By Prajith Nakarnimana, 12/06/2010
Putting their best foot forward for education
Football, the most-played game in the world, is playing a big part in education, too. 1GOAL is the latest campaign in ensuring education for all. The 2010 FIFA World Cup initiative is bringing together footballers and fans, charities and organisations around the world to make education a reality for 72 million children by 2015.
Putting their best foot forward for education
As the whole world is glued to the mega fest happening in South Africa, we take a look at famous footballers and their tie-ups with UNICEF and other children's organisations to help world's children lead a better life.
UNICEF and FIFA have proven a natural match since the two became teammates. Over years, they have been active in ensuring every child's right to a peaceful world, free from conflict and abuse. The 'Say Yes for Children' and 'Go Girls' initiatives have been very successful.
Legends like Pele and Maradona have found time to reach to schools across the world. The game's greats, like Beckham, Terry, Messi, Diouf, have contributed their share.
Here are some of them doing their bit to keep the ball rolling!
Pele, Brazil
Founder of Vila Olimpica, school for poor children
Putting their best foot forward for education
Vila Olimpica is a sports-oriented school for poor children, in Rio de Janeiro, founded by Brazilian legend Pele. The school, located next to Mangueira, one of Rio's most infamous and dangerous shantytowns. Clinton and Pele played a brief game of soccer and met with a samba group. Bill Clinton, the former US President, also joined him.
Diego Maradona, Argentina
Putting their best foot forward for education
Maradona, took time out from his whirlwind visit to South Africa to visit the Selelekela Secondary School in Soweto, where he hosted a UNICEF-organized soccer clinic. After distributing sports equipment and football kits Maradona joined a large group of enthusiastic children to show off some of his famous ball-juggling antics. With an audience of volunteer coaches, education officials and community members, students from the school's combined sports teams responded by demonstrating their own athletic skills.
David Beckham, England
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Putting their best foot forward for education
English footballer David Beckham's association with UNICEF dates back to his Manchester United days. From his travel to Thailand with the team on their pre-season tour in 2001, Beckham has been putting his best footballing foot forward in helping the cause. The Goodwill Ambassador is being offered flowers by Japanese school children as he visits Tsukiji elementary school in Tokyo June 20, 2003.
Lionel (Leo) Messi, Argentina
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Putting their best foot forward for education
Messi was declared global Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF in March this year,
after he was named the FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Golden Ball award for the best European footballer of the year in 2009.
"Football has given me a lot of joy and opportunities and I feel grateful to UNICEF for this chance to give support to children," said Messi. "I hope that in my role as a global Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF I will be able to support children who need our help," the Argentine said at the ceremony on March 11.
Ryan Giggs, England
Ambassador for UNICEF UK
Putting their best foot forward for education
Manchester United has long-standing relations with UNICEF, so has ManU thorough-bred Ryan Giggs. Here, he is seen with manager Alex Ferguson, fellow layer Dong Fangzhou at the "United for UNICEF" news conference in Beijing in 2005. The Chinese characters on the posters that they are holding out read "United for Children". Ryan Giggs became an Ambassador for UNICEF UK in August 2006, in recognition of his support for the organisation's work with children.
One of ManU's key initiatives has been the Kredtrakarn Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, providing medical treatment, counseling, education and training for some 300 girls who have been abused, involved in child labour,
forced into prostitution or trafficked from the neighboring countries of Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.
Stephen Appiah, Ghana
Promoter of 'Quality Education for All Children' campaign
Putting their best foot forward for education
Stephen Appiah, one of the best known footballers in Ghana, promotes the 'Quality Education for All Children' campaign. The former captain of the national team visited his former school in 2008 and said: "You are lucky to have chairs to sit on and toys to play with, because when I was here, we were sitting on the floor and there were no toys." Appiah was referring to his rough childhood in this impoverished neighbourhood near the capital.
Brandi Chastain, USA
Putting their best foot forward for education
"Football gives girls the ability to be leaders and improves their self-esteem. They learn that they can be leaders, be powerful and strong and that those are perfectly fine qualities for a woman. They learn to explore themselves through football," Brandi once said during a campaign. The American defender and midfielder has been part of initiatives for children for long.
Marcel Desailly, Ghana
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Putting their best foot forward for education
As Goodwill AMbassador, Desailly visits schools in his country to spread the message. was at Savelugu Junior Secondary School in the Northern Region of Ghana in 2007. National abolition of school fees in 2005 has increased access to education for children in the country. He was here to encourage children, especially young girls, to play football and go to school.
Source: India Syndicate
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