Two teams from Girls Kick It! played in last week's girls' football tournament in Gulu. The two-day tournament, organized by Canadian students from the Concordia University Volunteer Abroad Program, included twelve teams from secondary schools and community organizations. GKI brought 18 players from Gulu Town and 18 players from Paicho IDP camp.

The Gulu team played first on Saturday morning, facing strong opposition from the Red Cross community team, which included several former GKI members. The Paicho team played next, putting up a great defense against another community team. The game was intense, and despite the countless shots blocked by the goal-keeper, Paicho was defeated.

On Sunday morning the two GKI teams faced one another in a friendly match. Both teams played well, with Paicho going on to the semi-finals, where they ultimately lost to the Red Cross. The girls returned home excited about the prospect of another tournament and ready to train hard in preparation to meet their future opponents.

Buy This Bus Campaign!
GYPA’s Soccer Programs Need Your Support to Buy this Bus!

In their tournament debut at the Homeless World Cup in Cape Town South Africa, Gomo Tong FC representing Uganda, finished 21st out of 48 teams. Among others, Gomo Tong defeated Germany, France, Switzerland, Denmark, and Ghana. Upon returning to Uganda Gomo Tong FC received invitations to participate in soccer matches, trainings, clinics and educational programs.

Unfortunately, the team is unable to accept the invitations because we do not have transportation.

As a result, GYPA USA launched “Buy This Bus” an effort to raise $20,000 to purchase two official team mini-buses for Gomo Tong FC and Girls Kick It!, GYPA’s soccer initiative targeting girls in Northern Uganda (www.girlskickit.org).

Where is the money allocated?

Each bus will be maintained by the coaching staff and team members. The mini-buses will enable the team to participate in country-wide activities, but also, during “off-days” the mini-buses travel throughout the streets of Kampala and Gulu as a special hire taxi-service. All daily taxi fares will be reinvested in the maintenance of the mini-buses, and Gomo Tong FC and Girls Kick It (www.girlskickit.org)! Programs. With the total amount raised, GYPA seeks to acquire driving permits for players and offer opportunities for vocational training in auto mechanics.

Breakdown of costs:
$16,000 for two mini-buses;
$4,000 for driving permits/insurance and vocational training

We can’t do this without you!
We need your help to support Gomo Tong Football Club and Girls Kick It!

A secure online donation can be made at GYPA's website: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr

From the start of the match Gomo Tong FC controlled the pace... coming out with a convincing "W" over Estonia 9-3. Coach Ssemakula's starting line-up included: Hannington Ojok, Dennis Opio, Joshua-Joseph Ochieng and Lamex Lambart at keeper.

By halftime, Gomo Tong FC was up 4-1 with the crowd energized under lights of the Grand Parade at Cape Town night. Late in the second half Auma Zainabu, one of the members of Girls Kick It! entered the game and exhibited a flurry of defensive excellence leading to a goal by Gomo Tong FCs youngest player (at 17 years) Mambo Bosco.

Tomorrow, Gomo Tong FC faces off against:
Switzerland at 1:20pm
Russia at 5:45pm

Point of interest....Switzerland, lost to Russia today after the game was ended due to "foul play" by both sides.

Morale is high and the team is ready for the face off with the remaining two teams in their bracket.

In other Homeless World Cup news, South Africa opened up the HWC with a victory over Chile, Namibia defeated Italy, the two-time defending champions, England, Ireland, Kenya, Ghana, and Portugal were some of the other teams who came up victorious.

Stay tuned for more news from Cape Town tomorrow.

Jeremy

Immediate Release
Gulu, Uganda
July 8, 2006
GYPA's Girls Kick It (www.girlskickit.org) program hosted its first practice this past week in the Paicho IDP Camp. Paicho is located near the Gulu District in Northern Uganda and is home to several thousand internally displaced people as a result of the 20 years conflict in Northern Uganda.

The practice included 35 young girls who ranged in age between 12 - 16 years old. The practice was observed by a crowd of men and women and numbered more than 300 people who live in and around the Paicho IDP Camp.

Girls Kick It! Coordinator, Anna Phillips, is currently involved in the selection process of a few young women to be a part of "Team Gomo Tong" for the Homeless World Cup (www.streetsoccer.org). Team Gomo Tong will travel to South Africa from September 21 - October 1, 2006 to participate and represent Uganda.

Stay tuned for photos from Northern Uganda!

Student Global Ambassadors June 2006 Uganda Immersion a Success!
Kampala, Uganda
June 25, 2006

Global Youth Partnership for Africa recently completed its Student Global Ambassadors: June 2006 Uganda Immersion. The two-week Immersion program involved 16 American undergraduate and graduate students interested in working alongside Ugandan 'social entrepreneurs' in the areas of HIV/AIDS, income-generating activities, and peace/conflict issues. In Kampala, Ft. Portal (western Uganda), and Gulu (northern Uganda), the group met with a wide array of accomplished young leaders who possess the necessary ambition and skills to bring about constructive and sustainable change in their communities.
Associate Director Josh Goldstein commented, "The Immersion was a huge success! Both the Ugandan and the American participants left the Immersion energized and excited about future partnerships. Further, they left with a more in-depth understanding about the development challenges facing Uganda."
As the Immersion participants well know, GYPA measures the success of these programs not by the number of airline seats filled, but by the number of Ambassadors who remain engaged in various projects after they return home. GYPA supports this engagement in two ways: through initiating educational programs at American universities to challenge conventional and often distorted views of contemporary Africa, and through maintaining direct partnerships between American and Ugandan entrepreneurs.
Critically, the contributions Immersion participants make need not be monetary; the connections and enthusiasm shared between Americans and Ugandans are inherently valuable. In a country with a per capita GDP of less than $1,800 per person, Ugandans who create community projects are often operating alone and under very difficult circumstances. The relationships established during GYPA’s Immersion program provide not only lasting friendships, but business opportunities as well.
That being said, small amounts of money may leave a large impact when intelligently and practically utilized. Here is just one of the many amazing stories of Immersion participants taking the initiative to help their Ugandan counterparts:
For over three years, GYPA has been working with the Namuwongo Women's Group, an income-generating project staffed by women living in extreme poverty on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda. Here poverty results in the usual milieu of health problems, poor sanitation, and a lack of access to education. Despite significant obstacles, these women have come together to create handicrafts such as necklaces, bracelets, and baskets. Through GYPA’s Washington office, these female entrepreneurs are able to sell them throughout the world.
The leader of the group, Immaculate Alaso, spoke passionately to the Immersion group about her work. She showcased some of her pieces, and talked briefly about her business plan and the need for more sewing machines in order to increase their production capacity. The next day, several of the students decided that they wanted to raise money to buy a sewing machine for the Women's Group. So many Immersion participants were interested in helping that the group pooled over $300, enough to buy the Women’s Group five new sewing machines! This simple, strategic investment will allow the Women's Group to build capacity and fill more orders while still granting them the time to take care of their families.

Here are a few of the other projects that students took a special interested in staying involved in:

• Gomo Tong/Girls Kick It
• Namuwongo Women's Group
• Namuwongo Youth Group
• Koome Islands Ball Project- An innovative project that blends environmental issues, education issues, and income-generating activities
• Northern Uganda Peace Initiative
• YES Hostel – A project supporting the education of orphans in Ft. Portal
• Kyanyawara Environment Project (Ft. Portal)

Helping hands link lifelong friends
By: JEFF FRANK - Staff Writer

Practically since they left their cradles, Anna Phillips and Rebecca Littman have shared an interest in repairing the world.

They met as toddlers running around Temple Adat Shalom in Poway, where Littman's mother served as president and Phillips' mom was director of the preschool. Their friendship continued through Hebrew school, Bat Mitzvahs and confirmation, while they tackled numerous social action projects.

"I remember when we were little we did 'Save the Children' (collecting money to sponsor children in poverty-stricken areas)," said Littman, a 2004 graduate of Poway High School. "I think we've always kind of been like this."

What they are today are college juniors heading to Uganda to launch a program to empower girls and women whose lives in a country torn apart by a 20-year civil war provide little other than danger and deprivation.

"I was shocked when I first learned of it," said Phillips, a 2004 graduate of Rancho Bernardo High School and a North County Times Student of Merit. "Ninety percent of the people in the north have been displaced. The rebel army is 80 percent child soldiers. Women are used as sex slaves or for target practice."

After a trip to Uganda in January with Global Youth Partnership for Africa, Phillips developed a plan to improve the situation of young women with a program to boost self-confidence and create positive attitudes though participation in athletics.

Called "Girls Kick It," the program begins with a recreational soccer program, plus instruction in reading and about HIV/AIDS. If successful, Phillips, who attends George Washington University, hopes to replicate the program in other areas of Africa.

When Littman heard what her lifelong friend was up to, she wanted to get involved. She landed a grant from her college, Wesleyan University in Connecticut, to do psychological research to determine the effectiveness of the program.

So the two pals will be together again, on the other side of the world, in a situation that in no way resembles their suburban upbringing.

"I'm ready for whatever is there," said Littman. "I think the conditions in the camp are pretty bad. It will be an eye-opener to see what these people live with every day."

Phillips admits there is "a danger factor," but is happy that she and Littman will together be working to help others.

"It's amazing. We have been plotting to go to Africa since our sophomore year in high school," she said. "This is something we always thought and dreamed about. I told her about the program, and she said, 'All right, I'm coming.'

"It's great. I can't imagine going with anyone better."

-- Contact staff columnist Jeff Frank at (760) 740-5419 or jfrank@nctimes.com.
www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/06/22/news/columnists/jeff_frank/23_31_076_21_06.txt

June 7, 2006
Anna Phillips, GYPA Program Coordinator, Anyira Gwenyo (“Girls Kick-It”)
Girls Kick-It is using soccer to empower young women living in internally displaced persons camps in Northern Uganda

To listen visit:
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/programs/worldview/series/globalactivism.asp

GYPA is thrilled to announce the June - August 2006 Community Fellows.
Stay tuned for updates from the field and information announcements about our Fall/Winter 2006 Community Fellows.

Michael Legg
Senior at the University of Kansas
Age: 22
Michael is the first "Team Gomo Tong" Homeless World Cup Community Fellow.
He will spend over 1 month practicing and working with the team that will represent Uganda at the Homeless World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa in September 2006.

Joanna Bibby-Scullion
3rd year at the University of Edinburgh and Institute d’Etudes Politiques
Age: 21
Joanna is from the north of England, and studies in Scotland She has spent the past two and a half years working for the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) as the Youth Representative on the Global Board. Joanna will join the GYPA Family as a Community Fellow with the Project Namuwongo Zone B Women's Group.

Jennifer Caito
Geography Teacher
National Cathedral School, Washington, DC

Valerie Berezner
Senior, Indiana University-South Bend

Jennifer and Valerie will be the first Community Fellows Teaching at Kiwuliriza COU Boarding and Primary School based in Namuwongo. They will teach children in Primary School (1st - 6th grade) in the faculties of Geography, Health and English.

Anna Phillips
Senior, George Washington University
GYPA Girls Kick It! Coordinator

Rebecca Littman
Senior, Wesleyan University
Received Grant from WU to research and assess the pre and post psychological results of the Girls Kick It! program.

Anna and Rebecca will work closely with GYPA colleagues and staff based in Gulu District, Northern Uganda. They will initiate the Girls Kick It! (GKI) program and see that encompasses cultural sensitivity, education and leadership skills building, and greater awareness of the plight and conditions of the people of Northern Uganda.

We are excited to announce the launch of the official Girls Kick It! website: www.girlskickit.org
A very special thanks to Michael J. Brenner (www.michaeljbrenner.com) for donating his time and exceptional talent to this very important empowerment program for the women of Northern Uganda.

Visit us online and make a secure donation at: www.girlskickit.org

Anna Phillips believes in challenges.

Though barely 20, Phillips has already climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, sat in on a United Nations Tribunal on Rwandan genocide and was living on an Israeli kibbutz as an exchange student at the start of the Iraq War.....

Read more about Anna and her work with Girls Kick It! here

LOCAL ACTION FOR THE WOMEN OF NORTHERN UGANDA!
As as college campaigns work to empower women and combat the epidemic levels of violence and abuse against all women, the George Washington University Feminist Leadership Alliance performed the Vagina Monologues for the Washington, DC community.  Each year the Vagina Monologues are performed on hundreds of colleges campuses to raise awareness in local communities, and funds for groups that help combat violence against women.  GW's  performance attracted over five hundred students and members of the  community, raising over $3000  This year's cast has chosen to donate $1300 of the profit to Anyira Gweyo, or Girls Kick It, a comprehensive sports program for young  women and girls living in areas of North Uganda.

For More Information about Anyira Gweyo contact: Anna Phillips at Anna@gypafrica.org