Support classrooms in Brazzaville, Congo

This fundraiser is to support classrooms in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo - Marien Ngouabi University is the oldest University in the country. I had the privilege to visit the school in 2021 and witness first-hand how under-resourced the school is. I walked through classrooms and courts and met sports directors, coaches and instructors. I shadowed a handball class with two instructors, 90 students and three balls. Facilities are beaten down; classrooms are furnished with torn desks and broken furniture. As a result, instructors often find it better to take their classes outside. However, despite the challenges facing the school, what stood out for me was the passion and optimism of the students and instructors.

After my visit, the school reached out to me for support. While there are so many areas in the school we could help, they are eager to improve their athletics department, and through this fundraiser, I know I can be of service to the school and support them in this goal.

I will return to Brazzaville in November to run various soccer programs that support coaches, students, and athletes and equip them with training curriculum, coaching skills and proper equipment to teach and play sports safely.

Over the next two months, my goal is to raise $5000, and I cannot do it without your help. I am impassioned when I go home and see schools, sports teams, and community groups wanting to learn, play, and flourish but still without essential resources. I was once a young boy in Brazzaville running around playing football without shoes, kicking balls that could no longer bounce (ripped, deflated balls); however, seeing the same thing today at a major institution like Marien Ngouabi has to be and can be made right.

Sports and football (soccer) are a culture in Congo. Just like around the globe, sports empower youth. Athletes and students find confidence and learn essential leadership skills and teamwork through sports. I aim to promote this message and share these values with Marien Ngoubi. With your help, I will provide the school with a range of proper training equipment, including, but not limited to: uniforms, balls, pennies, cones, stopwatches, tape measures, training templates, and more.

In addition to providing training equipment, I am investing much of the time during my visit in sharing my knowledge on teaching sports safely and effectively. My aim with this program is to allow instructors to create a safe training environment in which participants grow, learn, develop, and lead in their own way after I am gone.

Please consider donating together; we will make sports more accessible to all. Any amount will help! No donation is too small. We all know that the past 2.5 years have been tough for everyone. In places like Brazzaville, the last 2.5 years have been even more challenging, and I am humbled to have this opportunity to bring them something great.

Thank you in advance for supporting me in my efforts. I could not do this without your generosity.

Sincerly,

Olf