Goal! - News from Coaching for Hope

After a qualifying tournament (which had contained a significant element of HIV awareness) involving over 500 players in Ouagadougou in November and December 2007 it was time for the two winning teams to collect their prizes - a trip to Ghana to play in a youth football tournament and to watch the quarter final of the African Cup of Nations (ACN) between Cameroon and Tunisia.

In February 2008 the party set off early from Ouaga. Travelling with the Coaching for Hope Burkina Faso team (Jonathan and Roma) were CFH coach Souleymane Ouedraogo and ten of his players aged 15 and over, and CFH coach ‘Bright’ and ten of his12-14 year old team from an orphanage based in Ouaga. Also travelling to Ghana were CFH coach Issaka Nikiema and coach Abdoul Misarré, who had both entered teams in last year's 36 team ‘tournoi de ouaga’ and had come runners up in their respective age groups. Finally, to complete the touring party there was a local radio journalist Ruben Wilson, of Ouagadougou’s Savannah FM.

CFH’s local partner in Ghana, Right to Dream (RtD), had arranged a mini football tournament, featuring four local teams, plus our two teams. Unfortunately the CFH teams lost both their matches (although one only after a close penalty shootout). This misfortune could probably be attributed to the more organised nature of youth football in Tamale (and Ghana in general), where 22 clubs compete regularly in leagues, with each club having several different teams representing different age groups. Nothing of the sort exists in Burkina Faso, and this lack of competitive experience probably made the difference on the day. However, spectators enjoyed some good matches, with good technique displayed by all teams involved.

The following day it was Tamale’s turn to host the quarter final ACN match, between Cameroon and Tunisia, which was to be the last game played in Tamale’s impressive new stadium, built specially for the ACN. Everyone was very excited to see Barcelona’s Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o, who is a big hero to many African kids. Cameroon won 3-2 and progressed to a tough semi-final against the hosts, Ghana. Everyone who attended had an amazing time,: for almost everyone involved it was the biggest match they had ever been to see and afterwards everyone was filled with excitement.

Five staff members from adidas; Simon Brown, Suzanne Wright, Adam Heaslewood, Tara Lawson and Oliver Ezard, all ran the Flora London Marathon last Sunday to raise money for Coaching for Hope. They have raised over £4,700, with money still coming in.

"In 2007 adidas Area North contributed £80,000 towards helping Coaching for Hope and the kids of Burkina Faso. Now at the beginning of 2008, its time, once again, to start engaging our employees and brand partners to help raise even more money, in new and exciting ways, bigger and better than before, for the kids of Africa.

For those of you who have run a marathon before, you will know the mental, physical and emotional torture you need to go through in order to cross the finish line. However, its all worth it to help raise even more money for CFH," said Simon Brown from adidas.

In late November, CFH Mali welcomed a new member of staff, Mme Bantandian Diabatesidibe, the financial and administration officer for the Bamako office. In mid-December we received a receipt from the Ministry of the Interior acknowledging CFH as an association in Mali.

In early March a refresher course was organised for local coaches to review HIV communication skills and the integrated football sessions. The coaches all benefited from the course, and enjoyed the chance to get together, especially as it was a first opportunity for two Burkinabe coaches, and CFH Burkina Project Assistant to lead a Malian course. This first official south-south coach exchange was a great success and CFH Mali looks forward to sharing expertise within the region in the future.

Coaching for Hope Mali has had the amazing opportunity to support three local coaches in the organisation of youth tournaments with CFH graduates. Youba Cisse, Fousseyni Kouyate and Demba Traore, all level 2 coaches organised tournaments in Commune 1, 2 and 4 of Bamako and Niagadina village, to play football, have HIV discussions and fun.

Developments with partners have also progressed over the past few months. CFH is solidifying stronger partnerships with top Malian Club, the Djoliba AC, as well as with the local youth football organising body, ACEFOOT. We are also in the process of developing stong links with the National Olympic Committee and the Malian Federation of Sport for Persons with Disabilities. The quality of CFH training has been recognised across the board, and CFH has recently had the honour of sending a coach ambassador on mission to Segou with a Bamako Sports school to spread the word about Coaching for Hope, and share his knowledge.

Coaching for Hope in Burkina Faso

After the exciting trip to Ghana, it was time for CFH Burkina to return to training sports coaches in advanced coaching techniques, leadership and communication skills. Leading the training at this event were two of the FA's highly experienced coaches, Chris Dowham and Andy Foster, accompanied by CFH's Michael Richardson, and CFH Project Assistant, Roma Traoré. They delivered a fantastic course that left all the Burkinabé coaches looking forward to the next CFH training school, and itching to get back to the youth teams they train so they could try out some of the new techniques they had learnt.

As one coach, Simpore Adama, explained: "I am very happy, because I have learnt many things about foootball tactics and I am looking forward to using these with my team". Later, Adama joked that, "actually, I think the Burkina national team needs these training ideas in order to qualify for the next African Cup of Nations!" Congo Idrissa, who works at the Swiss financed 'La Brique' Orphanage in Ouagadougou, said: "This couse is the the best football coaching course I've ever been on...and I've been on many!"

The FA coaches were all impressed at the significant improvement seen in the coaches they worked with and they all said they would love to come back again and continue what they started on this training course.

Coaching for Hope in South Africa

In February several Cape Town football coaches joined forces to organise an activity for about 60 local young people in Brooklyn. The coaches were all putting into practice training they had received during a week long Coaching for Hope course in Cape Town last December. The participants included local youngsters from the Brooklyn area, as well as boys from The Homestead street children’s home in Khayelitsha and girls from the Durbanville Kinderhuis children’s home.

The activities consisted of football and HIV and AIDS ‘cross over sessions’, football skills sessions and some short matches. For most of the participants the event formed part of a series of eight awareness raising workshops that coaches are running with the young people, to help increase their understanding of sexual and reproductive health.

Coaching for Hope Programme Manager Tom Pitchon explains: “I think some important messages about HIV awareness were dealt with in a fun and interactive way and that everyone involved had a great afternoon”.