Using Soccer Goals to Meet the Goal of Ending Poverty in Africa, a Soccer Star Comes to Bali to Promote a Unique Fundraising Program.
(6/23/2008) Dutch international and AC Milan soccer legend, Clarence Seedorf, is in Bali promoting his pet project Goal4Africa, a global funding mechanism and awareness campaign for educational and development programs and the promotion of football throughout the African continent. The program is endorsed by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Prince Albert's Peace and Sport Foundation. Seedorf is Goal4Africa's first global ambassador.
In Africa, 40 million children do not go to primary school. This includes girls, disabled children, orphans and children living in rural areas. Nelson Mandela has devoted his life to develop education on the African continent. According to Mandela, education is the most powerful tool for changing the world and to fight poverty. Education has been crucial to his own personal development, hence his motto: "Education for all. All for education." Goal4Africa has been established to further Nelson Mandela's vision and to help realize his dream: create better education for the children of Africa.
Football4All, Education4All
Football stirs the emotions of millions of fans worldwide. Football matches are watched by more than 1 billion football fans throughout the world. Goal4Africa brings together two forces, education & football. By leveraging the power of international football, Goal4Africa wants to improve education and social development to create sustainable change and build a lasting legacy for the future of the continent of Africa.
How Goal4Africa Works
Goal4Africa's fund raising mechanism is based on a uniquely simple, yet powerful concept: funds are raised by the scoring of goals. Individuals, companies, organisations or a group of friends can make a contribution to the foundation whenever their favourite player or team scores a goal. It doesn't matter whether the goal is scored in a professional or amateur match or in a friendly game between friends. In this way, Goal4Africa activates millions of people worldwide to make a contributions.
Clarence Clyde Seedorf
Dutch international and AC Milan great, Clarence Seedorf is one of the most recognized football midfielders playing in Europe. Acclaimed for his highly-skilled game and exquisite ball control on the field, he is also known for his active role in humanitarian work, walk-his-talk lifestyle and for his approachability.
Football is the core of Seedorf's life as evidenced by his commitment to achieve his life-long goal of reaching 2010 World Cup in Africa with the Dutch team.
Surinamese born, Dutch national, world citizen, Seedorf also supports the larger vision of "profit for non-profit," meaning that the end goal of all business activities is to support his foundation, the Champions for Children, created as a promise to himself when young to do whatever possible help those in need. Through education there is the chance to give others a chance.
His passion for giving back to the world has lead Seedorf to join forces with Goal4Africa as the initiative’s first global ambassador. "It's an honor to be Goal4Africa’s first ambassador. Football is the most played sport in the world today. By harnessing its popularity and attaching a value to each goal scored, every person involved in football around the world can raise money and awareness in the fight against poverty in Africa," said Seedorf.
Other top football players who have joined Seedorf in supporting Goal4Africa are Kaká, Lampard, Maldini, van Persie, Buffon, Adebayor, Gatusso, Gerrard, Cannavaro, Eto'o, Drogba and Essien.
Shown on balidiscovery.com is a picture of Clarence Seedorf who during his Bali visit joined a practice session of the Four Seasons Resort soccer team.
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