The Lesotho Football for Hope Centre in Maseru officially opened its doors on September 24th. With dedicated spaces for education, health and football, the facility will help Centre Host organisation and streetfootballworld network member Kick4Life broaden its impact and reach out to more young people in the community.

The opening ceremony at the brand new facility kicked off with a seven-a-side match of local football teams of orphans and vulnerable children from the Kick4Life programmes. Forming part of the cheering crowd were several football celebrities, including the captain of the Lesotho men's national team, Lehlohonolo Seema, and Football for Hope ambassador and former captain of the South African national team, Lucas Radebe.

"We are very excited about the centre opening, not just for the great event we have lined up, but for what the centre means for Kick4Life and our programmes in Lesotho for the long term. We are delighted that so many friends and colleagues from Lesotho and around the world can join us for this landmark day," said Steve Fleming, founder of Kick4Life.

“A huge step for Development through Football”
“The ‘20 Centres for 2010’ project is a huge step for Development through Football in Africa. At least ten streetfootballworld network members will receive important infrastructure to reach even more young people and have a greater impact on their communities. Every centre is as unique as its Centre Host, tailored to the local needs of the community,” said streetfootballworld Network Director Vladimir Borkovic at the centre opening.

“The centre in Lesotho will provide Kick4Life with the necessary infrastructure to become a hub in their region, reaching more vulnerable young people in Lesotho with their programmes, and also taking responsibility as one of the leading organisations in the streetfootballworld network,” he concluded. The streefootballworld Network Director was joined by representatives from FIFA, local politicians, and other celebrities at the opening event.

Kick4Life – the power of football
The Kick4Life story began with a single football. In 2005 Steve and his brother Pete Fleming dribbled a football across Malawi to raise funds for hundreds of children who had been orphaned as a result of AIDS. A year later the brothers founded Kick4Life. The organisation has grown into an innovative NGO, fighting HIV in Lesotho, a country which has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates and about 100,000 children orphaned by AIDS.

The Lesotho Football for Hope Centre will be used to plan and implement interventions for the whole of Lesotho. It will also offer regular Test Your Team events, which seamlessly combine HIV education and testing with football tournaments, and will be a hub for the nation’s culture, health and education.