THE NEED: Adolescence is a formative period of life. Lessons learned, habits formed, and choices made during adolescence have profound implications on a young person's health and life trajectory.

But when it comes to health, adolescents continue to be left behind. Adolescents face the most acute combination of preventable diseases and disorders of any age group. In sub-Saharan Africa, which is projected to have more adolescents than any other region in the world by 2050, young people face nearly 4x the risk of death as their peers in high-income countries. These adolescents face the most daunting health challenges of any region in the world — from HIV and AIDS, to sexual- and gender-based violence, to health risks of unintended pregnancy. 

Addressing these challenges is critical. As this generation comes of age, their ability to live healthy lives will not only have a profound impact on their own futures — but on the futures of their communities, their continent, and the entire globe.

Our Solution: That’s where Grassroot Soccer comes in. For more than two decades, Grassroot Soccer has been leveraging the universal power of football to empower young people in the highest-need areas of the world to take control of their lives and their health — on and off the pitch.



WHO WE ARE: Grassroot Soccer was founded in 2002 by Dr. Tommy Clark and teammates Kirk Friedrich, Ethan Zohn, and Methembe Ndlovu, who witnessed the devastating effects of HIV while playing professional football in Zimbabwe. After watching friends die of AIDS, Tommy and his teammates recognised that football — a positive force in the community — could be used to engage adolescents to stop the spread of HIV. 

In its more than 20-year evolution, Grassroot Soccer has established itself as a game-changer in adolescent health by equipping young people with the tools to tackle the most critical and interrelated health challenges facing them today including mental health, HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence, and issues around sexual and reproductive health such as teen pregnancy.

Grassroot Soccer's evidence-based SKILLZ programmes, led by trained local Coaches, incorporate football and fun into interactive and dynamic activities to teach young people life-saving health information. Grassroot Soccer works with affiliate sites in South Africa and Zambia and has partnered with organisations in more than 60 countries. Our programmes have reached more than 25 million young people, building their assets (health knowledge and the confidence to use it), improving their access to high-quality health services, and increasing their adherence to crucial treatments and healthy behaviours.

To learn more about Grassroot Soccer, visit our website at www.grassrootsoccer.org.