WHEN Jordan Cash shows young Canadian athletes a "soccer ball" fashioned from garbage bags used by their peers in Uganda, he can tell it makes an impact.
"It resonates with them for a second: 'They actually play with that?' They're a little confused but something's triggered in there. They're dumbfounded by that," he says.
Cash is a volunteer with OA Projects, a Vancouverbased non-profit organization that uses soccer as a means of supporting war-affected youth. A Vancouver resident, he got on board with the project two years ago when he was working on his MBA at the University of British Columbia, meeting project founder and executive director Gavin Hollett.
"It's a way to utilize the global game of soccer to bring people together across borders, across countries and empower youth," says Cash. "One of the biggest things I find with OA is that it's about empowering local youth, local leaders and creating a sustainable program where youth affected by war can learn about conflict management, gender equity, and those types of things, through a sport that they love."
OA goes into communities where soccer-related infrastructure already exists and works with local youth leaders and those trying to make a difference.
"It's about improving, not replacing," says Cash.
OA - which stands for Opportunitas Aequa, Latin for equal opportunity - has worked in Ecuador and Rwanda, and is currently in northern Uganda.
To support their efforts, representatives of the organization promote Play Soccer So They Can, a campaign encouraging community groups to raise funds and awareness.
For the second year in a row, the North Vancouver Football Club has opted to take part, asking their members to make donations over the course of the club's annual photo weekend. Last year, the club raised $5,300. This year's photo weekend is set for Friday to Sunday at the Navy League Hall (16th and Forbes Avenue) in North Vancouver.
"The opportunity to be able to expose children who will never ever see Uganda or these youth, to know that they're making a big impact I think is a valuable lesson," says Cyndi Gerlach, the club's community director.
At this year's event, a series of photos will be displayed showing the kids in Africa holding thank you signs recognizing the impact of the local soccer community.
While North Vancouver Football Club players and their families are encouraged to bring donations when they attend this weekend's festivities, members of the general public are also invited to drop by to offer support. The club is hoping to increase its fundraising total this year and is also challenging other North Shore soccer organizations to get involved.
"Our board of directors has approved that we will be doing this annually," says Gerlach. "If the other soccer clubs want to take that challenge on too, we'd be happy to have that friendly competition - on and off the field."
So far the West Vancouver Soccer Club has come on board.
For more information on OA Projects, or to make a donation, visit www.oaprojects.org.
