24 August 2010

Boots For Africa was contacted recently by a volunteer working in Cameroon, West Africa.  UK based Dorothy Londondee was planning a trip to Cameroon to work with an organization called ASED (Assoc sportif de l 'estuaire de Douala) to assist them with their fundraising strategy.  

ASED was established in 2005 to help the street kids and disadvantaged children of Douala (the economic capital of Cameroon). ASED uses football to attract both boys and girls to the program which also supports them through education and employment training.  Some of the boys and girls have been successful in reaching the higher echelons of football with one young boy now playing in France, but ASED are honest in telling the young players that most will not make it in the tough world of football so therefore need another skill to fall back on.

Currently ASED work with 250 young people and have a training ground that they rent 2-3 times a week. During a previous trip, Dorothy was fortunate to accompany one of the girls teams to a match against women prisoners in Douala where ASED won 4-2, this was when it first became apparent to her that they lacked basic equipment such as football boots, shin pads etc.  She asked Boots For Africa to help by providing boots for the teams to play in.

During her trip, Dorothy found time to feedback to Boots For Africa on the successful delivery of the boots. “The boots have been very well received here in Cameroon and there has been a lot of interest in the work of Boots For Africa” said Dorothy “They were donated to the street kids of Douala, Cameroon by the Mayor of Waltham Forest who accompanied us on the trip and the Mayor of Douala.”

Boots For Africa later received a letter of thanks from Dr NGOH Ferdinand, the President of ASED which reads “We have received boots you offer to our organization to care about our beneficiaries (orphans, street children, children from single parent families amongst others) as far as football training is concerned.  By doing so, you have contributed to the improvement of the training conditions of those young boys and girls.  I seize this occasion to extend my sincere gratitude to you and all those who are involved around you in such generosity.  We pray everyday for Boots For Africa, for Sheffield Football Club and for all of you.”

For more information on ASED, visit www.ased.cm