Use soccer as a platform to positively influence the lives of underprivileged young people.
1) Remove young people from street life.
2) Get them onto the soccer field.
3) And back in the classroom.
Futbol For Change operates within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This non-profit organization was founded in 2006 by Michael Raskys and Robert Humphrey both of whom are former collegiate soccer players from James Madison University. Their life long involvement in the game of soccer as well as recent academic work facilitated a desire to form a soccer related initiative. Futbol For Change was recently awarded tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service.
Futbol For Change currently provides daily soccer sessions to the young people of Madina, Ghana. These soccer sessions offer an alternative to street life. Our coaches also employ non-traditional academic support to our academy participants. After initially enrolling 35 young people we have seen our numbers swell to over 200 participants per week. Enthusiasm continues to rise and we hope to enlarge our initiatives over the next 12-18 months.
"Futbol For Change continues to offer free educational counselling to the kids of Madina Zongo. Recently our organization paid the examination fee of a brilliant soccer player Samir Ibrahim (13 years), to write his final examination and to enable him complete Juniour high school. Samir and his parents were so excited at the prospects of Samir completing his final examination through the efforts of FFC. Samir would have been a drop out as this is a familiar story in the community." - Program Officer Wahab Musah