Donate African made balls to children in Africa

Alive & Kicking has been going from strength to strength so far in 2012.  The Kenyan and Zambian stitching centres continue to produce quality sports balls, generating employment for over 120 people. A third stitching centre is set to be opened later this year, in Accra, Ghana and we have a UK retail presence for the first time.

A&K Ghana

Alive & Kicking recently announced that funding has been secured to open a third stitching centre, in Accra, Ghana. The first A&K Ghana footballs will roll out of the factory early next year and we hope the venture will provide sustainable employment for 50 stitchers, many of whom will never have been in formal employment before. The venture will also provide an affordable, durable, locally made alternative to the expensive, imported balls currently available. A&K Kenya and Zambia have proven our potential for sustainability and this move into the West African market is an exciting development in A&K’s progress. Securing the necessary funding to set up in Ghana has been a great challenge, and we would like to thank all of our supporters for making this dream a reality.

John Lewis

Hand-stitched in Kenya, ‘Balls For Africa’ have recently gone in sale in John Lewis stores across the UK. They are being sold on a ‘buy one, donate one’ basis, with a ball being donated to a school or children’s project in Kenya for every one sold in the UK. Every A&K ball on the shelf has a unique tracking code, which allows the customer to find out exactly where their donated ball will go. The prospect of thousands of Alive & Kicking balls being used in the UK and thousands more being donated to worthy projects in Kenya fills the team with a great sense of pride and achievement.

Herve Renard

A&K Zambia recently welcomed a very special guest as Africa Cup of Nations winning coach Herve Renard paid a visit to our Lusaka stitching centre. The Chipolopolo boss is a hero in Zambia after leading his team to unprecedented success this year and was given a rapturous reception by our staff.

Thank you

We would like to thank everyone who has donated to Alive & Kicking recently and look forward to giving our next update in 3 months’ time. To keep up to date with our latest news, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

2012 has been a very successful year so far for Alive & Kicking. A&K Kenya and A&K Zambia continue to produce thousands of quality sports balls and conduct social outreach programmes. Progress continues towards the opening of a third stitching centre in Accra, Ghana later this year.

Inaugural A&K Zambia HIV/AIDS Roadshow

Alive & Kicking Zambia has recently completed its first ever HIV/AIDS Health Awareness Roadshow, which was a resounding success. In partnership with Tackle Africa, the Roadshow toured the Copperbelt region, visiting the towns of Chililabombwe, Kitwe, Mufulira and Ndola.

The Roadshow team ran a number of initiatives aimed at engaging and empowering young people across the province. By using sport as an educational tool, the programme aimed to raise awareness of and combat the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. Engaging existing networks and organisations was most the most sustainable way of achieving these goals, and 85 coaches were trained in HIV/AIDS education football drills. By training local staff, over 5,000 local children will now have long term access to a trained HIV/AIDS educator.

The Roadshow also provided opportunities for local young people to get involved with organised sporting events. Football and netball tournaments were organised in each town, with over 1,000 boys and girls taking part. The tournaments became huge local events, with thousands of spectators coming along and unprecedented numbers taking advantage of the mobile HIV Voluntary Counselling & Testing (VCT) centres to discover their HIV status.

Tusky’s supermarket stocks A&K balls

Alive & Kicking’s retail success across Africa has continued with the news that Tusky’s supermarkets are now stocking balls at 4 outlets in Kenya. This follows on from the sales success of A&K balls in Nakumatt outlets across East Africa. In Zambia, major retailers Spar, Shoprite and Pick N’ Pay are currently selling A&K balls. Sustained sales are crucial to the success of the social enterprise and enable further job creation and social outreach.

New animal prints developed

Due to the popular demand of the lion, cheetah, crocodile and tortoise print footballs, new animal designs have been developed. These include a zebra from Kenya and a white cheetah (or snow leopard!) from Zambia. The balls will be on sale over the coming months. 

Thank you

We would like to thank everyone who has donated to Alive & Kicking recently and look forward to giving our next update in 3 months’ time. To keep up to date with our latest news, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.