World Football governing body, FIFA, has applauded the Ghana Football Association on the exemplary role that led to the official launch of the FIFA Football for Schools programme in Accra, a fortnight ago.
In a letter addressed to President Simeon-Okraku, FIFA Director, Football for Schools programme Fatimatu Sow Sidibe described the launch in Ghana as a resounding success. Ghana is among 79 countries across the globe and only 33 in Africa to sign up to the programme.
‘’Dear President, Our team has returned from Accra with beautiful memories of the Football for Schools launch and all the moments shared together with children and coaches. This launch of Football for Schools was a resounding success, and it would not have been possible without the close collaboration of the Ghana Football Association. It was a great team effort! Together, we joined forces to put our beloved sport to use for the benefit of children and young people, creating unique life experiences both on and off the pitch that left a positive impact on the lives of everyone who took part and their community. Going forward, we would like to seek your continued support, being of the view that the Ghana Football Association could help drive social change in the country by working on the foundations that were laid with the Football for Schools launch programme. With your assistance, we aim to transform this project into a benchmark that can be set for everyone to follow. We are extremely grateful for the commitment of the Ghana Football Association and the government of Ghana to use football as a tool for change. In this regard, I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to extend our sincere thanks to all of the entities involved for their support in helping to launch Football for Schools. Convinced of the positive values that we transmit through football, we say goodbye with a friendly greeting to all members of the Ghana Football Association. Thank you once more and we hope to meet you again very soon’’ the letter read.
The Football for Schools programme is an ambitious initiative run by FIFA, in collaboration with UNESCO, which aims to contribute to the education, development and empowerment of around 700 million children. It seeks to make football more accessible to both boys and girls around the world by incorporating football activities into the education system, in partnership with relevant authorities and stakeholders.
The programme has been designed to promote targeted life skills and competencies through football and contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other priorities.
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