Cameroon Football Development Program 2011 Partnership Proposal
Our Mission Cameroon Football Development Program (CFDP) transforms the SOCCER FIELD INTO THE CLASSROOM to provide interactive education on serious health and social issues like HIV/AIDS to youth in Cameroon, West Africa. By combining sport with group discussions and activities, we aim to improve health and promote leadership, teamwork, and personal responsibility to our participants. Our local team empowers the next generation of leaders. One thing I will not forget quickly is the unity [CFDP] brought to my students Before we came here everybody was for himself, but now they have a sense of belonging. - Mr. Ayukarrah Dennis, School Teacher in Kumba, Cameroon
History CFDP founder Justin Forzano first traveled to Cameroon in 2006 with the University of Dayton. Over the next three years, he worked to design and install a clean water supply system in Barombi village in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. Each year Forzano traveled to Cameroon he carried with him soccer equipment and jerseys donated by friends including universities, high schools, and sporting goods stores in his hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia. Soccer players and clubs in Cameroon were more than grateful to receive the goods. It wasn t long before he got to thinking How can we leverage a Cameroonian youth s love of soccer to promote health and engage communities in development activities?
Our Beginning Along with a team of local community leaders in Kumba, Forzano assembled the initial workings of what would become the Cameroon Football Development Program. In the summer of 2010, the inaugural CFDP summer program brought over 100 youth together from around Kumba for a week of soccer training and lessons about many of the important issues facing Cameroonian adolescents, including HIV/AIDS, sexual responsibility, healthy interpersonal relationships and community building. Today, with the support of Forzano and the CFDP team in the US, our group of dedicated local leaders in Cameroon run after-school soccer and health enrichment programs in multiple schools. With many schools and villages interested, CFDP is bound for great things in the near future!
The Problem According to an April 2010 CFDP survey of more than 30 educators and young professionals in Kumba, Cameroon: Disease, drug and alcohol abuse, unwanted pregnancy, and theft were identified as the major problems facing youth in Kumba Idleness, lack of direction and role models, ignorance, and a lack of quality soccer structure and facilities (classrooms, fields, equipment, and goal posts) were identified as contributing factors. Nearly all respondents stated the best way to address these major problems is: structured and competitive sports leagues, seminars and workshops, extracurricular activities in schools. According to the CIA World Factbook: Cameroon ranks 19 th on the list of nations with the most people living with HIV/AIDS. As of 2007, over 5% of the population, is infected. 30% of the population is unemployed (2001 est.) 48% of the population lives below the poverty line (2000 est.)
Our Solution In Cameroon: CFDP partners with schools, churches, soccer clubs, and community organizations. We train local leaders to run youth soccer sessions. We provide resources like a HANDBOOK with Health Education and Life Skills Curriculum combines with Technical Soccer Drills and Games. We also provide Soccer Equipment essential to the CFDP Method. Donated soccer equipment from the US and Canada is used first to create infrastructure within our partner agencies and then reward individuals and groups who successfully implement the CFDP Method and provide feedback for evaluation and documentation. In the United States and Canada: CFDP partners with soccer clubs to connect them with communities in Cameroon. Connecting soccer clubs means sharing pictures, stories, team stats, league information, and equipment. CFDP aims to facilitate a cultural exchange were people on both sides of the world learn about each other s vibrant cultures. Eventually we hope to create opportunities for travel where individuals and clubs can travel to meet their brothers and sisters in Africa and play friendly games, run soccer camps and do service projects. This Cultural Exchange connects individuals on both continents to promote understanding of both the devastating problems in developing countries in Africa and the beautiful cultures that connect us all as citizens of the world.
A Year in Review May 2010 Getting Started Begin creating awareness about our objectives and compiling our curriculum on health topics and soccer drills July 2010 Kick Off Leadership Training: 3 days on the soccer field and in the classroom aimed at empowering our Local Team to lead discussions and soccer drills. Soccer Festival: Over 100 youth attend 3 days of activities including drills, discussions on health and social topics, free lunch, and friendly matches with local clubs. November 2010 - After School Programs and Satellite Camps Begin operating weekly after-school sessions in two secondary schools in Kumba With Satellite Camps, Cameroon Leadership Team implements day-long CFDP soccer festivals in rural areas outside of Kumba. Travel to Mambanda Village in August. Travel to Barombi Kang Village for a holiday camp. January 2011 - International Pen Pals Expand to a third school in Nkambe in the Northwest Region 16 soccer players from FSS Salaberry (Club) in Montreal, Canada are building relationships with 16 CFDP youth participants in Cameroon in Premier Pen Pal Program. They will meet face-to-face this July! We hope to do this again and again, connecting people in the US and Canada with villages in Africa for a cultural exchange like none other!
Summer 2011 Our objective: To establish a practical and sustainable system for volunteers to implement CFDP s Method in weekly after school sessions. To mobilize a local management team to oversee operations, provide documentation, and be a resource to volunteers. Donated soccer equipment facilitates our Method. In June, we will: Collaborate with 10-12 groups (mostly schools) in Kumba; enter a formal agreement with groups Conduct site visits with groups to confirm interest in running weekly after-school sessions for one year and access to soccer field Recruit 2-3 representatives from each collaborating group to become Team Leaders Introduce Organization Structure and Operations Training for Local Management In July, we will: Conduct 4-day comprehensive Professional Development Training for new Team Leaders Engage youth from the community in 3 days of Youth Soccer Festivals to allow Team Leaders to enhance their new skills and provide an opportunity for evaluation and feedback Connect a soccer team from Montreal, Canada with their Pen Pals in Cameroon for two weeks of soccer enjoyment Encourage Individual Start-up Sessions within each collaborating group to confirm logistics Evaluate our methods and implementation strategies for improvement Partnership with FSS Salaberry We have joined forces with our friends in Montreal, Canada to develop the soccer skills part of the curriculum and send a shipping container full of new and used soccer equipment and jerseys to Cameroon. A delegation of coaches and players will join us in July for two weeks of collaboration and play in Kumba.
How you can help Please consider this our formal request for partnership! With your help, we can: Run a Professional Development Training Session for New Team Leaders for $225 Engage 60 youth in a day long Soccer Festival in Kumba, Cameroon for $350 Engage 80 youth in two-day Soccer Festival in Buea, Cameroon with FSS Salaberry for $500 Operate One Entire Year of weekly sessions, engaging 50 youth at one school, for $1,250 Send our Shipping Container Full of Soccer Gear from Port of Douala to Kumba for $2,500 Support the travel of the Executive Director and Photographer for $5,000 We are preparing our Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, we are accepting contributions via our partner Soccer Dreams Without Borders (SDWB), a registered non-profit organization based in Evergreen, Colorado. Tax-deductable donations can be made with checks payable to Soccer Dreams Without Borders Re: Cameroon Football Development Program. and mailed to CFDP c/o Justin Forzano 253 W. Cardinal Street, Wheeling, West Virginia, 26003. 100% of your contribution goes toward funding our initiatives in Cameroon. I really want this program to be implemented at my school I would like my friends to learn about these topics too! -Tabot Brenda Bessem Ako CFDP Pilot Program Participant
Our Friends Soccer Dreams Without Borders a registered 501.c.3 non-profit organization, provides non-profit infrastructure support to CFDP as we apply for tax-exempt status now FSS Salaberry Soccer Club Will spend two weeks in Cameroon this summer offering their expertice on the soccer field and in the classroom training Team Leaders alongside CFDP. They have collected soccer gear from their entire club - over 800 players - enough to fill an entire shipping container to be sent in May! Pittsburgh Riverhounds donated soccer balls and equipment for 2010 CFDP Kickoff and are shaping up to be strategic friends in the community The German Development Service in Cameroon delivered expert HIV/AIDS education and awareness training to our Management Team in Cameroon Eurosport and US Soccer Foundation Passback Program provides soccer equipment to kids in need all over the world! CFDP thanks them for the t- shirts which they provided for each of the 100 youth participants in the 2010 Kickoff
Contact Us Mailing Address: Cameroon Football Development Program c/o Justin Forzano, US Director 253 W. Cardinal Street Wheeling, West Virginia 26003 Phone: (304)-281-5649 Website: Twitter: @CameroonFDP Email: cameroonfdp@gmail.com YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/cameroonfdp