Football clubs support children affected by leprosy in Nigeria

Liverpool and Peterborough United donated football kits, West Bromwich Albion donated funds and Arsenal arranged a visit to their pitch this year as part of The Leprosy Mission’s World Leprosy Day 2009.

The day was in support of Kwara state, Nigeria, where kits were presented to children from families affected by leprosy in the area. Football is extremely popular in Nigeria, as are English football teams.

Leprosy Mission said that being remembered in this way by the Liverpool and Peterborough United teams had meant a great deal to the children.

Funds from World Leprosy Day are supporting an ongoing project in five communities affected by leprosy in Kwara state. The project aims to increase leprosy detection rates, improve housing and standards of living, and support children in education.

One of the children receiving the Liverpool and Peterborough United kit was Tunde. Both his parents have had leprosy and his mother is unable to work because of deformities due to a late diagnosis. His parents were often unable to meet the cost of school equipment. Tunde’s school, ECWA (Evangelical Church of West Africa) primary school, also had a serious lack of resources and shortage of teachers, partly because no one wanted to work in an area affected by leprosy.

But from 2006, The Leprosy Mission, the school, the community and the local government education authority started to work together. This eventually led to the posting of adequate teachers. Text books and other teaching and study materials were also purchased and three more classrooms, a computer room, an art studio and a home economics room, were constructed.

School authorities in the local government now recognise the school pupils by inviting them to interschool quiz competitions and athletics competitions. Tunde is one of the members of the school athletics team that won first and second prizes at two consecutive interschool athletic competitions last year.

Rupert Haydock, National Director for The Leprosy Mission England and Wales, says, “We in The Leprosy Mission are very grateful for the generosity of these well-respected UK football teams. They have sent a clear message to children from families affected by leprosy that they matter and are important enough to be remembered in this way.”