(Re)writing the Future

Final edition June 2011. My name is Tinacho Chitongo and over the past 10 months I have worked as a Field Intern with Grassroot Soccer (GRS), an organization that actively uses the power of the game of football/soccer to educate and inform youths about HIV and AIDS. This newsletter has been one of the ways I have reached out to my family and supporters in order to reveal and reflect on the work I have been doing. The experience has been priceless as I have gained unparalleled perspective and inspiration from day to day interactions with other young people and other players in the quest to stall the progress of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A massive thank you goes to my family and anyone else who has supported my internship. If you are hearing about this for the first time, be sure to check out www.grassroot soccer.org for more information.
Educate, Inspire, Mobilize! Stop the spread of HIV.

Grassroot Soccer is an international NGO that uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire and mobilize youth in the fight to reduce new HIV infections. Southern Africa is the de facto epicenter of the epidemic and GRS has flagship bases in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe with several partnerships around the region.

The following newsletter spotlights projects I was most heavily involved with in my 10 months at Grassroot Soccer.

Contents
1. Introduction. 2. Grassroot Soccer events . 3. Skillz Street. 4. A final goodbye & thanks. Graduating from university in May 2010 was one of my personal highlights for 2010, so was joining Grassroot Soccer.

On May 27, 2010 eleven days after obtaining a Bachelors degree in Political Science at Providence College I began a fund raising campaign to help supplement the costs of an internship I would be embarking on in my home continent. Over a year on I look back on a year that was not punctuated by exams, time tables, study guides or homework. It has been a dose of the real world through an experience unlike any other anywhere. My Grassroot Soccer experience has allowed me to grow tremendously while encouraging myself and my peers to challenge the status quo and seek a better future for our generation. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves and playing victims, I am confident in my generations ability to author its own future, based on a better understanding of the threats and opportunities we face on a daily basis. Until the lions produce their own historian, the story of the hunt will only glorify the hunter." Chinua Achebe Narrative on Africa in the global media is dominated by the negative, AIDS being a one of the major talking points. As knowledge continues to spread and organizations like GRS reach more young people, we hope the story will change. Thank you for playing a part, please continue to support similar initiatives!

EVENTS

Every day is an event at Grassroot Soccer, our coaches _keep kids on their toes through our HIV prevention & ___life skills programs. Every 3 months we host an HIV ____Counseling and Testing soccer tournament where ___young people spend the day playing football & they get a chance to confidentially test for HIV.

Funds from Port Elizabeths first ever INSPI(RED) soccer fund raiser will support HCT Soccer tournaments in the near future!

SKILLZ STREET

Skillz Street is a girls targeted intervention forming part of Grassroot Soccers life skills & HIV prevention programs. The intervention has been developed in response to overwhelming research that shows: 1. Participation in sport among adolescent females correlates to a range of health benefits, and; 2. HIV is disproportionately concentrated among women and girls. Skillz Street combines Fair Play soccer with HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT), and community outreach.

HIV & lIfe Skills Curriculum

Community Outreach & Testing

Fair Play Soccer

Goodbye and thanks.

Leaving Port Elizabeth on Friday June 17th, 2011 after a session of Skillz Street seemed to be the perfect send off. I was able to leave Grassroot Soccer on the highest possible note. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Grassroot Soccer coaches, staff & fellow interns for welcoming me into their world, on my personal journey of discovery. The connections I have made in Port Elizabeth will remain with me for a long time after gaining invaluable context on life and work. I want to thank everyone who has supported my internship, from family, friends, donors, and anyone who may have taken the time to pay attention to my blog, newsletters or anything to do with Grassroot Soccer. I urge you to take an active interest in any charity or cause that you may support, there is invaluable insight and incredible work being done out there! Keep up with developments at GRS at www.grassrootsoccer.org

Using the power of Soccer in the Fight Against HIV and Aids.