> Update! - Article on Page 3 of The Namibian about MaryBeth's new book! <

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Hello my dear friends!

Summer is here in Namibia! Yippie!!

I wanted to start a girls soccer program, as they had nothing to keep them physically active. But I soon discovered that there were hundreds of street kids, mostly boys, who were dying to play.

So, the program slowly expanded, with teams organizing themselves. There are no other grown ups except me. Just me and 48 teams of boys and girls, playing on gravel fields with stones and thorns and in bare feet. Those are adjacent to the gorgeous grass field, guarded by armed security guards who will not let us on without a permit.

I have tried for two years to get permission for the grass and they will not let us use it, not even to train. The grass fields sits vacant while we play on the rocks. It is maddening, but we have to live with it because we love soccer and will play anywhere, in the streets, between the thorn bushes, etc. Of course this demolishes the kids shoes, so they play in bare feet. You would not believe it. You have to come and see for yourself.

If the team shows good sportsmanship and responsibility, they are rewarded with jerseys. After three months, they can earn shorts, then socks and after one year, shoes. It is amazing how they come week after week with no prizes or trophies or medals, just a love of soccer and the hope that some day they will get a pair of soccer shoes.

Okay, I have to run. That is today's episode of marybeth's saturday youth soccer program. I have tried for 2.5 Years to get grown ups involved, and they either scream and insult the kids or steal the uniforms and soccer balls or just drop out entirely.

My hope is in the kids, who are struggling to survive in a world that stacks all the odds against them. Thank you so much, and thanks from all 500 kids!! We cant wait to get the stuff, I will be sure to take photos of them when they get the donations! Oh, you will hear their cries of happiness all the way from Namibia to canada!!!

Xoxoxoxoxo big hugs and heaps of thanks,

xoxoxoxox marybeth :)

ps

let me know what other information you need about me or the program, and if you need photos, etc. You saw the movie about the little pumpkins, right? If not, check out my blog: marybethg.Blogs.Com and there is a link to www.Mynameisbill.Com and there you can see the "little pumpkins" live!!

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Dear Pat,

Love and Greetings from Namibia!  I hope that you survived another Canadian winter!  Now WE are going into winter, our days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cool!  Soon is will get REALLY cold, and we will all hibernate in the evenings!  (I, for one, am completely solar powered!!)

I am writing to ask if there is any possibility of collecting soccer uniforms and soccer gear from the children's recreational leagues in Canada.  I now have over 500 girls and boys playing soccer every weekend, and they are so impressive.  The "fields" are all dirt and gravel with broken glass and thorn bushes all over them.  Many of the kids play with bare feet, or if one has a pair of shoes, he/she loans one to his teammate.

The "saturday soccer program" began with my desire to coach the little girls in soccer, and when we could not find girls teams to compete against, we invited the boys.  Now we have 42 teams playing 21 games on 3 adjacent fields from sunup to sundown.  There are no coaches or official referees, the streetkids form their own teams and just show up at the field.  they range in age from 6 to 20 years old, and we have them divided into groups according to their ages and abilities.  if, as a team, they come for two months and demonstrate good sportsmanship, they are awarded jerseys.  three more months and they get shorts.  then they get socks, shinguards and cleats if they play for one year.  the referees are the older boys and girls, they get paid five Namibian dollars (about 70 cents, US) per game.  we dont keep standings or give prizes to the winning teams, for i want to take all the emphasis off winning and put it on teamwork, responsibility and personal growth.  I believe that sports can offer these kids the skills they need to survive in an environment that puts all odds against them.

I will take some photos this weekend and send them along to you.  You can also see photos of the kids on my blog: marybethg.blogs.com.  if anyone has any questions or comments, please give them my email address, as i am happy to communicate with them directly.

Our greatest needs are soccer cleats, of all sizes, but mostly sizes 3 to 9.  we can also use uniforms!! my kids are very small, so the smaller the jerseys, shorts and socks the better!  we can always use shin guards and soccer balls, too!

even tennis shoes are better than bare feet!  and the jerseys do not have to be a whole team's worth......i can mix and match them and put together 10 of the same color plus a different one for the goalie and presto--another team ready to go!

take care and i look forward to hearing from you when the containers are ready to make their voyage to Namibia!  if you are able to gather up any donations for us, i will be sure to get a clearance letter from the ministry of sport and culture so that the donations do not get confiscated! i will also be ready to head to the coast to meet that ship when it lands in the harbor at walvis bay!!

thank you for all you do for the people of Namibia, and specifically for me and my 500 kids!  i look forward to seeing you when you return!

sincerely, marybeth gallagher :)