Why Fair Trade Soccer Balls?
Caption: With assorted footwear. @ the river, Tijuana, Mexico. At every major crossroads, Pastor Giarmo would call for all the kids to assemble. The bunch that rallied to his call became the newest ‘football’ team, and had to be photographed to document the beginning of their journey towards world cup victory.
To watch children playing soccer reminds you of how simple happiness can be to a child. All it takes is a ball, a few kids and some random objects for net posts, and you have a game. My brother, who lives in Mexico city, says that kids down there are ‘born with cletes on’, a statement that reinforces the popularity of soccer in Mexico and other Latin American Countries.
One of the coolest moments being in Tijuana in September o7 was watching kids as they were given soccer balls. One of the students in our group brought a suitcase full of deflated soccer balls to inflate and give away while we were in TJ. We handed these out at ‘the River’ – an illegal squat that stands close by the factories where the people work. Typical shift workers there earn about 12 dollars a day, and work 12 hour shifts.
The pastor who was guiding us as we handed out beans, rice, and some clothes and toys to the families there would stop at each dusty ‘intersection’ and call to all the kids in that area to come. He assembled them as the newest ‘football’ team, and had to get official team photos as well, as the children were given a soccer ball. It was a simple gift, but one that was amazing to give!
I am stoked to announce that Scott of Fair Trade Sports {Edit: 830 – and the company Y Focus Fair Trade Sports} have offered to supply us with fair trade soccer balls to the Children in Terrazas and ‘The River’ area.
Why fair trade Soccer Balls? Well, conditions in Soccer ball factories and for people who have to hand stitch soccer balls are notoriously bad, and to be blunt, it doesn’t make sense to give a gift of a ball made using child labor (a cycle that reinforces poverty and oppression) to a child who lives in poverty (or any child, for that matter). It just doesn’t make sense to help someone while supporting the oppression of others. The great thing is that the prices of fair trade balls are similar to those made by Nike and Adidas. If you want to read more about this issue and what companies like Fair Trade Sports do, then check out their blog. There’s a good post by them, titled “Health Care & Micro Credit Programs”.
Fair Trade Sports & Y Focus are great companies, and I’m excited to support them.
Details on our cost for a soccer ball coming soon…
Our goal for Sept. o8: 20 Fair Trade Soccer balls to be hand delivered to children in Terazzas and @ ‘the River’.
