2012 visit

Stuart made his fourth visit to Togo in January 2012. As usual a major purpose was to work with Aimé and the Amis du Monde girls football team, which Verité Sport has supported for three years. Stuart saw the team play and draw 0-0. A surreal aspect of the game was to see two teams line up in England kit – one in blue and one in white – supplied by the FA.

What was really encouraging was that the team was very young. As the original team has grown through the teens and is entering their 20s, Aimé has started again with girls who are 14-15, with some of the originals now helping run the team.

One of the delegates at the training course where Stuart spoke in Benin last year was Charles, a doctor, who serves his community by providing medical services and running a boys’ football team. Two weeks before the visit Charles contacted us and said that he was very short of balls and kit. Could Verité Sport help? The FA kindly supplied shirts. The previous year Drayton Boys have given us some kit with a lot more socks and shorts than shirts. And the colours matched!!

In the end Stuart was able to take the following kit which was distributed among three football projects:

Footballs 14
Pairs of Boots 10
FA Shirts 55
FA Shorts 25
FA Socks 26
Drayton Socks 13
Drayton Shorts 15
2 Pumps

The Ball Project in USA does exactly what it says on the tin! It supplies balls to sports projects around the world. Shortly before Stuart’s departure the Ball Project asked if Verité Sport could accept a grant of £300 and buy balls with it in Togo. We were delighted to do so. The following balls were purchased and distributed:

Swallows 8 basketballs
Amis du Monde 4 footballs
Charles 6 footballs

Each year Stuart has met members of the Togo Olympic Committee. This year the meeting was much more practical and urgent as we discussed how Stuart might be able to assist them in London. Stuart was accompanied by Magloire who will be in London as an accredited chaplain.