By Ayukogem
Steven Ojong in Besongabang
The
ultra-modern FIFA Football for Hope Centre in Besongabang near Mamfe in Manyu
Division has gone operational.
 |
|
Orock Thomas
Eyong, founder/president UAC-Cameroon
|
It went operational on 21 March
2014 following an inaugural ceremony presided over by the SDO for Manyu
Division.
The crowd-puller ceremony
brought together thousands of people including representatives of FIFA, heads
of administrative departments in Manyu, guests from Mamfe and beyond and a
stampeding crowd of curious villagers from Besongabang and surrounding
villages.
In the series of speeches on the
occasion, the various speakers thanked FIFA for sponsoring the project. But
especially they praised the promoter of the NGO, United Action for Children
(UAC), Orock Thomas Eyong for his clairvoyance, fore-sight and efforts not only
to get the project to come to Cameroon but for choosing Besongabang to host the
modern Centre, which is a jewel and somewhat of a tourist site in Besongabang,
Mamfe and Cameroon at large.
Taking the Queue, Orock Thomas
thanked all the guests for coming. He explained that the Besongabang FIFA
Football Centre was one among 20 centres that were earmarked for Africa by FIFA
under its Football For Hope program. He said the Centres are created to improve
the game of football in local communities but also for education and public
health.
Recalling the idea behind the
project, Orock said that the FIFA Football For Hope Centres are created as part
of FIFA’s corporate social responsibility.
“Football has become a vital
instrument for hundreds of social development programs run by NGOs and
community-based organizations around the world……. These programs are providing
children and young people with valuable tools to actively make a difference in
their own lives,” Orock explained, adding that “in support of these programs
and as part of its corporate social responsibility, FIFA initiated the Football
For Hope program in 2005 to offer funding, equipment, training and more
visibility, as well as a platform for discussions and collaboration.”
Though launched in 2005, Africa
only became part of the FIFA for Hope project in 2007, during the run-up to the
2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
“The aim of the “20 Centres for
2010” was to create 20 Football For Hope Centres for education, Public Health
and football across Africa,” stated a release announcing the inaugural ceremony
the BFFHC.
Orock explained that when children
would be attracted to come and play football on the ultra-modern synthetic
football turf they would be rallied, taken into the lecture halls at the centre
and given education on how to surmount common social challenges that they
encounter on a daily basis.
“By using the positive elements
of football, locally run NGOs including UAC-Cameroon will succeed to reach
young people and address their challenges,” Orock underscored.
He explained that Besongabang
was chosen to host the ultra-modern centre because its strategic location
affords all the requisite criteria for locating the project: Security (the
military base), accessibility (the Mamfe-Ekok road), education facilities (PHS
and EMHS) and health facilities (Mamfe district hospital and Presbyterian Health
centre).
The highpoint of the inaugural
ceremony was a thrilling gala football match pitting a selection of
UAC-Besongabang school kids against a selection of kids from other primary
schools in Besongabang.
Inhabitants and especially the elite
of Besongabang have not stopped thanking Orock Thomas and showering him with
praises for bringing the centre to their village. See the reactions of some
prominent Besongabang elite below.
No comments:
Post a Comment