In a gesture to support leisure and educational activities for young people in Ghana, the Ecologic Institute Berlin donated footballs to the Juvenile Football Club in Tema, the largest seaport city in Ghana. “Just like in Germany, children and teenagers in Ghana love football. They love watching, playing, and learning about football”, explains Andy Asare-Go, the local project co-ordinator. The international think tank gave 150 balls to the football club. The club has since distributed the balls to several schools throughout the countryside.
This donation not only supports existing football teams but also encourages the formation of new teams across the country and the hope to develop regional tournaments as well as perhaps discover new international talents. In a statement, George O. Larbi, Secretary of the Tema Metropolitan Juvenile Football Committee was very excited. “This kind gesture from the Ecologic Institute will go a long way in changing the lives of many youth in the Tema metropolis. We are very grateful. ”
The footballs do not only delight African kickers but also support children in Pakistan. The balls are sewn by Pakistani families for the company FairDeal Trading. FairDeal Trading pays 50% higher wages to ensure that the families can send their children to school instead of to work. In addition, they cover the medical costs of all employees involved in the production of the balls.
The balls the young Ghanaian are kicking also bear the seal of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The bladder inside the ball is manufactured from rubber produced on FSC-certified plantations in India. The FSC prevents over exploitation, protects the forests and the people who live and work in the forests by certifying plantations. “The support for the certified plantation reduces the pressure on the surrounding natural forest, and the management and staff of the plantation invest in a fund for the education of their children”, notes R. Andreas Kraemer, the Director of the Ecologic Institute Berlin.
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