An old set of soccer uniforms from Avonworth High School school is gaining a new life this weekend with a girls soccer team thousands of miles away. Thanks to the generous and diligent efforts of Avonworth High School senior soccer players, Lauren Robinet and Alex Kirsch, their team’s old soccer balls, equipment bags, jerseys, and warm ups are now symbols of hope and encouragement to many female players and coaches in Cameroon, Africa, who are using the game of soccer as a tool for community development.

In addition to collecting and shipping equipment, the girl’s put on their entrepreneurial hats, designing t-shirts with the an image of the African nation’s iconic Indomitable Lion and the phrase “Kick Start Cameroon” and raised $500 to support girls’ soccer programs with CameroonFDP. Their efforts paid off. Yesterday, four teams took to the field in Kumba, Southwest Region, in a showcase tournament to begin selection of a team to represent the city in the upcoming regional tournament hosted by the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, prompted by the recent success of the women’s national team at the World Cup in Canada this summer.
This equipment was collected as part of their senior projects – which they started back during their junior year – and shipped in early 2015 with many more donations from groups like Duquesne University women’s’ soccer team, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and PA West Soccer Association, and Pittsburgh Dynamo Soccer. Another equipment collection drive will kick off in the coming weeks.
Since 2010, CameroonFDP has worked with thousands of youth in Cameroon, with a mission to improve the lives of youth using an innovative approach to sport for development. In 2015, CameroonFDP was awarded a grant from FIFA Football for Hope to support their work.