Tuition the goal of football programme

Every day a group of Zambian children turn up at their village football ground to play the sport they love in the hope that their skills will secure their tuition and a better future.

"Never have I heard any of the boys and girls say: 'I don't feel like' or 'I'm tired'. Every day they turn up and take to the pitch like vultures feasting on the last remaining carcass of hope for their survival in this world famished for joy and happiness," volunteer Julian Azzopardi recalls.

During three months of voluntary work in Zambia's village, Lusaka, last year, Mr Azzopardi worked with the local non-governmental organisation Breakthrough Sports Academy (BSA) to promote sports as a development tool.

He helped organise three football tournaments and other activities with the intention of promoting participation, fair play and awareness of the importance of sports as a means of reconciliation and peace, responsible citizenship, and HIV/AIDS prevention and therapy. He helped bring some European style law and order to the football programme that BSA runs there. And he was also entrusted with a back-to-school programme that finances tuition fees for the most dedicated players attending the academy but who couldn't afford to pay them.

Mr Azzopardi learnt that a lack of government policy foresight was the major cause of low student figures in schools.

In Zambia public schooling is free until the age of 13 and after that children wishing to continue their studies have to fork out some €100 a year in tuition fees - a hefty fee for poor families.

Notwithstanding the daily financial hardships these children faced, boys and girls still turned up at the training ground on a daily basis.

Absences were apparent during the harvesting period and rains as every family member was recruited to bring in the crops or apply necessary touches to leakages in the roofs and walls.

As he reflected on his enriching experience, Mr Azzopardi thought back to the people he met who, he said, were among the friendliest you will find on the continent and beyond. "Marching their way along stretches of dusty roads and along speeding traffic, you are always greeted by, at times, quite a lengthy salutation, acknowledging your passing-by and enquiring about your health. Thumbs-up is a foregone conclusion to the rapid exchange of greetings," he said.

As he recounted his eye-opening experience, he could not understand how no Maltese have so far applied to take part in this year's voluntary stint organised by local NGO Third World Group Malta, which forms part of the Global Education Network. It was through their initiative that he set off to Zambia last summer.

This year, the NGO will be offering the same opportunity to two young and willing volunteers to spend three months in Africa between July and September 2009.

Projects include social work with underprivileged children in Kenya; childhood education, and youth and development through sports in Zambia.

Anyone interested can contact Manuel Fenech at Third World Group Malta by e-mail at leli.fenech@gmail.com or on 7990 5505. Detailed descriptions of the projects and application forms can be downloaded from www.thirdworldgroup.org or www.glen-europe.org. The forms must be submitted by today.