BARNSLEY Football Club joined forces with our main club sponsor, Barnsley Building Society, to hand over ten footballs which will go to help youngsters in Africa. Manager Andy Ritchie and Society Chairman Alan Sherriff handed over the match balls to the Reverend Jacob Kaiga, who will take them to a small village in Northern Kenya called Nkoe. Jacob, who was born and brought up in Nkoe, has been working hard to raise funds to send to this underprivileged part of Africa that lacks both governmental representation and has only a very small church involvement.Without strength in either of these areas, there is no focal point for community in an area where families are left to a meagre existence and their children are faced with little hope for the future. Jacob is currently raising awareness of the needs of this small area in Africa within his adopted South Yorkshire region, where his first basic aim is to raise funds, which will allow the villagers to purchase livestock such as goats which cost between £25 and £30. His greater aim, which involves a four-year plan, is to see the building of a Centre for the area, which means he needs to achieve a target of £16,000 to be able to provide a suitable space. This Centre would house Church facilities, as well as youth projects and a training centre, which would focus on areas such as carpentry, dressmaking and farming. Until that time, the villagers are desperate to see some community support for their children and teenagers who have next to nothing to occupy their youthful spirits and who currently attempt to play football with balls of paper tied up with string. Jacob gratefully received the footballs from Alan and Andy adding: "This simple gesture will mean so much to the whole village in Kenya, as it represents another step in the right direction. It is one of their dreams to develop a youth club to channel the youngsters into healthy team activities where they can learn the value of teamwork and achievement and I can assure you that they are already excited and look forward to receiving them." The Society will be attending the Football Club Open Day on Sunday 31st July and will be running a balloon race, where the winner will have access to two seats for a game in the corporate box and the proceeds will be donated to The Goat Appeal for Nkoe village. Jacob is happy to welcome any donations to the Nkoe Village Appeal and is available at The Manse, 43, Thurnscoe Road,Bolton Upon Dearne,Rotherham.S63 8JW.
I want mum to write to Reverend Kaiga I am very interested in helping to buy animals for the village. Just think if each of us did without 1 Christmas Present we could donate the money to him to buy animals for the villagers. Or we could go on this site and buy other things for other people who need the "Gift Of Life" http://worldgifts.cafod.org.uk/ Laura xxxx
tight tykes 10 footballs isn't much of a donation from a club that genarates resonable funds. What was the cost? about 25 quid
