Sports Alliance of Malawi, Inc. Motto: Service, Sports, Strength
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>View discussions about this entry Country: United States
Organization: Sports Alliance of Malawi
Sport - Soccer
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2006
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Project URL: http://www.sportsalliancemalawi.org
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - Using sport to motivate the youth of Malawi in individual character building, while contributing to national development thru community service.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - Youth are supported in their sporting activities with the requirement that they give back to the community in some service activity.
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? - The choice of the east African nation of Malawi as the focus of this project is not random or accidental. The nation of Malawi is one of the most impoverished and devastated countries of Africa due to the HIV/AIDS crisis, chronic famine due to persistent drought, and economic under-performance. Sports Alliance of Malawi uses passion for soccer, so prevalent among Africa youth, to improve health and engaging youth in constructive activities that would contribute to national development.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - Donations of used uniforms and various other soccer-related materials have already been received from various donors. Dr. Sam Mchombo, the founder of Sports Alliance of Malawi and a native of Malawi, delivers the donated items on yearly trips to the country. In return for this assistance, the players perform community service and 'pay forward' these contributions. Two teams, SM Galaxy and Chalunda Earthquakes are mentors to other youth groups to facilitate the mission of SAM, Inc.
How do you plan to grow your innovation? - Sports Alliance of Malawi has incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the state of California and recently obtained 501(c)(3) status from the United States government.. Official status as a nonprofit corporation will allow for the organization to continue its solicitation of funds and in-kind donations to further its work in Malawi. The hope is for continued sustainability and capacity building through these efforts.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - Sports Alliance of Malawi, Inc. was formed to promote the health (in mind, body and spirit) of the youth in Malawi through the sport of soccer.
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? - To date, more than 200 youngsters have been served by this project, accounting for nine teams in various cities throughout Malawi. Nine soccer teams have been established in the Central and Southern regions of Malawi. Two primary teams, the Chalunda Earthquakes and the SM Galaxy serve as the mentors for the younger teams in directing their service projects. Funds and equipment have allowed the two primary teams to be involved at a more competitive level involving
travel throughout Malawi. Our website has video documentation of the youth served by this project.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? - Promoting the awareness of HIV/AIDS through the participation in a healthy activity such as soccer is used as a strategy to alleviate and combat the pandemic that is devastating the countries of Africa. The project has received extensive media coverage within Malawi. This has increased awareness and interest among Malawi youth and encouraged a broadening of the program across the country.
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? - The main barriers would be the distance between the USA and Malawi and the difficulty that comes with getting supplies to Malawi. Soccer gear is limited in Malawi, which necessitates purchasing the gear domestically and shipping it or carrying it to Malawi. In the case that in-kind donations are received, those also must be either shipped or hand carried to the African country, adding additional expenses to the transaction.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - Sports Alliance of Malawi continuously solicits in-kind donations from soccer organizations in the USA; those most notable and generous in their contributions have been the soccer teams of the University of California, Berkeley; Stanford Univerisity; San Pablo United Youth Soccer; Piedmont Youth Soccer; Berkeley High School and El Cerrito United Youth Soccer. In addition, Sports Alliance of Malawi has secured monetary donations from friends and associates through direct appeals. Sports Alliance of Malawi also accepts donations on its website. Future plans include raising funds through local soccer tournaments and grant applications such as the Disney Minnie Grant.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization. - Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff. The board members of Sports Alliance of Malawi work on a completely voluntary basis. Currently, our board is made up of four members. Our group has raised approximately $3,000.00 each year for the last two years. With the formation of the nonprofit corporation and the recent attainment of the (501(c)3) federal tax exemption, we are hoping to increase that amount to $20,000 per year with intensified fundraising strategies.
What is the potential demand for your innovation? - With the scarcity of resources or facilities for sporting activities, a direct consequence of economic hardships, soccer in Africa is, largely, a street game. It is commonplace to find talented young soccer players playing barefoot on dusty make-shift pitches, using tied-up rags or plastic papers for soccer balls and without appropriate gear such as jerseys, cleats or protective shin guards. It is estimated that there are 1,000,000 orphans in Malawi. The potential demand would appear limitles
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - The main barrier to financial sustainability would be the fact that it will take continuous effort on the part of the Sports Alliance of Malawi board members to secure funding on a completely voluntary basis. All board members have fulltime jobs outside their work on behalf of Sports Alliance of Malawi. Since we are small in number (4), it will take much focus and dedication to these efforts.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - The inspiration for Sports Alliance of Malawi began approximately 10 years ago when Dr. Sam Mchombo, a native of Malawi and linguistics professor at the University of California, Berkeley visited his home country. He was approached by a group of youth requesting soccer gear and equipment. The effort to source equipment and monetary funds has been a continuous effort up to this date with the condition attached to it that the youth serve their communities. A paper written by Dr. Mchombo is attached here regarding the history of the project. In the fall of 2005, Ruth Okubo and Dr. Mchombo, both members of the Berkeley Co-Ed Soccer League combined their efforts in raising money and soccer gear for the African countries of Cameroon and Malawi, since both were visiting those respective countries that upcoming holiday season. Being forever impressed by how little the youth of those two African countries possessed, it was decided to form a nonprofit organization in 2006 with the hopes for capacaity building and increased sustainability. SAM, Inc. was officially incorporated in August 2006 and currently has pending applications for tax exemption in the state of California and recently received 501(c)3 federal tax-exempt status. Matthew Dearing and Janet Ceja-Orozco, two dedicated soccer and Malawi enthusiasts have joined our four member board. We all firmly believe that sport is a tool to develop youth in body, mind and spirit. Hence, our motto: Service, Sports, Strength.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. - Founder, Sam Mchombo, is an Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Mchombo initiated this project at the grassroots level in 1997 on a trip to his native country of Malawi. He published an article that documents this work in the professional journal, 'Soccer and Society' in their April-July 2006 issue. Ruth Okubo assisted in establishing Sports Alliance of Malawi, Inc. in the U.S. along with Matthew Dearing and Janet Ceja-Orozco.
Contact Information:
Ruth Okubo
Treasurer Sports Alliance of Malawi (Nonprofit organization) Discussions about this entry
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Hello all,
I work with Ruth and helped develop the SAM Inc. website. I also had the great opportunity to visit Malawi for 8 weeks in 2006. I can not stress enough the need for sports equipment and more importantly, organization of youth into a sporting environment. As we all know here, soccer and sports in general, have a powerful unifying effect on the youth as well as adults. It brings leaders from the adult community to future leaders of the youth and provides an environment conducive for the development of the youth - and thus the country. After years of impoverishment from lackluster economic policies and difficult, if not impossible structural adjustment programs, Malawi has essentially suffered. But of course there have always been those who push back the barriers of despair, those whom we have had the privelege to work with as soccer players, or orphan directors, or church leaders, or the youth focused on a better future.
Thank you all for your comments, suggestions, and advice. We think that producing equipment in Malawi for domestic consumption is an ideal that we are striving for. Presently our focus is on more immediate concerns of support and development of teams; bringing the youth together for positive change and away from the barriers of despair they've grown up in. We have and will continue to learn so much from the great examples of development work Changemakers has brought together. I think it is essentially through collaboration that compels societies to choose development over despair, and it will be through collaboration that we will succeed.
Sports Alliance of Malawi is dedicated to the mission of supplying soccer gear to the young people of Malawi which in turn they must reciprocate in performing community service. The commitment to community service by the youth is character building which should have national impact. Below is a memo that our Board of Directors received from the youth in Malawi in regards to just a few of the projects they intend to implement in the year of 2008:
To: The Sports Alliance of Malawi
From: The SM Galaxy Treasurer, Bright S.
Attn: Ruth Okubo
THank you very much and send our appreciation to the Board Members of Sports Alliance of Malawi for the tremendous support they are giving us. Indeed we have received the donation of US200 (MK27,656.00) through Western Union.
So far the tree planting program arrangements are in progress because now we are figuring out how many trees to buy for the exercise. And during the tree planting campaign we will be accompanied by SM Galaxy New ball (girls) and Under-14 football teams.
The planting exercise will take place in Ndirande mountain area because making of charcoal, brick burning and use of firewood are the major practices which has contributed much in the lose of trees (deforestation) in the area. All is so because Ndirande township is a high density population area in Blantyre.
And for the details of an elderly person to be assisted will be sent to you possibly tomorrow or in the next two days because we want to consult the Chief first before conducting our work in the area.
We have set the 9th February 2008 as the day of conducting our charity work. We will keep in touch for the program updates.
All the best, we love you all so much.
Your, Bright
Here is further example of community service performed by SM Galaxy football club in Malawi:
January 31, 2008
To: The Sports Alliance of Malawi
Attn: Ruth Okubo
From: Bright S., Treasurer, SM Galaxy Football Club
We have finalized the arrangements program of asisting the elderly woman. Her name is Hann D., aged 98 years old, but her age can be more tha 98 years. We are saying this because when we interviewed her, she was not able to remember propary the exact date and day she was born. She walks but not in a long distance. She stays with her son but she lacks alot of basic need because her sons family is also poor.
So after seeing her status, we have decided to buy her several gifts such as:
a blanket
food (20kgs of maize flour, 5kgs of bean, sugar and salt)
We also want to visit her garden to see what kind of work to do for her. The report of amount of money to be used will be sent to you after the program because there are alot of things to be done for it to have a high publicity and we want also to shoot the work on a DVD, so that you can have a full view of it.
So, as of now, we are trying to calculate if we will be able to meet the cost. So far, we have already used MK3,560.00 from the money you sent us that for communication and program arrangements. We will keep in touch, all the best we love you all so much.
Yours,
Bright S.
Hello Ruth,
A few comments were made about locally generated sports equipment. I thought it would be good for you to know about Trevor Dudley project aimed at producing sports equipment in Africa. You can read about his initiative at http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/2045
Keep up the great work!
Dana Frasz
Changemakers
Hi Dana,
Thank you for suggesting that Sports Alliance of Malawi connect with Trevor Dudley's work in Uganda. In reading his initiative, I applaud his effort to build capacity within country. Ultimately, this should be the goal of groups working with third world countries. Reducing the dependability upon foreign resources is what we must all strive for to create sustainability in all of these programs. We wish Trevor much success and hope to learn much from his project.
Sincerely,
Ruth
Hi Ruth,
Soccer is my favorite game and I love your project. And first, I want to say: I *loved* the fact that the field boundaries shown at the beginning of the video are ditches. We should do that here! Seriously! That would get rid of innumerable arguments about the ball being "completely over the line" in deciding "out" status… What cool fields.
And even cooler (to emphasize Heather's point, above): A group in Kibera, Kenya is doing similar work and they could certainly be good contacts for you as you grow your idea and its impact in the local community. The group is Carolina For Kibera, and they're listed in this competition. You should consider joining forces?
The thought about locally-produced soccer equipment brings a few things to mind.
We all agree it just doesn't make sense to be importing sports equipment if we can help it -- not in terms of environmental sustainability, and not in terms of building local economic self-sufficiency.
So how do you build a cleat and soccer ball plant? There are some existing good ideas for doing this, but for some reason, it is hard for me to believe that that plant doesn't already exist. It seems to me that I've bought more than one African-sown soccer ball, and there *is* a Nike office in South Africa. How does that translate to a situation in which we are importing equipment from the US?
It seems to me that that shouldn't happen. It doesn't make sense.
Patrick from ETANG has good ideas in terms of kids making their own soccer balls, but why can't this simply be implemented into the existing sports production plants in Africa -- which, on that scale, brings up the issue of child labor, I suppose -- but Patrick's aim is really to get affordable equipment into these kids' hands. So that brings up another question.
Can someone from Nike let me know if it's the case that those who are making this sports equipment in Africa can not afford it? Because if that's *not* the case (and I assume it isn't), then the question becomes: How can we support the infrastructure required to get that equipment to the African children who clearly have such a high demand for it? And how can we make this equipment (including transport) as affordable as possible? Can we build a new soccer ball and a new boot that can last longer on streets and sand and at an affordable price (or at a price that people can pay in-kind, i.e. through community service?)?
So this is where Nike can come in to serve ALL of these projects...
And, this is a tangential thought, but along the lines of used equipment... I'm not sure that that is fair. I wouldn't want to wear someone else’s used shin guards or worn-out uniform, so why should they?
I'm going to think about this some more. I hope Nike gets back to me about that.
Lindsey
Hi Lindsey,
Thank you for your comments regarding production of equipment and gear in Africa. That would be the ideal, of course, and we would be most happy to have as our charge simply the raising of funds which could then be sent overseas for local purchasing of sports equipment. It would be my utmost hope though, that those production corporations, would be OWNED and operated by local folks and not foreign operations. We need to support the building of capacity in third world countries and not the dependability on foreign owned companies.
I tend to disagree with your last comment regarding used equipment. Reusing materials, be it clothing or sports gear, is an environmentally sound idea. Americans tend to dispose of their possessions with little thought to the effect on the environment. We are a very priviledged lot! Having been to Africa, I know that most of the clothes there, not just sportswear, is sold second hand. The people feel appreciative for what they have and are a most joyful people. Perhaps we can learn something from them.
Thank you for your thoughts!
Ruth
Hi Ruth,
VERY cool project! We have experienced the same issues with regard to transporting sports equipment such long distances - both in terms of the cost involved and challenges of tariffs on imports, this makes us wonder often at Nike whether it makes sense to donate product when the cost of getting it there often exceeds the value of the product! Have you thought of alternatives, i.e. locally generated sports equipment? There are a few other options that you might consider, one is missionfish.org - where organizations can sell used products and donate the proceeds to a charity. Another option is looking at the model that Kampala Kids league is seeking to put in place (see Trevor Dudley's entry: http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/2045) which is looking at strategies for locally made products. ALso Patrick from ETANG has brilliant ideas for how to make sports product locally - he didn't go into detail about in his proposal, but you should reach out to him!
http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/1977
Anyway, I think the point you made of how to sustain and grow the organization beyond volunteerism is a challenge that many organizations face, hopefully there are some innovative ideas out there to solve this. We all know that donors are not reliable long term donors, so I am hoping there are market based solutions to this challenge out there! Best of luck and keep up the great work.
Best,
ziba
The comments about making soccer equipment locally available in Africa to obviate the costs incurred in transportation from the United States and the tariffs levied on imported goods within the country are well-taken. The problem is that for Malawi that prospect remains remote. The textile factory that operated in the country, David Whitehead Textile Industries, closed down some years ago. Efforts to get it operative again under new ownership do not seem to have made much progress. This makes it impossible to talk about securing uniforms from local resources.
With regard to soccer balls previously, in the town of Zomba, the former capitial of Malawi, there used to be a place that made fishing material. It was called Zomba Fishing Flies. The place also made some soccer balls. Sam Mchombo, the co-founder of Sports Alliance of Malawi, Inc., secured some balls from Zomba Fishing Flies in the early 1980s, when he taught at the University of Malawi's Chancellor College, located in Zomba, before moving to the United States. The balls were donated to youth in his home are of Hkhotakota earned through their assistance with agricultural work. Zomba Fishing Flies appears to have equally fallen victim of the harsh economic times of recent years in Malawi. Thus one source for locally made soccer balls, probably the only source that there was for some time, is not longer available. The soccer balls found in Malawi now are those sold by street vendors, now situated in local versions of "flea Markets". They are of unknown origins and of poor quality. The best bet for local availability of equipment seems to be South Africa. In itself this does not obviate transportation costs or tariffs, Malawi's membership in the South African Development Community notwithstanding. The only appeal seems to be that of distance. This calls for sustained reveiw of the prospects with such organizations as Nike.
Sincerely,
Sam Mchombo
I know it would be a real success to find local equipment. It would take care of so much of the logistical concerns as far as transportation. Still, the material we've received, even though it is used, is pretty top notch! I was actually impressed by some of the stuff SM Galaxy wore! On another note, I wasn't so impressed by their cleats. We really need to find a way to get them decent cleats. Most of the players go without and simply play barefoot. It seems a lot them are lacking....Their was one moment I've yet to put on film only because our audio was cut off. The first day with SM Galaxy, after the Chichiri Prison Donation, we went back to the field by Kamuzu Stadium to watch the players practice. One player, Josheph, asked my friend Justin for his shoes. And Justin just looked at him and said, "You got it." He traded shoes that day with Joseph and the whole team began clapping and cheering. It was a great moment, that I unfortuanately lost the audio to!
Going back to the idea of locally made materials. I wonder about the utility of establishing a local "factory" for soccer eqipment. If marginally profitable it could provide local jobs as well as equipment. Its certainly something to consider for the long term.
Other than what you mentioned, "flea markets" and what I've seen in town, I haven't found a viable source of supply absent of directly importing from South Africa - which is still as expensive, if not more than our current form of doing it.
I do think Nike can provide a viable answer given their stature. It would certainly be profitable for them if they were given the green light by the officials that be.
Hi Matt,
The incident where Justin takes off his shoes to give to a Malawian is heartwarming. It is an aspect of this project that has not been fully developed in our presentation and that is: international friendship and understanding. It is critically important to me, personally, that as citizens of the world, we Americans become aware of the living conditions of others on this planet. The idea of sharing and giving, recycling and reusing, learning and understanding should be emphasized. Yes, it would be ideal for local production to take place in a third world country to build capacity and truly make the efforts more sustainable, but until that time, as Sam Mchombo points out, we must continue to depend on the resourcefulness of others who care about those who have less in the way of material things. Thanks so much for sharing your inspiring story!
Ruth Okubo
Dear Ziba,
Thank you for your comment and suggestions. At the time that you posted the comment, I immediately checked out missionfish.org as a possible source of funding. Missionfish requires that a group have a 501(c)(3). At that time, we had an application pending with IRS and didn't qualify to receive proceeds. However, the good news, is that just yesterday, we received news that we have received official tax-exempt status and will be able to apply for future funds from granters who require the 501(c)(3). We will immediately register with missionfish upon your suggestion.
The issue of transporting goods is a costly and difficult one, and yet, I do like the idea of reusing materials. Sports Alliance of Malawi, Inc., not only gets new soccer gear and equipment to the youth of Malawi, we also send used uniforms from youth and university programs here in the states. It behooves us all to try and reduce the production of goods for the good of the environment.
Thank you so much for your interest in our work in Malawi.
Sincerely,
Ruth
Dear Ziba,
Just an update on your suggestion regarding the possible funding source through Missionfish. Sports Alliance of Malawi, Inc. has officially registered our nonprofit with this innovative funding source. We found that once we forwarded all the necessary documentation to them, they quickly processed it all, welcomed us and added our organization to their website. We would highly recommend all nonprofits who have 501(c)(3) status pursue this means of sourcing additional funding. And, thank you Ziba for the suggestion.
Sincerely,
Ruth Okubo
Hi Cameron,
THank you for your comments and thought provoking questions. I most hardily agree with you in terms of your discussion around women being often times neglected in sports. It is one of the primary reasons I have been involved in the organizing of youth soccer in the U.S. for the past 20 years. The federal mandate of Title IX in college sports has secured equality for women in this arena and we have already seen the positive aftereffects of that directive: lower teenage pregnancy rates, fewer women involved with drugs and alcohol and higher self-esteem. We must continue this struggle on a global level. All women must have access to sports in their lives. Sports Alliance of Malawi will continue to support the girl child in Malawi. Our teams in Malawi will be participating in the Youth Global Service Day in April of 2008. At this time, we hope to make a concerted effort to outreach to the young women in Malawi by including them in the event. Our website includes an application for any requests for assistance from Malawi. It will be our full intent to support and assist any group, especially those promoting gender equality.
Sincerely,
Ruth Okubo
Hi Ruth
I was happy to read two things in your project description - one that you supported the womens national team and second that your fundraising is leveraging the resources of other schools and universities near you. As a volunteer fundraiser myself for our Boxgirls project I know how difficult it can be. Have you thought about deepening your relationship with bERKELY? Take a look at the UNC project CFK - also using soccer to help kids(in Kenya this time) and with the support of the University of North Carolina. My university does not help our project directly (yet!) but I am starting to see how universities with their organisation and fundraising know how could be a big resource for all of us. How could your team get those schools further involved?
Second, soccer programmes often neglect girls. They find lots of boys who want to play and are happy (or at their capacity level) with that and do not do any girls outreach or take steps to make girls feel comfortable. Alongside supporting the national team - what does your project do around girls recruitment and retention?
I look forward to exchanging ideas with you
Heather Cameron
- Free University Berlin
The comment about inclusion of women soccer in the focus of Sports Alliance of Malawi, Inc. is encouraging. Ever since SAM Inc. was organized the inclusion of girls within the scope of its activities among the youth of Malawi has been explicit and remained paramount. Sam Mchombo, the co-founder of SAM, Inc. has stressed the need to have the girls involved in community services and to contribute to the empowerment of girls in Malawi. In his home area of Nkhotakota he furnished girls with basketball uniforms donated by the women's basketball program of the University of California Berkeley. The girls could use those in their netball games, a common women's sport in various parts of the world. The girls were also furnished with net balls that he purchased for them in the United Kingdom. When he was informed that there was women's soccer and some of the women trained together with SM Galaxy, a team that he assists, he decided to extend to them the conditions attached to provision of monetary and material assistance given to the male youth. The girls have joined the boys in such projects as cleaning up the streets of the city of Blantyre, as well as in a recent clean-up of Blantyre city market, both events covered in the local press. They now get involved in community service alongside the boys. Sam Mchombo has further encouraged the promotion of women's soccer in Malawi by donating soccer uniforms provided by the women's soccer program at UC Berkeley, as well as donating a trophy to Chiukepo Mhango women's soccer league in Malawi. This was reported in the local press and the relevant material can be accessed on the website of The Sports Alliance of Malawi, Inc: http://www.sportsalliancemalawi.org. The Sports Alliance of Malawi, Inc. remains committed to promoting all the youth in Malawi, female and male, to improving their health and civic responsibilites through sport.
Sincerely,
Sam Mchombo
I have to agree with Sam that the inclusion of women and young girls in Sports Alliance of Malawi and sports in general is very important. I saw the positive impact sports had on the National Women's Team in Malawi in 2006. Interviewing many of the young girls, they stressed that soccer gave them a level of confidence they never knew they had. I was very impressed by the way they held themselves in such a professional manner. One of the teams sponsored by SAM Inc., SM Galaxy donated 2 balls to the team in support of their upcoming match against Zambia in August 2006. The event brought attention from local radio and newspapers, as well as the Football Association of Malawi. They stressed the importance of recognizing women's role in sports and the relation of empowerment to education and awareness, namely HIV/AIDS. It's important to have the face of young women as leaders so that those following them will have role models. Often times, the scourge of AIDS leaves children in Malawi without parents or role models. You can see the interviews of the national Team here: National Women's Team