The 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th One World Balls travelled down to Chira Island, Costa Rica this past May with a service-learning trip through the University of Calgary's Centre for Community-Engaged Learned (CCEL). As alumna of the Calgary based Calgary Serves experience I was super pleased to be able to connect some of my One World Balls to the Calgary Serves group as they headed to Chira Island, and was equally pleased to learn the balls will be put to good use by the local school.
Here is a note from Erin Kaipenein, director of the CCEL.
We work closely with the Montero y Palito Elementary School each year, and each year, we try to collect donations of items that support their work. This year we were building a basketball net with the support of the community, and the school suggested that we bring sports equipment including basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls, so we were really happy to receive the One World Futbols! The school children were delighted with the donations of crayons, markers and skipping ropes, but they were of course, most excited about the Frisbees from the Calgary Ultimate Association, and the interesting blue soccer balls from the One World Futbol Project. Rather than donating them to community members, we donated the equipment to the school for use with their soccer team and soccer practices. I had hoped that we would be able to play a match with them (as we did last year) but this year our trip conflicted with exams, so the team had taken a break from practices. As a result, we don’t have any pictures of the team playing with the new balls...we did get a few kids out on a super hot day to scrimmage with us so I’m sharing a number of pictures of my host brother, Jefferson. We are convinced he may be the next Lionel Messi. Jefferson is in grade 1 and he lives for soccer!
Erin is anticipating soccer games on Chira Island with Jefferson, and the school, this coming may.
Here is a note from Erin Kaipenein, director of the CCEL.
We work closely with the Montero y Palito Elementary School each year, and each year, we try to collect donations of items that support their work. This year we were building a basketball net with the support of the community, and the school suggested that we bring sports equipment including basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls, so we were really happy to receive the One World Futbols! The school children were delighted with the donations of crayons, markers and skipping ropes, but they were of course, most excited about the Frisbees from the Calgary Ultimate Association, and the interesting blue soccer balls from the One World Futbol Project. Rather than donating them to community members, we donated the equipment to the school for use with their soccer team and soccer practices. I had hoped that we would be able to play a match with them (as we did last year) but this year our trip conflicted with exams, so the team had taken a break from practices. As a result, we don’t have any pictures of the team playing with the new balls...we did get a few kids out on a super hot day to scrimmage with us so I’m sharing a number of pictures of my host brother, Jefferson. We are convinced he may be the next Lionel Messi. Jefferson is in grade 1 and he lives for soccer!
Erin is anticipating soccer games on Chira Island with Jefferson, and the school, this coming may. 
