A Nice "Pitch" -- Give HIV the RED CARD

During the December opening of the Khaylitsha Football for Hope Centre in South Africa, Grassroot Soccer debuted their new AIDS prevention program, The Red Card campaign.

A red penalty card signifies poor behavior during a game of soccer, and for Grassroot Soccer, can be used as a powerful symbol for risky behaviors off the field (“pitch”) as well. With the popularity of soccer in African countries, the Red Card is now used to demonstrate to young people which risky behaviors can lead to HIV/AIDS transmission.

Connecting with young people in order to prevent HIV/AIDS transmissions is the goal of Grassroot Soccer (GRS). An example of how this works is an activity called “Risk Field.” In this game, players dribble soccer balls through cones. Whenever the players dribble the ball into a cone that represents a risky behavior – such as multiple partners or cross-generational sex – the Red Card is shown and players do a push-up as a penalty.

These activities, while not only fun for participants, are proven to work. Young people are moving, engaged, learning, having a good time, and working with leaders they respect. All these tools work together to reinforce messages of how to prevent this devastating illness.

Avert.org says that over 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have HIV, with at least 15-20% of all adults infected in places like South Africa, where this campaign is launching to coincide with the 2010 World Cup being hosted there. The timing and impact of this campaign could be huge, considering that more people watch the World Cup than the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, and World Series combined.

According to Grassroot Soccer’s website, the Red Card campaign’s goal is to educate 1 million youth through its programming by 2014. Already, over 300,000 youth in 13 African countries have been served through previous campaigns such as this.

OneTribe.com is proud to support socially responsible organizations such as Grassroot Soccer. Through sales of our own “Red Card” shirts (right), we provide a steady and lasting revenue stream for this worthy cause. Whenever a shirt is purchased ($39) through our website, we donate 50% of the price ($19.50) directly to this non-profit. That single donation is enough to provide one youth access to GRS lessons -- such as the Red Card campaign -- which will help keep him or her HIV free for life.

To buy a shirt and support GRS, click here: OneTribe/GrassrootSoccer

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