Friday July 24, 2009
Game for support
Red Devils they may be, but Manchester United takes their charity work seriously by supporting children and their communities to change their lives for the better.
RYAN Giggs turned at the door and singled out 14 year-old Asha to give her a wave and a smile. Asha’s face lit up as she waved back shyly.
Asha was one of nine marginalised children who met Unicef Goodwill Ambassador Giggs, as well as his Manchester United teammates Patrice Evra, Federico Macheda and Manchester United Foundation CEO John Shiels, on the first day – last Friday – of the club’s 2009 Asia Tour stop in Malaysia.
Unicef UK Ambassador and Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Unicef arranged for the players and Shiels to visit Positive Living – a programme under the KL community-based organisation PT Foundation – where they had an intimate discussion with the children who came from various vulnerable backgrounds, including from families affected by HIV and AIDS, whose parents are sex workers or drug users, as well as street children and refugee children.
Giggs had connected strongly with Asha, touched by her story about her father who had died as a result of AIDS, after which she and her mother had been forced to move from their home and community due to discrimination.
“After my father passed away, everyone hated my mother. Everyone hurt her,” Asha said bluntly.
“It’s tragic to hear how marginalised children and those affected by HIV suffer as a result of stigma,” said Giggs.
Evra agreed, adding that fighting stigma was a vital step towards protecting marginalised children and ensuring that they received equal opportunities in life, reflecting the spirit of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor with the children, Evra had shared his own story of growing up in hardship and being one of more than 20 children, which resonated with the children who came from similarly difficult backgrounds.
Warm hug: Manchester United Foundation CEO John Shiels, pictured here with two Malaysian children affected by HIV, sees the value in using the club’s brand to advocate children’s issues and give them a better future. – Pic courtesy of Unicef Malaysia/2009/Alex Lee The players and Shiels regularly reach out to children and young people as part of their commitment to the “United for Unicef” partnership between the club and Unicef. Launched in 1999, this partnership is the longest running collaboration between a Premiership football club and a global charity.
Personal commitment
As the CEO of the Manchester United Foundation, John Shiels plays an important role in the 10-year United for Unicef partnership, as well as many other programmes and charities supported by the Foundation.
Arguably the most famous football club in the world, Manchester United’s charitable side is often overshadowed by the glamour of the club’s Premiership titles, trophies and larger-than-life players.
Through the Foundation, however, the club has been working with local authorities to carry out community programmes in football and education. Apart from Unicef, the Foundation also supports national and local charities in Britain by using the club’s brand to facilitate fundraising and advocacy.
“The Foundation aims to use the passion for Manchester United to educate, motivate and inspire young people to build a better life for themselves and improve the communities they live in,” explained Shiels.
Taking advantage of the club’s extended stay in Kuala Lumpur, Shiels also visited WAKE (Women and Health Association of Kuala Lumpur), which provides shelter and support for women and children affected by HIV and AIDS.
The 14 children at the WAKE shelter home clustered around Shiels, who amused them with gifts, songs and stories of his four teenage sons. A natural with children, Shiels took a keen interest in the situation of the children, who have all been orphaned by AIDS, as well as the Association’s work and funding challenges.
“The visits have brought to bear the issue of HIV and children with my work in the Foundation. It’s my job now to bring this to everyone in the club leadership, to make them see the importance of giving children the opportunity for a good future,” said Shiels.
Advocating issues
HIV and AIDS is a key issue that the club and the Foundation advocates, through its support of Unicef’s global Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign since 2005.
“We recognise that AIDS is one of the biggest challenges facing mankind today. At Manchester United, we know about reaching out to young people. Together, we can change attitudes, perceptions and ultimately, behaviours,” said manager Sir Alex Ferguson at the launch of the campaign in Geneva in 2005.
By organising visits to communities such as Positive Living and WAKE, Unicef is working with the club to help break down the prejudice and stigma faced by children affected by HIV and to advocate for their right to be treated fairly.
Despite Malaysia’s progress for children in health and education, many still find themselves living on the margins of society as a result of public discrimination, stigma and prejudice. As a result, these marginalised children are in the highest risk category for HIV infection.
“To create an AIDS-free generation, we must address both protection from HIV and protection of children’s rights,” said Youssouf Oomar, Unicef representative to Malaysia, when he met the players and Shiels in Kuala Lumpur. “These rights are not merely the benefit of a few but the entitlement of all children, regardless of their identity, HIV status, geographical location or gender.”
Scoring goals for children
Unicef works with the club to host a variety of events and fundraising initiatives to raise money, the highlight of these being the United for Unicef gala dinner hosted by Ferguson, who is also a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador.
Players also support Unicef in other ways. Former player and Unicef Goodwill Ambassador Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is currently the reserve team manager, has personally raised enough money to build a school in Eritrea, part of which was financed by the donation of his boot sponsorship.
In the past years, Giggs, Danny Simpson, Rio Ferdinand and former players David Beckham, Mikael Silvestre and Chris Eagles have visited Unicef-supported projects in South Africa, China and Thailand to advocate for issues like primary education and ending child exploitation.
Since 1999, the partnership has raised over US$3.75mil for Unicef, benefiting over 1.5 million children worldwide. In 2007, the club donated more than US$150,000 (RM500,000) to Unicef Malaysia for youth-centred HIV prevention programmes, namely the PROSTAR Youth Centres and the 3R-Unicef All Women’s Futsal Play-offs.
Humbled by the children
Giggs, Evra, Macheda and Shiels spent an hour-and-a-half in Positive Living, listening intently as the children shared their feelings, dreams and daily life experiences, revealing the stark differences in the lives of young people shadowed by HIV, drug abuse, violence, exploitation and displacement.
“The children are more important than football. I have already won today, because I talked to these children,” said Evra, when asked whether Man United or Malaysia XI would win the friendly match on July 18.
“By joining these children here and showing our support, we hope to send out a powerful message: that all children, no matter their background, where they live or their HIV status, should be treated equally,” Giggs added.
For the children at Positive Living and WAKE, it wasn’t merely the experience of meeting world-famous footballers that they would cherish, but also the knowledge that these footballers had achieved success amid great challenges and difficulties.
And for Asha, it might have been the beginnings of a teenage crush on Ryan Giggs.
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