Return to West Africa

Cameroon Football Development Program is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving the health of West African youth by encouraging community-building through soccer. We are currently in the start-up phase and have partnered with Soccer Dreams Without Borders, a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Evergreen, Colorado. Our first initiative in Cameroon will be implementing training sessions for 15 program leaders and hosting three day-long youth soccer camps. The leaders have been working together since April 2010 to lay the ground-work in Kumba, Cameroon. The 2010 Program Kick-off will run from July 28 to August 8, 2010. An experienced cinematographer will be on the ground to document the 2010 Kick-off and tell this story to the world.

The summer camps will provide over 100 Cameroonian youth the opportunity to play soccer in a safe and structured environment. They will learn from young adults in the community about HIV/AIDS prevention and the life skills essential to promoting social development. Additional desired outcomes include instilling a sense of self-worth and accomplishment in youth to overcome the dismal atmosphere created by poverty, promoting hope for the future, and providing a platform for individual growth and community development. Donations of soccer balls from Seton Hill University, Wheeling Jesuit University, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and many other individuals will be used during the Program Kick-off and for weekly educational soccer sessions to continue in the fall of 2010. Soccer shoes will be a vital incentive to encourage commitment from program leaders. Additionally, the United States Soccer Federation PASSBACK PROGRAM donated 140 youth t-shirts so everyone who attends the camps will receive something to remember the experience. We believe there is a great opportunity to create awareness of the ability to use soccer as a development tool in Africa and engage communities in the United States to act. Donated soccer equipment (balls, jerseys, shoes, and other playing and coaching materials) will be used as an incentive and reward for coaches and teachers who implement the educational soccer sessions. Documented proof will ensure program legitimacy and allow for evaluation and growth.