Timeline: 2007-2012

Location: 5 in South Africa and 15 more across the continent

20 Centres for 2010 is the official campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Its aim is to achieve positive social change through football by building 20 Football for Hope Centres for public health, education and football across Africa. The centres will address local social challenges in disadvantaged areas and help improve education and health services for young people. 20 Centres for 2010 will promote social development through football long after the final whistle of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, leaving a tangible social legacy for Africa. So far, five centres have opened in South Africa, Mali, Kenya, Lesotho and Namibia. Twelve more centres are under development. All 20 Football for Hope Centres will be completed in 2013.

streetfootballworld network members involved: AMPJF, Espérance, Grassroot Soccer, Kick4Life, MYSA, Play Soccer, WhizzKids United, Grupo Desportivo de Manica

Project partners: Architecture for Humanity, Comic Relief, FIFA, Jacobs Foundation, Greenfields, Open Society Institute, Yingli Solar

DOWNLOAD THE 20 CENTRES FOR 2010 LEAFLET

Jan. 3., 2012 Football for Hope Centres numbers 15-19 announced

Dec. 22, 2011: Kimisagara Football for Hope Centre prepares to open

Sep. 24, 2011: The Lesotho Football for Hope Centre has opened its doors

Jul. 13, 2011: Football for Hope Centres numbers 13 and 14 announced

Apr. 21, 2011: Grupo Desportivo de Manica named Centre Host number 12

Apr. 12, 2011:  Football for Hope wins Spirit of Sport award

Jan. 20, 2011: Three more Football for Hope Centres begin construction

20 Centres for 2010 is an initiative by FIFA and streetfootballworld and one of the core elements of Football for Hope. The centres are hosted by local community organisations, most of them streetfootballworld network members, with strong track records and proven experience working with Development through Football. Each centre has facilities dedicated to education and public health and an artificial turf football pitch in order to provide long-term infrastructure where Centre Hosts can improve and expand their unique youth development programmes. READ MORE

The centre in Khayelitsha was opened in December 2009 as the first Football for Hope Centre. It is located in the Harare neighbourhood of Khayelitsha, the fastest-growing township and second-largest in South Africa after Soweto. The Centre Host is Grassroot Soccer, a South African-based, non-profit organisation that integrates the cross-cultural appeal of football with evidence-based HIV prevention and life skills programmes that arm African youth with the knowledge, skills and support to live HIV-free. READ MORE

The Football for Hope Centre in Mali is situated in the rural area of Baguinéda Camp, 35 km from the capital, Bamako. It is hosted by streetfootballworld network member Association Malienne pour la Promotion de la Jeune Fille et de la Femme (AMPJF), an organisation that targets mainly young women through football, educational and entrepreneurship programmes. The centre focuses on literacy programmes, vocational training, re-enrolment of school dropouts, reproductive health and HIV prevention. It opened on December 4th, 2010. READ MORE

The centre in Nairobi's Mathare slum is hosted by Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA), one of the largest community organisations in Africa and a pioneer in Development through Football. It was opened on August 4, 2010. A staggering unemployment rate of 42% and the resulting poverty are the biggest challenges in the centre's neighbourhood. The Football for Hope Centre provides an HIV testing and counselling centre, a library and IT courses. READ MORE

The Namibian Football for Hope Centre is situated in Katutura, a township of Windhoek struck by poverty and illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Centre Host Special Olympics has been supporting people with intellectual disabilities through sports programmes since 1998. People with special needs face particularly difficult challenges in Namibia and the through the Football for Hope Centre, Special Olympics will seek to remove the stigma surrounding intellectual disabilities and promote the full integration of its participants in society. The centre opened its doors on September 25, 2010. READ MORE

The centre will focus on peace building among the ethnic groups of Rwanda that continue to struggle with the legacy of the genocide of 1994. Centre Host Espérance has been working in the Kimisagara community for several years, aiming at providing new opportunities for young people in the densely populated area where school dropouts are prevalent and jobs are scarce. The centre is scheduled to open early 2012. READ MORE

Hosted by Play Soccer Ghana, the Oguaa Football for Hope Centre will target both school and street children with its programmes. Activities at the centre will evolve around the Play Soccer curriculum, which combines football drills with messages about health and hygiene, values and important life skills. Cape Coast has a long tradition in both football and education, with the country's first official football team and the first secondary school established in the town. The centre is scheduled to open early 2012. READ MORE

The centre in Lesotho not only serves its immediate community; it will also develop into a hub for interventions nationwide. It is hosted by Kick4Life, whose core programme is a health education and life-skills course based on fellow Centre Host Grassroot Soccer’s Skillz model. The centre also serves as the venue for regular events of the award-winning Test Your Team campaign, which incorporates HIV education and testing with football tournaments. The centre opened on September 24, 2011. READ MORE

Similarly to many other South African communities, Mokopane faces many social and economic issues. Centre Host South African Red Cross Society (SARCS) addresses these issues through innovative programmes that target positive youth behaviour change, such as ‘Soccer against Violence’. Activities including youth counselling, first aid workshops and leadership training will take place at the centre. READ MORE

Edendale is located in KwaZulu-Natal, which has the highest rate of HIV infection of all South Africa's provinces. Centre Host and streetfootballworld network member WhizzKids United began working in the area in 2006, offering a unique, holistic approach to HIV/AIDS that is essential for lasting positive behavioural change. The Edendale Football for Hope Centre will include various forms of counselling, retroviral treatment, support groups, computer training, career guidance, arts programmes, and, of course, football! The centre is currently in design development. READ MORE

The QwaQwa Football for Hope Centre will be situated in an area noted for its high poverty, high HIV infection rates and low education levels. Its programme will aim to engage, motivate and educate young people to develop positive attitudes toward healthy sexuality and HIV prevention. It will be run by Centre Host loveLife, an NGO run by South Africans for South Africans that aims to achieve an HIV-free generation. The centre is currently in design development. READ MORE

Once known as the ‘Dark City’ due to a lack of basic infrastructure, Alexandra—in Johannesburg, South Africa—was the first township to ever host an official event of the FIFA World Cup: the Football for Hope Festival 2010. But that’s not the only first: Centre Host Grassroot Soccer opened the doors to the very first Football for Hope Centre in 2009. Programming at the Alexandra Football for Hope Centre will include football-based HIV/AIDS education, Siyakhona, and more. The centre is currently in the schematic design phase. READ MORE

The majority of the 40,000 residents of Vumba, a suburb of Manica, Mozambique, live in extreme poverty but are committed to living with dignity and hope. Centre Host Grupo Desportivo de Manica (GDM) was founded in 1980 by the community itself and strives for sustainable, holistic solutions to local problems. Located in GDM’s beautiful Futeco Park, the Manica Football for Hope Centre will offer football-based peer education, computer literacy, health instruction and environmental awareness programmes. The centre is currently in pre-design development. READ MORE

The Football for Hope Centre in Cameroon is located in Mamfe, close to the Nigerian border. It is hosted by streetfootballworld network member United Action for Children (UAC), an organisation that aims to improve education and health awareness among vulnerable children in slums and rural areas. The centre in Mamfe will offer a range of vocational and educational activities as well as extensive football training. READ MORE

Iringa Football for Hope Centre will be located in central Tanzania, where  HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and a high school drop-out rate are major problems. Centre Host IDYDC uses football to reach out to vulnerable young people and improve their living conditions through the provision of education and health services. The centre is currently in the design phase. READ MORE

The Ramotswa Football for Hope Centre will be located in Ramotswa in the South-East District of Botswana. Serving a number of local communities, the centre will offer programmes to boost education, health awareness and employment opportunities among young people. Activities will include computer classes, art festivals and theatre workshops, with a number of additional programmes specially designed to empower girls and women. The centre is currently in the design phase. READ MORE

The Tarrafal Football for Hope Centre will be located on the island of Santiago in Cape Verde, where a lack of opportunities and resources forces many young people to emigrate in search of work. Centre Host Delta Cultura Cabo Verde (DCCV) uses football, education and creole culture to promote positive values in the fight against drugs, crime and poverty. Alongside the football curriculum, the centre will offer a wide range of activities ranging from traditional dance classes to computer training. The centre is currently in the design phase. READ MORE

More information on the recently selected Centre Host in Zimbabwe coming up soon!