Welcome and thank you for visiting my blog! As many of you know, I graduated from Dartmouth in June and was selected to be a Grassroot Soccer field intern. Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is a South-African based NGO founded by former professional soccer players. It intergrates the cross-cultural appeal of soccer with evidence-based HIV prevention and life skills programs that arm African youth with the knowledge, skills, and support to live HIV free. Translating research into action and leveraging the excitement around the 2010 World Cup, GRS attracts and engages African youth through schools, community outreach, and social multimedia. It is focused around the realization that the true power of soccer has always been connections that it creates between people. By using soccer players as role models, and the popularity of soccer to engage hard to reach young people, GRS combines social theory, public health methodologies, rigorous evaluation, and a huge dose of passion. Since 2003, over 270,000 youth in 16 countries have received comprehensive HIV prevention education through programs linked to GRS. By bringing the model to scale through innovative and sustainable partnerships, GRS aims to educate many more by World Cup 2010.
I am truly passionate about this cause and organization. However, in order to participate as an intern, I have been asked to raise $10,000 to cover my living expenses and I am currently $2,000 short of my goal. Please consider supporting me in the fight against HIV/AIDS and making a tax-deductible donation with the icon below. Thank you for the support and I hope you continue to follow this blog as I post updates throughout my internship.
First Post!
Here goes the first post... We finally got our placements yesterday after months of waiting. I will be in Kimberley, South Africa with two other interns, Hooter and Lindsey. Kimberley's main tourist attraction is a giant hole in the ground created by De Beers Diamonds. So, it's definitely no Cape Town, but I think it's going to be a great experience. My responsibilities are exactly what I want to be doing. I will be doing Programs and Monitoring & Evaluation, which means that I will be doing research and ensuring that the program is working. More to come soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment