Let's ELEVATE

Oh I can't wait for the documentary Elevate to be released! This documentary focuses on four tall guys from West Africa who, through the SEEDs Project - an intensive basketball and academic school in Senegal for West African - get the opportunity to attend American prep schools and eventually move on to play college basketball. I'm not sure how to explain the impact of this opportunity, but imagine going from a small town in Africa to be middle of Connecticut, on a full-ride (the type of high school education that might run the average CEO around $200,000) where you have top coaches (for the high school arena) and you get to play against other top high school players! Needless to say, it's insane and I can't wait to watch the journey of these four young guys!

Check out the trailer here.

{Photos: Elevate}

Football for Peace and Development

Yesterday morning while listening to Morning Edition on NPR, I heard this feature about FIFA spending 1/3 of 1 percent (translation: chump change) of the $3 billion it earned on the World Cup on a program called 20 Centers for 2010. These football centers are suppose to focus on promoting education, public health, and of course football throughout six countries on the continent. Besides the fact that only four centers are completed and that all twenty centers won't be done until 2012 (yeah, don't be confused by the name of the program or anything), the part that really got me scratching my head was this quote:

"There aren't many organizations out there that are using football as a tool for social development and also have experience running youth centers."

In addition to international organizations like Right to Play, which, as their name would suggest, is all about working with youth, I was recently introduced to the wonderful organization Play 31. As Jakob Lund, founder & director, told me, this organization works in countries that have recently been affected by conflict and uses football as a means of reconciliation. So far, the organization focuses activities in Sierra Leone and organizing community meetings and football matches for kids, women and men. Lund has been leading an amazing campaign to raise funds to expand activities and has been featured all over the press, including the New York Times. Asked about what inspired the creation of the organization, Lund said "the trigger for the creation of Play 31 was when couple of little boys asked me if I wanted to play ball with them at a guest house in Moyamba. Their ball was a complete wreck and when I bought them a new one, it was their enthusiasm and joy that convinced me I needed to start an organization focusing on children's right to play, using the sport to foster reconciliation." All this on just his winter break trip to Sierra Leone while at grad school at Columbia!

Having worked in the business of international development for quite a few years now, I've seen first hand how much individuals and organizations want to help people throughout the continent. I love the use of a fun and universal sport like football as a means of peace and development. However, as is so often the case, a lack of communication and coordination can get in the way of good intentions. With organizations like Play 31 and Right to Play, not to mention all the African-based organizations that I may not know about but feel convinced exist, FIFA really should have no problem burning through 1/3 of 1 percent of $3 billion dollars to get football to kids throughout the continent!

{Photos courtesy of Play 31}

Surfing in Liberia

A few months ago, I randomly came across several articles about surfing in South Africa and the various organizations that are helping black South Africans get into the sport instead of joining gangs. Non-profits like Mahala Surf Co. gets used boards and wetsuits into community run surfing schools to help underprivileged kids.


I remember thinking that the idea fabulous and wishing there were more resources like this for kids in other African countries with coastlines. I know from experience that the waves in Liberia are crazy big and have heard stories of expats who would go surfing (pre-civil war) in Buchanan and other beaches. If expats can surf in Liberia, why can't Liberians?!?! I know, I know...that whole recovering from war bit....but still!


Well it turns out that I was not the only one thinking about this! Back when the fighting was still going on, a Liberian (Alfred Lomax) grabbed a bodyboard instead of his daily looting and that's where it all began. He has since brushed up his surfing skills with a surfboard and even has the requisite entourage of surfing friends. There are already surfing "resorts" - check out Surf Liberia and Robertsport Surf Camp where Alfred teaches surfing. While Liberia still has years of rebuilding ahead of it, I think it is so encouraging that not only are surfers from Brazil, Australia, and the U.S. making the journey to this non-touristy destination to check out the waves, but that Liberians also get to take part in the fun!!!


You can click the image above to see a trailer of the documentary about surfing in Liberia and you can also read more through the Sliding Liberia website. Click here and here to read more about Alfred and surfing in Liberia

View of a sunset in Liberia

{Photos from Sliding Liberia and BBC News}

Speedracer...Angola Style

I get such a thrill finding unexpected things and honestly, I was not expecting an entire world of car racing in Angola. Before it's independence and all hell breaking loose (civil war), Angola was a hot spot for car rallies!


I find this so fascinating on so many levels!

• At one point in Angolan history, the powers that be had soo much cash floating about, there was actually spare to build paved race tracks!
  
• Somewhere out there in the world, there is some guy for whom events like this, in Africa, were a part of their normal childhood experience.
  
• In most of these pics (and there are over 100 more where these came from), it is quite clear that Angolans of the dark and lovely variety were not the ones behind the wheels or even in the audience. One can only wonder what history would look like had they been able to participate...
  

Car racing in Angola could not survive independence and civil war. Since the war ended, Angolans have justly been focusing their attention on other matters such as rebuilding a nation, creating jobs, etc., so car rallies continue to remain part of the past.


Maybe Angola will have such pastimes as car racing again, maybe one in which all Angolans can participate in...

In the main time, click here to enjoy more vintage photos of Angola in Fast and Furious mode! You can also find out more about the wide wide world of present-day African car racing over at the African Rally Championship site.