The entire globe is frothing with anticipation for the World Cup, which gets started tomorrow, but to the young fans in South Africa, this international event is much more than just a game. It’s a symbol of pride, community, and opportunity. Youth soccer and the confidence-building power of sports is one of the stories that Luca Zordan and Alethea Gold tell in their new book, The Children of South Africa, as Alethea explains to a CNN reporter in the video below.
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Click on the image to access the video.
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One of the local heroes of The Children of South Africa is journalist John Perlman, whose program the Dreamfields Project rejuvenates communities through the joy of soccer. The Project restores neglected playing fields, stages soccer tournaments, and provides brand-new gear to children—which is huge because for some of these kids, a pair of shoes is a luxury.
Usually how it works is the kids are bused to a playing field, knowing that a surprise awaits them but unsure of exactly what it is. When they arrive, they are greeted with duffel bags containing everything they need to play soccer, and all of it is in their size. As you can see from Luca’s photo below, they’re absolutely ecstatic to pull on their bright new uniforms.
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Photo by Luca Zordan.
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For more on the Dreamfields Project, go here. And to find out how to get a copy of The Children of South Africa, please click here.
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