AN appeal has been launched for a local football team to forge links with a club thousands of miles away in rural Tanzania.
It comes from Redditch-based charity Mission Morogoro which is helping to provide safe drinking water in remote parts of the East African country.
Together with its Tanzanian partner SAWA – Sanitation and Water Action – it helped organise a football tournament which not only attracted 14 teams and thousands of spectators, but also acted as a vehicle for their safe water and sanitation project.
“The atmosphere at the tournament was fantastic – I have never experienced anything like it – sport is such a unifier, it breaks down barriers and brings people together,” said Mission Morogoro trustee Tricia Mortimer, of Callow Hill.
“These football teams face many challenges – they do not have enough footballs or boots.
“The tournament was won by the team ‘Stand’ – named after the motorbike stand from where all the young men on the team operate their motorbike ‘taxi’ businesses.”
Stand’s success means they can join Tanzania’s national league division 4 – and they’d love to build links in the Redditch, Studley, Alcester area.
Tricia said ideally the charity would prefer if any local clubs or groups wanting to help held fundraisers instead of donating kit, simply because of the logistics of taking it out to Tanzania.
“We can always provide proof that the money was spent well,” said Tricia.
Mission Morogoro and SAWA are helping to transform the lives of hundreds of people ensuring they have safe drinking water and making the connection between disease and safe water.
“It’s a partnership with the local people, which is a critical for us, that the community owns the project,” said Tricia.
“We would like to thank KitAid for donating the prizes and to Bromsgrove and Redditch Trophies for their kind donations and support of this worthy cause.”
To learn more email: www.missionmorogoro.org.uk
