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Robert Pirès, International Soccer Star, Joins Grassroot Soccer as Ambassador

By GRSweb on January 17, 2012 in ,

Robert Pirès, a major star in the soccer world, has signed on as an Ambassador for Grassroot Soccer, an international non-profit that uses the power of soccer to save lives by preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS among youth in Africa. Grassroot Soccer (GRS) envisions a world mobilized through soccer to create and AIDS-free generation.

GRS Ambassadors Robert Pirès, Walid Bouzid, and Bacary Sagna

GRS Ambassadors Robert Pirès, Walid Bouzid, and Bacary Sagna

“I am very excited to join the Grassroot Soccer team. For me, soccer has always been a way I can express myself. Grassroot Soccer uses the language and beauty of the game to break down barriers, build trust, and educate young people to adopt healthy behaviors. Soccer becomes part of the solution,” said Pirès. “Another thing that stands out to me about Grassroot Soccer is the way messages are delivered by role models who the kids can relate to. Growing up, my father was a powerful role model for me – I have great memories of riding on the bus with him to watch him play; I understand how important this is for young people.”

Founded in Zimbabwe in 2002 and now active throughout southern Africa, Grassroot Soccer trains local role models – soccer players, teachers, community leaders- to deliver an interactive AIDS prevention and life skills curriculum to at-risk youth. Over 470,000 young people have gone through the program. By World Cup 2014, GRS will educate 1 million young people about AIDS and how to live healthy, productive lives.

Robert Pirès and Alex Song face off on the pitch like GRS participants on the field.

Just like the Grassroot Soccer participants on the right, GRS Ambassadors Robert Pirès and Alex Song may face off on the pitch, but they are united when it comes to stopping HIV.

Since his professional debut in 1993, Pirès has been a strong presence on the international soccer scene. He was a standout player for the French National Team, helping them to victory in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. During his time at Arsenal in the Barclays Premier League, he won three FA Cups and two League titles, including the club’s famous unbeaten season of 2003-2004. He has also played for Spanish side Villareal and Barclays Premier League club Aston Villa.

Pirès also noted: “During my time as a professional player, I have learned so much from my teammates with African ties about both the challenges and opportunities facing Africa. When my good friend Bacary Sagna became a GRS Ambassador, I wanted to learn more about the organization, and it proved to be a perfect fit. ”

To view some of Robert Pirès’ greatest goals, see the video below.

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Grassroot Soccer Partners with Waves for Change for Holiday Camp

By GRSweb on December 19, 2011 in , ,

GRS and Waves for Change camp graduationRecently Grassroot Soccer partnered with Waves for Change, an exciting new sport for development program that uses surfing as a tool to engage youth in HIV prevention and health decision-making, to run a 4-day holiday camp on the Muizenberg beach near Cape Town. During the camp, GRS coaches delivered the GRS Generation Skillz curriculum to thirty 15-16 year olds from Masiphumlele in the morning. In the afternoon, these students then surfed and participated in Waves for Change activities.

GRS has been working closely with Waves for Change over the last year on curriculum development, and this camp was a great chance for coaches from both programs to share information. The students were exposed to both organization’s activities and were able to take away knowledge that will empower them to make healthy decisions.

Give HIV the Red CardWaves for Change is a program of the Isiqalo Foundation. The Foundation and the program were recently honored with the Cape Town Global Bike award at the Beyond Sport Global Summit. Grassroot Soccer is proud to partner with this innovative organization.

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Nike and Grassroot Soccer Extend Partnership To End AIDS

By GRSweb on December 1, 2011 in , , ,

SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA, December 1, 2011 – NIKE, Inc. and Grassroot Soccer (GRS) today announced that they will extend their partnership to utilize the universal language of soccer to provide young people in Africa with the knowledge and skills they can use to turn the tide on the HIV epidemic and live healthy, productive lives.

This partnership recognizes a two-year commitment to scaling up GRS programs in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The partnership was kicked off today with a World AIDS Day commemoration and celebration at the Nike Football Training Center in Soweto. The event combined a soccer tournament with voluntary HIV counseling and testing services.  Nike hosted the event, with GRS as a featured partner. The event drew hundreds of participants.

Nike and Grassroot Soccer Celebrate World AIDS Day

In celebration of World AIDS Day, Nike and Grassroot Soccer kicked off the newest round of their collaboration with a soccer tournament combined with HIV testing services at the Nike Football Training Center in Soweto, South Africa.

Grassroot Soccer is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 that uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and empower communities to stop the spread of HIV. This new commitment between GRS and Nike comes on the heels of a previous 3-year partnership that provided HIV counseling and testing for thousands of people, afforded life-saving educational interventions for nearly 100,000 youth, and created soccer-themed educational materials that reached millions of people. Under this new agreement, Nike will continue to play a key role in the AIDS response throughout southern Africa by providing support for the scaling up of GRS programs in Soweto, increasing the reach of HIV testing events throughout South Africa, supporting the development of GRS coaches (HIV educators), and expanding educational and health services for youth in Zimbabwe.

“Nike has a dual approach to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa, by delivering funds to directly support programmes that offer education and medication on the ground, and through our ongoing partnership with Grassroot Soccer, Nike is using sport as a vehicle to bring youth together to teach them about basic life skills and HIV education,” said Nokuthula Zwane, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Nike South Africa.

“Working from the Nike Football Training Center in Soweto everyday, we see what a powerful influence soccer is on the lives of young people in the community,” said Gregory Laing, Grassroot Soccer Soweto Site Coordinator. “We’re excited to continue our Nike partnership and take our programs to the next level to reach even more youth.  By reversing the course of the AIDS epidemic here in southern Africa we can unlock the potential of whole communities.”

Participants at the World AIDS Day Nike / Grassroot Soccer tournament.

Participants at the World AIDS Day tournament in Soweto.

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About NIKE, Inc.: NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities.  Wholly-owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand.  For more information, visit www.nikeinc.com

About Grassroot Soccer: GRS is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 that uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and empower communities to stop the spread of HIV. The vision of GRS is a world mobilized through soccer to create an AIDS-free generation. GRS has programs in 10 African countries with flagship sites in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Founded by four professional soccer players, Grassroot Soccer is mobilizing the most vulnerable population of youth ages 12 – 19 to break the cycle of AIDS by engaging local coaches who equip young people with the knowledge, skills and support they need to avoid HIV. For more information visit www.grassrootsoccer.org

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