OUR NETWORK UMBRELLA:
PLAY SOCCER NONPROFIT INTERNATIONAL (USA)
PLAY SOCCER Nonprofit International (PSNI) is the umbrella that manages our country Network. PSNI was founded in New Jersey in 1999 as a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization with tax-exempt status under the US International Revenue Service Code. The PLAY SOCCER Network currently involves seven country organizations.
Headquartered in the USA, PLAY SOCCER NONPROFIT INTERNATIONAL represents the Network internationally and is recognized by the United Nations with Consultative Status under the UN Roster of Nongovernmental Organizations. PSNI is also a part of FIFA's "Football for Hope" initiative to "make the world a better place."
- Our most recent Statistics Chart, which provides summary data about our country organizations, numbers of participating children and volunteer instructors, site locations, and local staff, will be posted here in June.
- Read our latest NEWSLETTER, regularly revised by PSNI, for up-to-date information and news about each country program.
- To contact us or any of our country programs see our CONTACT page, or send email to: info@playsoccer-nonprofit.org
OUR NETWORK COUNTRIES
CAMEROON
[March 2013] PLAY SOCCER Cameroon (PSC), which has operated primarily in the Bamenda, North West region of Cameroon, is actively exploring a partnership with United Action for Children (UAC), a well-established and recognized Cameroon NGO that operates in another more southern region near Buea. UAC is also host to a FIFA Football for Hope Centre. UAC has deep experience in vocational training for youth that could add significant value to PSC activities for its volunteer instructors. In turn, PSC through the core program could add to and enhance UAC community programs for children. Additionally, PSC is exploring a partnership with the Cameroon Football Development Program (CFDP), which has a head office in the USA and operates out of Kumba. CFDP provides after-school programs in secondary schools using soccer as a tool for health and social development. These coinciding missions have led to discussion of a 3 way collaboration which hopefully will be defined by June.
GHANA
[April 2013] PLAY SOCCER Ghana (PSG) now has ten sites, including two recently opened, Takoradi in the west, as shown in the photo, and Tamale in the north.
Wahab Musah is the Director of the PSG program as well as the Oguaa Football for Hope Center, which has just celebrated its first anniversary. PSG’s office has been moved from Accra to the new Center facility in Cape Coast. PSG has expanded in 2013 to operate at nine sites throughout Ghana, with two new sites opened in the Northern Region. The sites registered and currently engage over 1,000 children and youth in the PLAY for FUN, LEARN for LIFE year round core program. PSG hosted a volunteer instructor training in December 2012 to build the capacity of 35 core program youth instructors who traveled from all sites throughout the country to attend the 5 day workshop. In addition to the core program, the Oguaa Center in Cape Coast is simultaneously developing different new activities such as a Street League program for older youth/young adults and a Community Learning Center, providing after-school educational support and computer access. Building its community links and resources, PSG is in the process of developing a partnership with the University of Cape Coast that will link its Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation as a resource for the Oguaa Centre.
MALAWI
[March 2013] PLAY SOCCER Malawi (PSM) has become more closely aligned with and supported by the Football Association of Malawi, operating as its sport for development arm to deliver programs that are outside mainstream FAM activities. PS Malawi recently accepted the resignation of longtime Program Director Patrick Kulemeka who has been appointed to another post by FAM. PS Malawi recognizes the deep contribution Patrick made to the Malawi program. FAM and PS Malawi have advertised and are currently recruiting another Program Director to replace him. The program continues to operate in Blantyre and hopes to reopen some of the sites it closed in 2011 due to financial constraints. The plan for 2013 once new management is on board is to expand and build new program activities with a strong health focus. PSNI is pleased to have the volunteer advisory services of Kalekeni Banda, a retired, highly trained coach from the USA who was born in Malawi, to help guide and support these program initiatives.
SENEGAL
[March 2013] During 2012, PLAY SOCCER Senegal benefited from extensive pro bono services that provided both a legal review of its organizational status and an external audit. These services concluded in early 2013. PS Senegal is now considering how it can move forward to restructure and implement the recommendations from both the audit and legal reviews. PLAY SOCCER Senegal is also exploring a new collaborative relationship with Ladies’ Turn, a nonprofit organization working to give Senegalese girls and women the opportunity to play soccer, and to develop important leadership and teamwork skills. PSNI recently came out in support of women’s soccer in Senegal when the award winning Ladies’ Turn documentary was screened in the USA at Princeton University in February 2013. (For a 3-minute trailer see the website: www.ladiesturn.org). PLAY SOCCER Senegal began meetings to explore the collaboration last year and believes it could strengthen the achievements of both organizations in their shared mission to promote gender equality. During 2012 PLAY SOCCER Senegal operated entirely with locally raised contributions and in-kind support, while the legal and audit reviews were ongoing. PSNI did not provide any funding support. The program benefited from strong community involvement. Each site has a community management committee, a supervisor and 5 volunteer instructors and operates at the following sites: Dakar area: Grand Yoff, Pikine Icotaf, Pikine Seffac, Rufisque; Other Regions: Kaolack, Ouakam.
SOUTH AFRICA
[March 2013] The South Africa organization is completing major organizational restructuring that began in 2010, including the establishment of a totally new nonprofit/public benefit organization and Board of Directors. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Trust Law and the Norton Rose law firm in Johannesburg have been invaluable in providing pro bono services for this transition. PLAY for FUN, LEARN for LIFE, as the South Africa organization will now be called, is operating the program at two sites, Tembisa and Rondebult, under the direction of a Management Team appointed from within the internal corps of volunteer instructors. In 2013, the two sites have registered 500 children and have 20 volunteer coaches. In February, Tembisa was honored to receive the visit of Mr. Lemke, Special Advisor to the Secretary General, and others from the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace, and to also receive a contribution of balls from OneWorldFutbol.
USA
[March 2013] PLAY SOCCER USA is currently underway in two states: Ohio and California.
PLAY SOCCER Appalachia (PSA) is operating as an after-school program at Coolville Elementary School in Coolville, Ohio. In collaboration with the Kids on Campus program, an enrichment program that works with Ohio University in underserved Appalachia areas, PSA is bringing its program to 40 girls and boys in an elementary school for grades 1-6 in Coolville, a town with no existing soccer opportunities. The challenge is to introduce the sport as well as the new program. The program is led by an Ohio University Masters student as PSA also continues its partnership with Ohio University in terms of student involvement and advisory roles from the Sport Coaching Education program.
In 2012, its first year in Los Angeles, PLAY SOCCER LA (PSLA) introduced a small pilot program in collaboration with Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) a well-established and highly regarded organization that offers a robust after-school enrichment program in central LA to a largely Latino population. Using a 12 week curriculum revised for the USA environment, the PSLA program succeeded in engaging community members and high school seniors as volunteer instructors. In 2013, the program kicks off in April led by a Coach Across America Americorp volunteer, engaging approximately 15 young children age 7-10 from the local community at the HOLA facility.
ZAMBIA
[March 2013] PLAY SOCCER Zambia (PSZ) is going through a transition period following the resignation of Program Director Pumulo Liswaniso, who relocated out of Lusaka after her marriage last year. The organization is planning a new management structure, with the appointment of two program managers who will be selected from within the corps of volunteer instructors. The aim is to build internal advancement, capacity and promote skill development. PSZ is relocating the office to be more accessible at the same time that it consolidates site locations. In 2013, the PSZ program will operate at four sites including Chipata, Chazanga, Kalingalinga and Kamanga. Under the close direction of the Board of Directors, particularly Chairman, Morris Mujala, and Maria Banda, a former PSZ Program Director, the new management structure will also seek fresh outside expertise to help build their management skills as well as to develop new local partnerships and sponsorships for program support, stimulate ideas for social enterprise, and training for the volunteer instructors.
