plant. Ginkgo biloba is the world's oldest living species of tree. Individual trees live as long as 1,000 years. Ginkgo grows most predominantly in the southern and eastern United States, southern France, China, and Korea. The leaves of the tree are used in modern herbal medicine. Medicinal use of ginkgo can be traced back almost 5,000 years in Chinese herbal medicine. The nuts of the tree were most commonly recommended and used to treat respiratory tract ailments. The use of the leaves is a modern development originating in Europe.
Say "No" to Magnesium Stearate!Numerous studies have shown that stearic acid (one of the two components found in magnesium stearate) is toxic! Some of the most alarming research found regarding stearic acid is that it has been shown to be immuno-suppressive! Stearic acid has been confirmed to suppress T-cell function (immune function) in several landmark articles which were published in Biochemistry in 1989 and also in Immunology Magazine in 1990 and 1994. In addition, stearic acid (found in almost EVERY capsule and tablet sold) has been shown in human and animal studies to cause "programmed cell death" (apoptosis) in both heart and nerve tissue as published in both the American Journal of Medical Sciences in 1999 and the Journal of Neurochemistry in 2003.
Ultra Botanicals is committed to creating only clean, additive-free products and having this be a priority on each of their new labels was of the utmost importance. You can be 100% certain that their ingredients are offered to you in the purest form possible. They believe a natural and pure product is every customer's right. Not all Supplements are the Same! Ultra Botanicals' products do NOT contain: Magnesium Stearate, Flow Agents, Fillers, Chemicals or Irradiated Ingredients.
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It was the best of days and it was the worst of days… to badly paraphrase Mr Dickens.
For want of something to do, I took the kids out yesterday, down to that London. my mate Danny came along and we were to meet up with his son, Oliver, who lives in Greenwich.
I arranged to pick Danny up at 10 o'clock on the dot, and did so. At 10:24… on the dot.
"M25′s closed. Accident." was his greeting to me as he opened his front door. Arse! Well, there were a couple of other routes we could take, but they were all likely to be as bad as each other. In the end, I decided to let my sat-nav bird make the decision and we set off down the M1.
The sat-nav selected a route and then changed it's mind several times – taking into account the live traffic feeds it was receiving – before deciding that M1 – North Circular – A13 would be the least shitty route to take. If that was the least shitty route, I dread to think what the others were like, because it took us ages to get there. A truly awful two and a half-hour journey.
Finally we arrived, parked up and availed ourselves of Oliver's bathroom facilities, before setting out to see the sights.
"Where first?" asked Oliver.
"I think we need to get some food first, the kids are famished", I said.
"I know just the place", he replied and led us to Greenwich Market, where a cornucopia of aromas assaulted our nostrils; so many different foods, exclusively exotic, mainly African and European. The kids looked up at me in disgust.
Fortunately, there was a McDonalds just around the corner.
Our hunger sated and full of McCrap, we sauntered off to see what we could see, and the first thing was the anachronistic sight of some tall sailing ship masts rising above the buildings at the end of the street. It was the Cutty Sark.
It was only 20 quid for a family ticket and so we ventured in to have a look around.
It was this: brilliant.
I was pleased that the kids seemed to have a genuine interest in it all and so I regaled them with my extensive knowledge of Tea Clipper history.
With 90% of the restoration being the original ship and all it's fixtures and fittings, It wasn't hard to imagine what life was like on board all those years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed it and could have spent so much longer there, but the day was disappearing fast and so we moved on.
Next stop was the Royal Observatory and a chance to straddle the Prime Meridian… something I've always wanted to do.
It was a long walk up the hill and we reluctantly walked past the National Maritime Museum on our way. "I'm definitely gonna have to come back to Greenwich", I thought to myself.
We queued up with the other tourists, in order to take our photos on the Meridian Line. Oliver couldn't understand what it was all about and so I explained it's significance. "Oh", he said, rather non-plussed. Harry and Amelia couldn't understand either, but obligingly posed for a photo.
Inside the observatory were plenty of exhibits explaining the history and discoveries that were made there. I was loving it, but most of it overwhelmed the kids. Whilst I was getting excited over a 20 year-old Charge Coupled Device used for gathering light from distant stars and the huge magnifying glass that William Herschel used to prove the existence of starlight invisible to the naked eye, they were using the Extra Solar Transit exhibit to play Whack-A-Mole. I dragged them away. Quickly.
Downstairs, were the winning photographs from the Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2013 competition and though I'd already seen them online, I relished the chance to drool over them all proper like.
By now, it was starting to get dark and so we walked back to the car, bid our farewells and headed home.
The journey home was far worse than our journey there. It was now Friday night rush hour and - annoyingly – the M25 was still bloody closed! Our 50-mile journey home took over three and a half hours!
So, all in all, an excellent day out, sandwiched – and ruined – between two very crappy car journeys.


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Contemporary, stylish, fun! A collection of necklaces with a hint of sexy feminity and bold individuality. Each piece is beautifully handcrafted and designed to lend texture, detail and movement to any look.
To view details of each photo, please click Permalink when viewing the slide show.
To place an order, please click here. If you have a question, please click here.
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Is He Still Interested in Me?
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May 19, 2011 @ 09:50 am
Question: I asked a guy (who had acted like he was really into me) to my company's Spring Fling Party (our first date). He called me two days later saying he had a wonderful time, the best time since he moved to the area. He said we would have to make plans but he couldn't do it at that moment. I called him two days later and got his voice mail. I wished him a Happy Birthday! and told him to call me when he gets a chance. It has now been 2 weeks later and have not heard from him. Some of my friends think I should call him now. If I call him, I think it should be after New Years. Should I call him? If so, when? What should I say? Or should I forget him? I was falling for him, I thought he was this really nice wonderful guy.
Answer: Look, here's the deal, you don't even know this guy that well. So, what do you really have to lose? You should call him. You don't have that much emotional time invested in him anyway. The only thing that you have to go on is the fact you had a good date with him and he seems like a nice guy. Find out if he is who you think he is…and resolve to go for it! But please don't get your hopes up about this guy. You hardly know him and anyone can put on a "Mr. Right" act for one date. Also, remember he is already showing signs of being a little inconsistent in his level of interest. Bottom line, you will go into '09 knowing what's up with him and you won't have to wonder any longer. Be sure to let us know what happens.
-Matt & Tamsen
For more dating and relationship advice from Matt Titus and Tamsen Fadal check out: TheLoveConsultants.com
**NEW** Social Commenting via Facebook
1 AskM&T.com Comment
I'm not sure if I am using this site correctly but I do have a questions can you give some advice on older women finding love….seems like a lot of men are attracted to younger women old and young alike, why I haven't got a clue there not wanting you for your distinguished gray hair its your wallet honey pie so get over yourself.


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Bury Times
All the latest news from Bury
Funeral of head injuries woman, 43 (From Bury Times)
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Funeral of head injuries woman, 43
9:21am Thursday 8th November 2012 in News
A FUNERAL will be held on Monday for a woman who died after being found with serious head injuries.
Aileen Dunne, aged 43, was taken to hospital after being discovered outside her home in Broad Oak Lane, Fairfield, at 2am on Thursday, October 25.
She died two days later, leaving many relatives, including her two children and grandson.
A file has been passed to the coroner and an inquest was opened and adjourned last Thursday.
A funeral will be held at 9.30am at St Joseph's RC Church, in Peter Street, Bury, followed by interment at Bury Cemetery.
Only family flowers are requested, though donations can be made to Bury Hospice in her memory.
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CHICAGO (AP) -- It's been three years since the Chicago Blackhawks hoisted the Stanley Cup, and they haven't made it past the opening round in the playoffs since that run.
One more win and that changes.
The Blackhawks are on the verge of advancing in the playoffs for the first time since they captured the championship in 2010, with a 3-1 lead over the Minnesota Wild.
They can wrap up this first-round series in Game 5 at the United Center on Thursday and take what they hope will be the next step toward another title.
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White River Junction, Vermont - January 17, 2008
"On the charge of aggravated murder against Howard Godfrey what is the jury's verdict?" asked Vt. District Court Judge Dennis Pearson.
"The jury finds the defendant guilty," answered the foreman.
Howard Godfrey, 60, showed no emotion as the jury declared him guilty of raping and murdering Patricia Scoville. For her parents sitting in the front row the verdict was the justice they had sought since their daughter was found murdered in a shallow grave at Moss Glen Falls in Stowe in 1991.
The crime went unsolved for 14 years until 2005, when DNA recovered from her body matched Godfrey's DNA taken from him after his conviction for another assault in 1996. There were so many DNA samples waiting to be tested that it took six years to make the match.
Godfrey claimed he had consensual sex with Scoville, but someone else killed her later.
Prosecutors told jurors it would be absurd to believe that Scoville would have sex with a man she had never met and then be killed a short time later by someone else.
It took the jury of eleven men and one woman less than two hours to find Godfrey guilty, triggering relief and hugs of congratulation for her parents, the police and prosecutors who worked the case for nearly 17 years.
"I think we're kind of numb. It's been a long time and it's hard to react in any way except to say we don't know how to react, first time we're ever been here like this. This chapter is over," said Patricia's father, Dave Scoville.
"I just feel like Patti had her day in court today. And I feel like hopefully justice has been served," said her mother, Ann.
"We feel great about the outcome. We're happy to be able to give this to the Scovilles. It's been a long 16 years. So we're very, very pleased with the verdict," said Prosecutor Cindy Maguire.
"It has been an emotional roller coaster on some level. We're finally glad to be here. It's been a long wait," said Stowe Police Det. Bruce Merriam.
Sentencing has not been scheduled. But there will be no surprises when it happens because Godfrey was found guilty of aggravated murder which carries an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole.
Brian Joyce - WCAX News
Related Stories:
Godfrey Murder Trial Begins
Jury Selected in 1991 Murder Case
Arrest in Patricia Scoville Murder
Cold Case Cracked?
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Arkansas tore open a back-and-forth half with a 16-2 run over the last 4:36 to head into halftime, leading UGA by 7
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Saturday evening, New York Film Academy Documentary graduate, Muhammad Hamdy accepted the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary for The Square - which he began shooting in Tahir Square almost exactly two years earlier.
Using his 500 hours of footage, Hamdy worked with director, Jehane Noujaim, to create The Square.
"I am so proud of Hamdy. I could burst," said NYFA Documentary Chair, Andrea Swift. "Not only has he developed his filmmaking and shooting skills to a world class level, he has integrated them with a fierce love for his country. His passion for social justice will help see his generation through the long tail of their Egyptian Spring, and will help the rest of us see it through their eyes."
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]Hamdy Accepts Audience Award at Sundance,


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Earlier today, we noted that PC World tested the new iPad against some Android tablets for heating during use and found it to be on the high-end but not always the hottest.
Wired did its own tests and found the new iPad to be middle of the road…
Earlier today, we noted that PC World tested the new iPad against some Android tablets for heating during use and found it to be on the high-end but not always the hottest.
Wired did its own tests and found the new iPad to be middle of the road…
Pew Research published some incredibly impressive tablet sales data over the weekend. From December to January, tablet ownership almost doubled.
While both the Nook Color and the Kindle Fire were included as tablets (not eReaders) and were hot this holiday season, the iPad is still by far the most popular tablet out there and likely the lion's share of the 19 percent of American households which now own a tablet. That translates to many iPads under the Christmas tree.
Tablet ownership increased for certain segments of the population more than others did…
ChangeWave Research in a new survey polled 3,043 consumers on consumer tablet demand for the holidays, including a close-up look at demand for the Amazon Kindle Fire vs. the Apple iPad. Overall, tablets are big this holidays as sales in the United States increase an estimated 130 percent.
Everybody wants a tablet, it seems. A total of 14 percent of respondents plan on buying a tablet in the next 90 days, an eight percentage points increase over an August ChangeWave survey and more than triple the level of a year ago. However, nowadays shoppers no longer have to pick between an iPad or an array of same-looking Android tablets because Amazon is now the second most-popular tablet brand (people clearly want an Amazon tablet).
According to ChangeWave:
The Amazon Kindle Fire is going to leapfrog the competition and become the number two product in the tablet market, as long as it can provide a quality user experience. But the Amazon surge may also contain a silver lining for Apple, by damaging the tablet market hopes of the remaining competitors in the field.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65 percent) plan on buying an iPad, or two out of three tablet buyers. People are loving their iPads and it shows in satisfaction ratings. A total of 74 percent of all iPad owners are Very Satisfied versus 49 percent for all other tablet manufacturers combined. More than one in five, or 22 percent, eye an Amazon tablet and just four percent plan on buying a Galaxy Tab from Samsung. Apple's score is in line with iPad's IDC-estimated 68 percent share of the tablet market. In addition, Canalys projected Apple will overtake Hewlett-Packard to become the #1 PC maker globally on the heels of iPad 3 release, although not everybody is down with counting iPad as a computer. More tidbits and charts after the break.
If all of the rumors are true, Amazon has a 7-inch "media tablet" that runs a forked version of Android and will connect to all of Amazon's services, including its Appstore, Movies, TV, Music and of course eBooks. It won't be true multi-touch but the rumored price is half of the iPad's (just like the screen) at $250. Who is making this for Amazon? Foxconn of course.
Yes, it sounds just like a Nook (which is getting an interesting update soon) with a better backend store.
We all know this is set to be an iOS Christmas — now it is interesting to discover that Apple's iPad is so popular there's an increasing wave of two or more iPad households, according to reputable research from YouGov.
Researchers found nearly a fifth (17%) of Apple iPad owners state that there is more than one tablet in their household, either owned by themselves or another family member. Read more
Some interesting survey results from Changewave today: While the iPad is mopping up in the enterprise today (satisfaction levels above) , it looks like next quarter is going to be even more lucrative for Apple, who have 80% of the market already..
A 1st Quarter Explosion in Corporate Tablet Demand
While 7% of business respondents say their company currently provide employees with tablet devices, an astonishing 14% of businesses report their company will be buying Tablets in 1st Quarter 2011.
In other words, the total number of companies making use of tablet devices is set to double in just the next three months – an explosive surge in demand going forward.
This breaks down into the following usage categories… Read more