FOOTBALL4GOOD MAGAZINE | MARCH 2020

In 2005, brothers Steve and Pete Fleming from the UK dribbled a ball for 250 miles across Malawi to raise money for an orphanage. The gruelling trip, and experiencing the passion for football in Africa, inspired the pair to set up Kick4Life in Lesotho in 2005. Steve says, “It was a life-changing adventure for us, after which there was no going back. We were now committed to using our love of foot- ball for changing lives.” In the intervening 15 years, the organisation has gone from strength to strength, using football as a tool to promote education and to tackle the world’s second highest HIV prevalence rate of 23.2%, which has devastated family and com- munity structures in Lesotho, and held back the country’s development. Kick4Life has also innovated in the field of social enterprise, with an on-site restaurant, hotel and conference centre at the organisation’s premis- es in Lesotho, with all profits reinvested in the charity’s football for good activities. Over 150,000 young people have taken part in health education and life skills activities. More than 25,000 young people have been tested for HIV, and over 1,000 of those tested have been referred for treatment or counselling. Education programmes are paramount to the success of Kick4Life’s programmes and over 500 young people have been supported into long-term education, training, or employment since its inception. Five young people have even been offered athletic scholarships in the United States. In 2017, Kick4Life participant Senate Letsie became the first woman in the history of Lesotho to receive an athletic scholarship after beginning her studies in Lewis & Clark Community College in Illinois. While Kick4Life has grown considerably in the past 15 years, and received high profile visits from the likes of Prince Harry and Fabio Capello, the organisation is now embarking on its most ambitious plan to date. The Stadium of life project aims to raise $500,000 in order to create a football facili- ty purpose-built for social change. Money is being raised to fund the building of a 3,000 capacity stadium with a state of the art artifi- cial 11-a-side pitch for Kick4Life’s women’s and men’s teams. The pitch will also act as a hub for the organisation’s football for good life skills and health education programmes. Fleming comments that, “The stadium will include in-built HIV testing and counselling facilities enabling fans and participants to get tested at matches. Football is a great way to break down stigma and discrimination related to HIV/AIDS and the stadium will provide a venue for fans to know their status and access life-saving treatment.” The project aims to be a fusion of sport, art, health education, and horticulture, creating a hub of social and economic development that “ITWAS A LIFE-CHANGING ADVENTURE FOR US, AFTERWHICH THEREWAS NOGOING BACK. WEWERE NOW COMMITTED TOUSINGOUR LOVE OF FOOTBALL FOR CHANGING LIVES.” Steve Fleming, Co-founder and Chief Executive, Kick4Life will benefit the local community for decades to come. The artificial surface will be of par- ticular importance to the men’s and women’s teams that play in the Lesotho Premier League and Super League respectively, fulfillig a key role in raising the profile of the charity’s work. Alongside Kick4Life’s existing social enter- prises - No.7 Restaurant and the Hokahanya Inn and Conference Centre - the stadium will also support sustainable income generation, helping Kick4Life to maintain and extend its social impact. The Stadium of life will include a number of unique environmental features including integrated garden areas and more than 50 indigenous trees and shrubs planted in the surrounding grounds, promoting biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions. It also plans to promote local art and culture through a Cultural Village, with converted containers and spaces for outdoor theatre pro- ductions, giving voice to the local community and creating a unique infusion of sport, social impact, nature and culture. Kick4Life has received Pro Bono architectural and pitch-laying support and is now offering a range of sponsorship opportunities to make the Stadium of life a reality. Populous, the design agency behind Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium, has provided expert advice on the completion of the facility with SIS Pitches donating and fitting the artificial surface. Full stadium brand sponsorship can be achieved for $125,000 but even the smallest donations are welcomed for this ambitious venture. Kick4Life is pioneering in the field of social enterprise and continues to lead the Social Enterprise Assist project in conjunction with Common Goal. Funding remains a common 54 FOOTBALL4GOODMAGAZINE | MARCH2020 55 STADIUMOF LIFE