How Soccer Explains HIV Prevention and the Peace Corps

Last month I got a call from James Donald, our GRS Country Director, asking if I’d like to help out with a training of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in our new Peace Corps Skillz curriculum up in Polokwane. To this, I replied, “Definitely! Where’s Polokwane?”

So I hopped in a car with co-workers KK, Doug and Tony and began driving north from Jo’burg to Limpopo Province, one of the most rural parts of South Africa, in order to help train others in our HIV-prevention curriculum—I was excited, to say the least.

Sure I'll go to Limpopo! Where's that?!?!

Now, when thinking of a Peace Corps training in Polokwane, I imagined a once-in-a-lifetime experience: arriving in a dusty village and working out of an old, beat-up schoolhouse for a couple days. Needless to say I was a little surprised (and just a bit disappointed) to find out that Polokwane was the capital of Limpopo Province and that we were conducting the training out of a conference room in a 4-star hotel.

Grassroot Soccer (GRS) has been partnered with the Peace Corps for several years now and, in my opinion, provides GRS with the best ability to spread its Peace Corps Skillz curriculum to rural parts of the world that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to access.

An introductory video to Peace Corps Skillz

For three days, we delivered a great training to some very dedicated PCVs and their community counterparts (local partners), going through our GRS practices--essentially soccer-inspired lessons and activities.

 Peace Corps member Lebo dribbling two "sexual partners" during Breakaway from HIV

Facilitator Doug (remember him from the video?) leading an energizer with Peace Corps Volunteers

While Doug and Tony led the PCVs through most of the curriculum, I was fortunate enough to be able to facilitate some activities including our “elevator pitch” lesson. The lesson allowed the PCVs and community counterparts to practice talking to different people (a kid, a principal, President Obama, etc.) about the GRS curriculum.

What I found really cool about the training was that we not only got to certify PCVs but their community counterparts as well. To be able to teach people from remote areas about HIV-prevention, many who were hearing this info for the first time, was pretty amazing.

 Head Facilitator and GRS Master Coach Tony leading the group through material on HIV prevention

At the end of the training, I was so pleased to hear some of the ways the PCVs and their community counterparts described the curriculum: “interactive”, “fun”, “informative”, “inspiring”—all things that made me incredibly happy with the work I’ve been doing.

And so, from there, we made the trip back to Johannesburg, leaving our mark on Limpopo, an area I hadn't even known about two days previously--pretty awesome stuff.