Foundation empowers youth through football

A non-profit leadership and mentoring foundation based in Cross River State, The Bridge Leadership Foundation, has unveiled its Community Connect For Youth Leadership project that aims to use football to teach leadership and fair play skills.Speaking at the media briefing for the project in Calabar, the acting Executive Director of TBLF, Mrs. Ini Onuk, explained the need to empower young people through their areas of passion.She said, Football is a common passion for both the young and old and our strategy is to show that the game of football is way beyond scoring goals or winning tournaments.According to Onuk, about 2,000 youths have registered for the programme and they will be divided into 16 teams to play on a knock-out basis. The participants will be engaged through practical football, class assignments, training and workshop on gender violence, leadership and community development modules.She said that the programme would prepare participants for the 2012 Homeless World Cup in Mexico, enhance capacity for youths to appreciate football beyond scoring goals, groom its team to participate in national. FIFA accredited projects in Nigeria as well as raise youth leaders in the state.Also at the briefing, the Executive Director, Search & Groom for Youth Development, Mr. Yomi Kuku, explained that the project would provide opportunities for young people in Cross River State to be empowered and also compete on the world stage.He said, By leveraging on the wide acceptance of sports as a means of social campaign, harmony and community regeneration, the programme will use football to teach leadership and fair play skills for personal and community development by engaging young men and women between the ages of 16 and 23.
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