Balls For Borno

“I never look at the masses as my responsibility; I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time – just one, one, one. So you begin…”

–Mother Teresa

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The mission of Refugee Soccer is to create moments of hope and happiness through soccer, the world’s sport.

Soccer, or football as the rest of the world knows it, has a unique and almost magical power to lift the lives of even the poorest among us because it is accessible (just need a ball), empowering (learn life skills), and equalizing (regardless of color, religion, gender or wealth you can achieve greatness).

Will you begin with just ONE? 1 Ball = 30 Kids

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URGENT UPDATE! The Window is Open.

The latest news out of Nigeria is a mix of mostly bad news but this time we see an immediate window of opportunity for us to help NOW. (Make your donation of support easily via PayPal.)

The bad news is this:

Nigeria jumped from #8 in 2021 to #4 on the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) Emergency Watchlist. See snapshot below and visit this link for the full report.

In the midst of this worsening situation, the Nigerian Presidential election is scheduled for February 2023 (less than a year away) and certainly the typical chaos and violence there will only start to worsen very soon.

The good news is this:

I have solid intelligence from my foreign security team on the ground that fulfilling this mission is now “manageable.” While not exactly a warm recommendation to execute the mission, it is an upgrade from other updates over the years and good enough for us to go!

BUT, while the mission window is open now it won’t stay open for long and when, not if, it closes again it may not open again for another year or longer. This means that we have to fulfill this mission NOW. This mission isn’t just our journey to keep a promise made over 5 years ago. Actually this journey has (so far) involved dozens of donors, supporters, and fans. We are SO close to making this happen and just need to quickly secure the funds to finish this final, most critical mile of the journey.

Again, you or someone you know, can make your donation easily via PayPal. You are also welcome to click here for other options, including sending a check.

Let’s go…NOW!


WANT TO KNOW MORE? KEEP READING…

In late 2016 our founder, Adam Miles, after spending months helping kids through soccer in Nigeria was struck by the unbelievably tragic news flowing out of the Northeast, mainly a state called Borno, and the mission for Balls For Borno was born. (Read the compelling NY Times article published shortly after the launch.) 

Balls for Borno is all about providing a way for children to be able to PLAY. Providing them with these unpoppable balls allows them to experience the joys of childhood for years even amidst the ongoing chaos of displacement. One World Play Project, our great partners who make these balls, estimate that 1 soccer ball impacts 30 children! We originally set out to raise 100 Soccer Balls to change the lives of 3,000 children and…we did it!

We have 100 unpoppable soccer balls ready for personal delivery to IDP camps in Nigeria.

In order to maximize the impact to these kids trapped in a dangerous corner of the world in an IDP Camp in Borno State, Nigeria, our founder will be personally delivering these soccer balls to them. The kids get more than a ball-they get a rare message of love, hope, and inspiration.

And in order to make this happen, well, we need YOU.

It will cost $30,000 to execute this mission safely and with maximum impact: heavy security presence, travel costs, transporting the balls, and documenting this groundbreaking mission.

When you consider the 3,000 kids whose lives, together, we WILL change that’s just $10 per child. Talk about a no-brainer return on investment!

We are asking you, your company, and/or your team to sponsor one of these 100 soccer balls. so far most of them have been signed by members of the NWSL Team, the Utah Royals, formerly in Salt Lake City, Utah, the home of Refugee Soccer, and a few surprises. 😉 We will get the remaining balls signed by prominent soccer players around the country. Click here to sponsor hand delivery of ONE ball for just $300. Too much? We get it. Consider teaming up with your teammates, co-workers, volunteer organization, etc. in smaller increments to sponsor a ball. Every bit helps!

LET’S GO!

Click Here to Sponsor #GiveABallChangeALife