In Tanzania football means even more to the people than it does in Europe. For many it is their only hobby. This enthusiasm and passion can be vividly seen on a typical Wednesday. In the late afternoon kids are playing barefoot wherever they can find some sort of flat land in the city. The balls they use are self-made from thrown away plastic bags and many youths wear a second-hand jersey from their favorite European club. After playing they wash the jersey directly so it can be used again the next day. Once it gets dark adults can be heard emotionally discussing about the upcoming Champions League matches in every corner of the city. Here in Mwanza football is not yet a commercial industry, it comes directly from heart of the people.

Like in Europe many kids dream about becoming a superstar. But developing top players is not what we aim to achieve. Our goal is to create a sustainable infrastructure over the next years that allow a large number of people across all ages and genders to play regularly in an organized club on a flat pitch with the appropriate equipment. All these things are missing so far.

In Mwanza there are no flat pitches, since heavy rains usually lead to uneven areas, puddles and potholes. Therefore, our playing fields will be surrounded by a proper channel system. For every field within our sports centers also a shaded area will be integrated next to it to shelter people from the sun. Furthermore, we will make several portable goals to guarantee high quality training for many players at the same time. On existing grounds, goals are usually made of tree trunks and sometimes even a string is used as the crossbar. The few metal goals that can be found are usually without a net since it is too expensive.

In the late afternoon existing pitches are usually occupied by teams of adults and older adolescents, thus, making it not possible for kids and girls to play simultaneously. Therefore we make timetables together with the local coaches to guarantee that all age groups and genders get the chance to train 2-3 times a week on at least half a pitch – similar to the training structures in ordinary European or American clubs. Also, we equip Clubs with enough balls so that effective training sessions can be carried. Local teams usually cannot afford to have more than 2 or 3 balls at a time, since a ball costs around 15 Euros.

This video gives you further insights about the situation of football in Mwanza and how much it means to the people. But most of all, it shows how important club sports can be for the personal development of young people.