Soccer is breathing new life into more than just Australian sporting fans " Tanzanian teenagers have taken delivery of new uniforms that are part of a Sydney program aimed at saving lives.
Tanzanian youths from the Sydney Archbishop's Katoke Reduction of Malaria Project (KROMP) have been overjoyed to receive shorts and jerseys, as well balls from Soccer NSW.
Project officer Rick Ford says the donations are all part of encouraging villagers to take part in this unique malaria awareness program.
For the past two years three football teams from different villages had been playing in old shorts and shirts and occasionally using a tightly wrapped ball of rags as a ball.
On 22 October, an estimated 200 people from Buhaya and Kashala village came to see their local youth teams play in their new soccer strips.
The gala day provided KROMP staff with an opportunity to pass on new tactics to defeat an old adversary.
"We use events like football matches to help people understand the importance of malaria prevention," Mr Ford explains.
"Many of the youths are healthy today because they follow the procedure of sleeping under an insecticide infused mosquito net at night."
"The event itself is organised by our Malaria wardens in each village who monitor the streets and village areas to eliminate environments where mosquitos could breed."
Mr Ford says that the AusAid funded and Overseas Relief & Aid Fund run project has been doing well and is now set to expand into all the schools in the Katoke area.
"We are grateful to organisations like Soccer NSW for their support," Mr Ford says with feeling.
"Malaria outbreaks are the leading cause of death in children under five years old in Tanzania and are responsible for one third of deaths in that country. Not only is their donation a great encouragement to the youths in the teams, we hope it will help us save many more lives in the future."
For more pictures visit Viewfinder…
For more information see Not just a game - soccer saves lives!
