In September 2009 Tackle Africa coaches Robbie Wood and Alistair Lyon spent two weeks working with the EMIMA project in Dar es Salaam.

EMIMA (a Swahili acronym for Education, Sport and Physical Activity) is a non-governmental organisation based in Dar Es Salaam that aims to empower Tanzanian youths through sport. EMIMA’s  primary aim is to use sport as a tool for development and youth engagement by conducting community sport based activity programmes that raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, gender equality, sexual health and other similar issues. EMIMA runs sports projects in some of the poorest communities in Dar es Salaam.

This Tackle Africa project was a follow up to Robbie’s initial coaching visit to EMIMA in 2008. On this trip the Tackle Africa coaches trained a core group of 20 EMIMA football coaches and volunteers including two female coaches over two weeks with the first week being a general introduction to football coaching with theory and practical sessions.

In week two EMIMA coaches were trained in use of Tackle Africa’s HIV Awareness Through Football coaching manual and how to use HIV themed football drills and activities as part of structured coaching sessions. The Tackle Africa coaches also trialled several new drills for possible inclusion in the new coaching manual in 2010.

Robbie and Alistair also worked directly with young players at many of the different EMIMA football centres over two weeks and were able to observe, evaluate and feedback to EMIMA coaches regarding their delivery of coaching sessions and Tackle Africa drills aiding the confidence and development of local coaches. The Tackle Africa coaches also brought EMIMA a large amount of football kit donated by various local clubs in the Edinburgh area.

Plans are now underway for an expanded Tackle Africa project in conjunction with EMIMA in 2010.

TackleAfrica Coaches:
Gavin Atkins, Karen Atkins

Project Description:

Tamale
Date: April 2009

For this project, TackleAfrica partnered with R.A.I.N.S (Regional Advisory Information and Network Systems). RAINS works with local communities and Development Partners to improve the quality of life of women, youth and other vulnerable groups through Grassroots Institutional Capacity Building, the promotion of human rights and sustainable use and management of resources in a culturally sensitive manner. It has concentrated it efforts since its inception in the Northern parts of Ghana.

For the first three days of the project, the coaches delivered a TackleAfrica coaching course at BISCO, a local school with an 11-a-side pitch. There were 24 coaches in attendance over three days who took part in the course, which included:

• Delivery of TackleAfrica drills to local coaches by Gavin and Karen
• ‘Rules of the game’ workshop
• Session Planning and Delivery discussion
• ‘What makes a good coach’ workshop
• Delivery of TackleAfrica drills by local coaches with feedback and evaluation from Gavin and Karen.

For the remainder of the project, Gavin and Karen delivered TackleAfrica drills to over 400 children who are part of the Goal Ghana project, another partner of TackleAfrica in Ghana. GoalGhana helps young people in poor areas receive attention, develop skills and most importantly, have fun through football. The Goal Ghana project in conjunction with R.A.I.ND.S is split into three areas – Tamale, Savelugu and Bogu-naayilli. The project culminated with a Gala Tournament in which nearly 200 players participated.

From their own experiences in Africa, TackleAfrica’s founders recognised the potential of football as a means of bringing people together, and providing a platform from which to convey hugely important messages about HIV and AIDS.

From these origins, the charity has grown to work regularly with local partners in 6 African countries, reaching over 20,000 young people each year.   In early 2007, TackleAfrica piloted a unique way of combining HIV education directly into football coaching drills, publishing the first edition of the HIV education through football coaching manual later the same year.   We have since rolled out this programme across our partners, training 450 coaches in 2009 and publishing a second edition of the manual in May 2010.

Since 2005, the majority of TackleAfrica’s funding has come from our annual flagship event, the football marathon, which has raised nearly £400,000 in the last 5 years.  This has allowed us to rapidly grow our output in Africa and invest in staff and other infrastructure in the UK to ensure that our internationally programmes are sustainable and fully supported.

In April 2010 we employed a full time Head of Fundraising and Development to work alongside our part-time Managing Director, and by the end of 2010 we will have recruited our second full time position, the Coach Development Manager.   These three roles will work closely together to ensure TackleAfrica has the maximum possible positive impact in Africa while maintaining a very cost effective UK base, and over the next 5 years we hope to rapidly develop our programmes and reach hundreds of thousands of young people.

TackleAfrica is governed by an unpaid Executive Committee - currently made up of 8 trustees – each with expertise in relevant areas including international development, fundraising, media relations, and working in Africa.   We are also hugely reliant on the support of our volunteers both in Africa and the UK.   None of what we do would be possible without the time, effort and expertise provided for free by people with a passion to help TackleAfrica succeed, whether by coaching in Africa, raising money or helping with marketing or admin. 

To learn more about TackleAfrica or find out how you could get involved, please contact us at info@tackleafrica.org.

Keep reading for some suggestions for how you can get involved in raising funds for TackleAfrica. If you have any ideas of your own, please get in touch – we will support you all the way.

Football Marathon

TackleAfrica’s annual fundraising event is the Football Marathon, which has grown is size, scope and popularity every year and in 2008 featured over 250 players raising £70,000. The ultimate test of skill and endurance, the Football Marathon features teams playing in a super-tournament for 12 hours and raising funds through sponsorship.

Contact Tom at tom@tackleafrica.org if you want to take part in the 2009 Football Marathon, or would like information on how to organise your own Football Marathon.

Organise your own event

If you want to organise your own football tournament, keepy-uppy world record attempt, sponsored swim, silence or cycle or absolutely anything else you can think of, we will support you all the way. In the past, our supporters have raised funds by cycling from London to Paris and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Take part in a national/locally organised event

If you are interested in completing a Triathlon, Marathon, Mountain Climb, Channel Swim or any other professionally organised event, we will support your application, training and fundraising efforts and can provide you with TackleAfrica t-shirts and/or running vests.

Ask your employer

TackleAfrica are currently contacting companies and other organisations to help us in our World AIDS Day appeals. We are also looking for patrons, sponsors and any other offers of support. Many companies will match funds that you raise individually or give you paid ‘charity days’ if you are volunteering or organising fundraising events.

Examples of how you can ask your company to help are:

• ‘Wear your football shirt to work’ day – where members of your organisation make a donation to TackleAfrica and get the chance to show their support for their favourite team
• Company Football tournament – we can help you organise a football tournament within your organisation or against other organisations within your sector to raise money for TackleAfrica
• One game saves lives- Appeal to colleagues to donate 90 minutes of their salaries to TackleAfrica
• Give as you earn – check if your employer is set up for payroll giving, and invite us to give a presentation to your colleagues about our work and give people the opportunity to support us with a regular gift through their salary

World AIDS Day

World AIDS day takes place worldwide on 1st December each year and is the perfect time to arrange a fundraising event or ask your company to support TackleAfrica.  For information on TackleAfrica’s World AIDS Day fundraising ideas contact  info@tackleafrica.org

HIV and Young People in Africa

TackleAfrica works in sub-Saharan Africa, the part of the world most affected by HIV and AIDS where young people are one of the groups most at risk of infection. It is estimated that 10 million people aged 15-24 are living with HIV worldwide, this age group represents about 40% of all new infections. We aim to promote positive behaviour change among young people, by providing them with information about HIV and AIDS through the medium of football.

Despite the crucial role that young people have to play in mitigating the impact of HIV, the level of awareness remains low, especially in rural areas.  Young men and women are becoming sexually active in their teens, but parents, schools and community leaders are often reluctant to talk to them about sex before they are perceived to be adults, this is often too late.

We acknowledge that although we make every effort to include girls/young women and increase their participation in football, and many of our volunteer coaches are women, the fact remains that most of the young people we work with are boys/young men. We believe that they are an important target group, particulary those who do not attend school, as they are often missed out by more general HIV education or health programmes.

One of the strongest influences on the speed at which the HIV virus spreads is the sexual behaviour and attitudes of men.  It the communities where we work, it is usually men, not women, who hold the power in sexual relations, determining when and how often sex takes place and whether or not a condom is used. However old they are when they first have sex, attitudes to sexuality and women are formed at an early age. Helping boys to learn about relationships and sex before they are sexually active is key in influencing them to adapt their behaviour in future.

In order for the power relations to change, young women need to become empowered, educated and economically independent, but this cannot happen in isolation. Young men must be involved and included, learning to respect their sexual partners and women in general, they can become role models and peer educators in HIV prevention campaigns, helping to protect the next generation.

In late September, 20 intrepid volunteers from across the UK set off on a six month HIV/AIDS awareness football tour of West and East Africa. Flying into Morocco, the team travelled down the West Cost of Africa as far as Senegal, before turning inland and passing through Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria before reaching Cameroon in mid December. After New Year the team flew across to Ethiopia, before travelling down into Kenya, and on into Uganda and finally finishing the project in Tanzania in late March. Over the course of the 6 months, the project team took part in 16 different HIV awareness events and played more than 40 games of football.

Each event was carried out in collaboration with an established local NGO, ensuring that the event was geared for the specific needs of the local community. The events varied enormously in terms of size and style, with venues ranging from glistening national stadia to dirt pitches with no proper goals or markings. The opposition was also hugely eclectic – on some occasions full times pros and even internationals, and at other times school teams or farm workers.

As well as taking part in football matches, the team also took part in HIV awareness seminars and workshops, street parades, cultural evenings and schools visits – all designed to increase people’s awareness and understanding of HIV and AIDS and to challenge people to take positive steps to protect themselves against the disease.

The project team also distributed leaflets and posters and other materials to help raise AIDS awareness, and also a huge amount of sports equipment – hoping to help local partners to continue to run similar events in the future, and encouraging the local community to take part in the activities.

At the end of the project, the team returned to the UK road weary and exhausted, but also filled with a considerable sense of achievement. Over the course of the 16 events, the volunteers had won a huge number of friends, and had been able to convey vital messages to more than 50,000 people.

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The province in which CCFMC operates has the highest rate of HIV prevalence in Kenya – at 29%. The impact of HIV in this area is most serious amongst adolescents and young adults – 3 in every 5 new infections are aged between 15 and 24. There is also a high rate of teenage pregnancy – estimated at 10% per year for girls aged 13-14 years and young people exhibit significance ignorance about HIV/AIDS and its modes of transmission.

This project aims to equip the youth and community with accurate and appropriate knowledge and skills for curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS and facilitate, establish and support activities among the youth that will enhance their active participation in efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS. CCFMC are also using the project to address the socio-cultural issues that relate to HIV/AIDS and reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy amongst the adolescents.

The project is based on a tournament model, with build up taking place in two areas – Siaya and Chiga, with a series of 9 build up events at a sub-parish level followed by final matches between the winning teams. During these events, HIV/AIDS messages are passed on through printed T-shirts and caps, through posters and banners, and also through guest speakers from local government and HIV awareness programmes.

CCFMC are also using these events to raise HIV awareness through a number of core activities:

• Peer education activities in groups
• Facilitate youth group and interschool competitions
• Coordination with local health facilities to monitor treatment seeking behaviour among the youth
• Promotion of information through football, songs and poems among the youth
• Distribution of IEC materials
• Promotion of Voluntary Counselling and Testing for HIV

50 members of the Kabaa Young Cobras Football Club & Tulila United Football Club, aged 15-24 years, are being trained as peer educators who will be able to inform young people about HIV/AIDS at football events. Their activities are expected to reach an additional 10,000 young people aged 5-30 years old.

Many young people in the Machkaos area drop out of school and become involved in child labour. Many are involved in ‘sand-harvesting’ which involves digging up sand from dry rivers beds and selling it in sacks at the roadside to trucks which take it to Nairobi for in construction. This is illegal, poorly paid and bad for the environment, but it provides the young people with disposable income, which is sometimes spent on drugs. There is also pressure from some families to contribute to household income. PfP is working with the schools and local leaders to discourage this activity

A PfP survey carried out last year identified negative peer pressure, unemployment, HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and poverty in the family as the key impediments to the development of young people and to their communities. The objective of the project is to promote positive behaviour change among young people. This will be achieved by providing them with information about HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and related issues so that they can make informed decisions and take control of their lives. Young people out of school cannot readily access information about HIV/AIDS and they are particularly vulnerable to infection. This project will specifically address this urgent need to help save young people’s lives

The project involves 8 one-day training seminars for all club members to equip them with accurate and relevant information about HIV/AIDS. The seminars will also be used to plan the events and help the members design the messages, and methods of delivery, they will use during the sporting activities.

The project also provides for ongoing support to club members from PfP staff and the Provision of sporting equipment, kit, balls, nets etc.

Our Vision:  An Africa where all young people have the information, freedom, confidence and resources to make the right choices to protect themselves and each other from HIV

How we work:  TackleAfrica use football coaching to deliver life-saving messages about HIV to young Africans in a way that improves knowledge, deepens understanding and promotes positive long term behaviour change

Football is the world’s most popular sport – and in Africa it has attained enormous significance, breaking down barriers and providing opportunities for even the most disadvantaged to shine.

By capitalising on this interest, TackleAfrica and its local partners can create a platform that can be used to as a tool for communicating vital messages, mobilising communities to join the fight against HIV, enabling people to protect themselves properly and challenging the plethora of stigma and misconceptions that surround the disease.

Since 2003 we have been working with expert local partners in 16 sub-Saharan countries, using football as a method of reaching young people and using classroom based activities to deliver HIV related information.  In January 2007 we succesfully took that information out onto the pitch with unique coaching drills specifically designed to inform players about HIV as well as improve their football skills.

At the end of 2007 we produced our first HIV awareness through coaching manual, with an updated version published in May 2010.  We continue to work with local partners and young people across Africa,  training local coaches, teachers and partner-employed multipliers to use the manual to extend and continue the reach of our work.

What We Do

• Fund activities organised by our partners in Africa including youth football tournaments, peer education training, HIV awareness/testing football events and projects to encourage safe behaviour amongst young people
• Build the capacity of local partners with coaching projects and by distributing our HIV awareness through football coaching manual
• Train African coaches, peer educators, youth leaders and teachers to deliver HIV messaging through football
• Train UK football coaches to deliver HIV messaging through football in Africa, raise funds for our partners and raise awareness in the UK of the HIV pandemic in Africa