EXPLORE is excited to share details with you on our new project in the Chiawa community in the Lower Zambezi…
THE SPIRIT OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP
comes to
The Lower Zambezi
April 12TH, 2010
Dear Friends in Conservation and Sport Fans,
I am writing to you today to ask if you would like to participate in EXPLORE’s most recent effort to bring sports to the youth of the Lower Zambezi. The World Cup represents a dream for all children in Africa….to attend the famed Cup would be beyond their wildest dreams. As most of you are likely aware, South Africa is hosting the FIFA 2010 World Cup Soccer tournament. This is the first time the World Cup has ever been held on the African continent and it has generated an immense amount of interest, support and unbelievable enthusiasm from African people. Even in the remote villages of the Chiawa chiefdom the main topic of conversation is the World Cup. As the time nears the excitement builds. We want to build on that energy and give the community something that seldom enters their lives: FUN! and a sense of being part of a global sports event.
Of course virtually no one from the area will be able to attend, and a very few will even have the chance to view it on television, so we want to Bring the Spirit of the FIFA World Cup to Chiawa on a small scale. We have developed an idea we are passionate about and hope you will help make a reality. EXPLORE is spearheading an effort to raise $8,750 in charitable donations in order to host the Chiawa 2010 “Mini World Cup”: a 6 –a –side soccer tournament to be played by teams from the 9 villages located in the Lower Zambezi. EXPLORE HAS DONATED THE FIRST $1,000.
The importance of the event and the significance of soccer in this rural part of Zambia are virtually unimaginable to us. It has brought fun and community spirit to the lives of these impoverished people and generated self esteem for the players. As much as we appreciate the importance of our planned agricultural and community development projects, it is also essential that the community partake in events that are purely for fun. Not only does soccer build team spirit but it acts as a forum to discuss more important issues whilst at the same time addressing the need for healthy outdoor activity.
We will hold the tournament the 2nd weekend in May in the Chiawa village. Already our league leaders are rallying the teams and conferring with the captains. 16 teams will participate in the tournament. These teams will be drawn from the existing 12 teams that already participate in the Chiawa League. Each team upon entering will draw a name of a participating country in the FIFA 2010 World Cup and will thereafter participate in this tournament as the name they draw. For example, one team will be playing as the USA! (Cherri will be rooting for the Yanks of course, as will I seeing as Scotland failed to qualify)
The tournament will be played in the same format as the FIFA 2010 World Cup. There will be four groups each comprised of 4 teams. Each team will be comprised of 9 players and 1 Manager; upon entering they will be given 10 T-shirts depicting the country under which they are participating and the motto ‘The Spirit of the Cup”. They will also be given 2 World Cup official soccer balls to be used for both this tournament and for their upcoming league season. They will each be charged an entrance fee of Zambian Kwacha 100 000 per team, (about $25). We ask this small amount so that there is commitment from their side. These funds will be utilized for referee fees for the league season.
THE BIG PRIZE!
On completion of the final there will be prizes awarded in the form of miniature trophies and FIFA 2010 World Cup paraphernalia such an official World Cup kit bag and t- shirt for each player. Then, the BIG PRIZE will be decided on by a draw to be done after the final. At that time 2 names will be drawn from all the players contesting the final and they will win the trip of a lifetime, a trip to South Africa to watch a World Cup football match in either Johannesburg or Pretoria.
This trip will include transport from the village to Lusaka, flights, accommodation, meals, tickets to the game and a bit of pocket money. They will be chaperoned by Isaiah Museto a local man who has been our main man in all our projects, assisting and implementing all the existing projects we are involved in for absolutely free. He singlehandedly runs the Sports league and has overseen all the community farm projects, etc. He is an invisible hero…he does not know he is included in the visit to SA. This is a gift to him for all he has done for his community. I will meet this entourage in South Africa and host them for 3 days.
As you can well imagine this is a prize of a lifetime for the lucky village guys so we are really hoping to raise the required funds. Please note should we be able to raise more than is required then the excess funds will go towards creating safe swimming spots along the Zambezi River so as to alleviate the terrible loss of life we suffer on an annual basis due to crocodile attacks. Isaiah’s son was taken two years ago.
Once again, on behalf of Explore Inc. and the Kore Kore people of the Chiawa Community, we thank you for your consideration and assistance with what we consider a very important and fun endeavor.
DONATIONS UNDER $100 are Not tax-deductible (due to costs of processing them via the 501-C-3). All checks under $100 must be made to: Explore, Inc.
DONATIONS of $100 and ABOVE are fully tax-deductible. Checks of $100+ must be made to: Global Communications for Conservation
SEND ALL CHECKS TO:
Explore, Inc. – CHIAWA WORLD CUP
Attn: Tena
P.O. Box 776369
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
Please call us at 970.871.0065 for more information.
Kind regards,
Richard Wilson
EXPLORE would like to personally thank Zambezi Airlines, Courtyard Eastgate in Johannesburg and all other donors for their generous support of the Chiawa Mini World Cup in the Lower Zambezi. As we mentioned in a previous blog, Zambezi Airlines donated 4 airline tickets for the project and recently the Courtyard Eastgate in Johannesburg has supplied the hotel rooms that will afford 4 lucky Chiawa villagers the chance of a lifetime… going to Africa’s first World Cup! In addition to this, EXPLORE and Multi Choice Satellite TV are donating a TV, installation of a satellite dish and receiver, and one year of service to the local school at Chiawa. This way many of the village residents can enjoy the games and in the future have access to educational TV viewing (Discovery, History channel, BBC news, etc). Viewings will be carefully monitored by the Chiawa Headmaster. Please refer to our previous blog regarding details of this project.
TRAVEL WITH DR. DON JOHANSON!
AFRICA’S LAST WILDERNESS
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Mapusha Weaving Cooperative (South Africa)
If you are interested in helping the Bushbabies in their efforts please contact Explore at elise@exploreafrica.net.
Bushbabies and the Mapusha Weavers Cooperative
The Mapusha Weaving Cooperative is a nonprofit cooperative of women weavers based in the village of Acornhoek in
the Limpopo province of South Africa. The purpose of the cooperative is to provide the opportunity for unemployed women in the village to learn a craft and make money to support their families. More then 50 family members depend on this income.
I met the women in the cooperative as one of 17 members of a tour group sponsored by Elderhostel/Exploritas in October 2009. On the day of our visit, we met the weavers,
observed work in progress, and admired the hand woven rugs and tapestries at the workshop; we also toured the tiny village where the cooperative is located to visit the nursery school and the elementary school, just a short walk away. In our encounters there, we were greatly moved by the warmth of our greeting by women and children, and impressed by the diligence of the weavers in the cooperative.
Later, in the remaining days of our travels in South Africa, the tour group coalesced around the idea of offering some support to the women weavers and their village. We began to call ourselves the “Bushbabies.” When we returned to the states, we continued our trans Atlantic conversations via email, asking the weavers for ideas about the most appropriate support. Their suggestion speaks to their strong entrepreneurial spirit! The women proposed advertising in a brochure that includes things to do and places to stay in the Panorama, Lowveld, and Kruger National Park areas, the cooperative’s neighborhood. Well respected as a resource for tour guides, the brochure lists all the local activities; an advert would encourage more visitors to the
cooperative. The timing for the brochure’s most recent revision was especially propitious given the FIFA World Cup Soccer Finals, when thousands of tourists will flood the country in the summer 2010.
Serving as the stateside point person for this project, I collected funds over the holidays to cover the cost for design and printing of the advert (SEE BELOW). We raised almost double the
amount required and created a savings account at a local bank for the remaining funds. An interesting side note: when the bank manager learned about this trip and the purpose for the account, she offered to set up an account with no fees!
The Bushbabies are celebrating our modest project and considering how to continue our efforts. We are fortunate to have a point person in South Africa, a devoted independent community organizer who has lived locally and worked with the Mapusha Weavers for nearly a decade. Given ongoing email conversations with her and with Exploritas travel colleagues, it seems that the cooperative enterprise has two pressing needs: first, exploring the prospect of setting up nonprofit status for the cooperative (facilitating fundraising efforts); and second, developing a marketing website that supports the cooperative’s business in a more direct and concrete way.
The women weavers have displayed pluck and courage and sustained commitment by keeping the cooperative alive and well for almost 30 years. The Bushbabies will continue to focus their energy and talent in the most appropriate ways in their support and warmly welcome other travelers to join us in these efforts.
-Barrie Gleason