Here is another update from another partner in Nigeria.

Dreams Alive Academy Nigeria teams 12.2014

Dreams Alive Project Nigeria teams 12.2014

Dreams-alive Project is a multifaceted community based organization working among disadvantaged people in Nigeria with focus on youth and children.

Part of our effort to bring hope is using the opportunity that sports provides us to engage children and young people in life transforming training sessions on the field of play. We run academies (Dreamster Academy) in 3 communities; Masaka, Orozo and Angwan Ahmadu. We currently have 150 kids in these locations. We train Monday – Friday, setting aside Wednesdays for life discovery sessions.

We have a kid at our Masaka center, who is 14 years. He is such a notorious kid in their neighbourhood such that no one wants to associate with him. He leads a gang of other teenagers who were much older than him, and their pride trade is breaking into peoples homes to steal and beat up any one who tries to reason with them. Somehow he found his way to train with other kids at our academy. Today, there is a miraculous transformation in his life as he has broken free from his old friends and has stopped all the vices with which he was known. His parents had previously given up on him but now, he is a “changed child” as attested to by his parents.

He is just one among the many stories of change taking place in the lives of the young people that we engaged with through our work in the communities we are present.

We also engage church and community leaders through training on how too effectively use sports as a tool for transforming lives and communities.

The balls we get from Ball Project have greatly contributed in no small measure in making our work much more impactful. Doors were opened to us, relationships were developed, trust was built and lives being transformed. Thanks for helping us to learn, work and grow.

We are grateful for our partners around the world helping children by helping children play.