This year we have sent uniforms and equipment to Uganda, Cameroon, Sudan, Cuba, and Nepal. In addition, students from Crescent School and The York School have delivered unforms in South Africa and India.
We receive many heart warming replies from the communities we reach out, for example, these words from a community partner in Nepal:
“When I first tried to organize a soccer team, there were not so many students on the field because we did not have soccer uniform and boots to wear. However, after we received the uniform and boots, so many students really wanted to join and practice soccer and wanted to have taste of boots and uniform. I was so happy to see that many kids came to me and said ‘I want to wear soccer uniform and I want to play soccer’. Now these days we can see almost all the students playing soccer on the field.”
and from a community partner in Sudan:
“I received another shipment from Second Kicks – very much appreciated thank you. Last month, we distributed some to the children in our neighborhood. There are tens of thousands of internally displaced families living throughout Khartoum who fled fighting in the South. The conditions are pretty rough, and it is a struggle for families to survive. We see children all around us who do have the opportunity to go to school, to play sports. There are many in the neighbourhood of our house. We asked our Sudanese staff if they would help distribute some balls and clothing in our neighborhood, and within a few hours, there were children of all ages lined up at our door.It was absolutely heartwarming. The children were so happy, and so incredibly appreciative. There was no butting or grabbing, instead the older children handed out shirts to the younger ones, and all were very gracious. My Canadian colleagues all noticed the children kicking soccer balls around within a few days, every child we saw on the street within a 5 km radius of our home was wearing bright colorful soccer clothes from Canada, and there were many children kicking soccer balls around the small paths that zig zag around our house. One of my colleagues was able to snap a few pictures, and I will forward them on to you.”