1. Jean de Dieu Tshileu (in the photo above) has launched an organization to help the people in his village of Bakwa-Tshileu fight poverty and work against ethnic and gender prejudices. One of his primary strategies has included the development of a soccer program:
The Soccer Program (in Jean's own words):
"Through the organization of a co-ed team, the soccer program works as a catalyst for the promotion of girls’ education in rural areas. Girls and women have no voices in this rural male dominated society which is therefore a barrier to a sustainable rural development. In Congo, education in rural areas is for boys and mostly only for the oldest son in a family, so Congo Village Project's goal is to provide an education to both girls and boys. We use co-ed soccer in the village of Bakwa Tshileu as a way of organizing the whole community behind everybody without discriminating against girls. Soccer is a great component of the entire program because it dictates the way girls and women will be treated in school and in the village.
In May of 2011, I set up a soccer field in Bakwa Tshileu, in the Region of Kasai-Oriental (Democratic Republic of Congo), and distributed soccer balls to different villagers. In addition, the soccer field intends to provide leisure to the entire village since they have no leisure at all.
I also set up a co-ed soccer team called Foot Club Bakwa Tshileu. In just four months that I spent in the village of Bakwa Tshileu, I saw a big change in the way girls are being treated. We recruit our students through the soccer program then follow up their behavior at soccer practices and games."
To learn more about his organization visit:
http://thecongovillageproject.weebly.com/index.html
or take a look at this inspirational documentary describing his project:
The Soccer Program (in Jean's own words):
"Through the organization of a co-ed team, the soccer program works as a catalyst for the promotion of girls’ education in rural areas. Girls and women have no voices in this rural male dominated society which is therefore a barrier to a sustainable rural development. In Congo, education in rural areas is for boys and mostly only for the oldest son in a family, so Congo Village Project's goal is to provide an education to both girls and boys. We use co-ed soccer in the village of Bakwa Tshileu as a way of organizing the whole community behind everybody without discriminating against girls. Soccer is a great component of the entire program because it dictates the way girls and women will be treated in school and in the village.
In May of 2011, I set up a soccer field in Bakwa Tshileu, in the Region of Kasai-Oriental (Democratic Republic of Congo), and distributed soccer balls to different villagers. In addition, the soccer field intends to provide leisure to the entire village since they have no leisure at all.
I also set up a co-ed soccer team called Foot Club Bakwa Tshileu. In just four months that I spent in the village of Bakwa Tshileu, I saw a big change in the way girls are being treated. We recruit our students through the soccer program then follow up their behavior at soccer practices and games."
To learn more about his organization visit:
http://thecongovillageproject.weebly.com/index.html
or take a look at this inspirational documentary describing his project:
2. Learn Serve International
Learn Serve International is an organization based in Washington, DC which identifies "students with the passion to make a difference, and equips them with the knowledge, business tools, relationships and practice they need to transform their schools and communities—and themselves. Through international summer service-learning opportunities and entrepreneurship training during the academic year, LearnServe prepares high school students to be global leaders and social entrepreneurs."