In a bid to become the best football for good Association in social investment and sustainability practice, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has out-doored its charity wing, dubbed the GFA Foundation.
Established as a single-purpose vehicle to drive all of its related CSR initiatives in the country and beyond, the Foundation, which has the tagline GFA-Cares, has as its mission to positively impact people’s lives through the support of national and international development initiatives and goals.
Speaking at the outdooring ceremony at the headquarters of the Football Association on Tuesday, the President of the association, Mr Kurt Edwin Simon Okraku, said he was sure many people did not know the role football and the Football Association play in the lives of people in communities.
To change this perception, Mr Okraku said the Executive Council of the Association thought it is wise to centralise the Association’s contributions towards the society into a more organised and focused driven one, “so that people will really appreciate and come to terms with some of the good things the Association is doing beyond the immediate environs of the football industry.”
“The GFA now maintains that for the ultimate goal for the football for development to be achieved, there should be a deliberate, concerted and coordinated effort in this regard, and it is against this background that the GFA is establishing the GFA Foundation as a single purpose vehicle to drive all related CSR initiatives in the country and beyond.”
He said the FA had in the past undertaken numerous charitable activities, such as donations to orphanages and support for vulnerable people, underprivileged people, needy individuals, groups, and organisations both in Ghana and perhaps beyond.
According to him, the Foundation will initiate and support projects and programmes that would improve the lives and livelihoods of football people and communities, use football and its outcomes to effect behaviour change and social change advocacy.
It is also to promote football values and teamwork among staff of the FA and regional football associations through an employee volunteer programme as well as adopting a strategic CSR policy where the business of football aligns with social values and operates within five thematic areas, that is community development, assistance to underprivileged people and groups, reduce, reuse, and recycle initiatives to educate stakeholders of the game on hooliganism, fair play and integrity, and most importantly, support for the welfare of footballers and football officials.
The GFA president revealed that funding for the foundation would come from deductions of a proportion of its resources, both in kind and cash, and that the Foundation would partner with like-minded foundations, organisations and institutions to deliver its objectives.
“Executive Council members, committee members, staff, players (active and retired), team owners, sponsors, and partners of the Football Association will contribute their resources and time, no matter how small it may be, to the work of the Foundation,” he added.
The Foundation has a five-member board of trustees who would oversee its operations, with Daniel Awuah Darko as chairman and Isaac Osei Yeboah as his vice. Other members include Madam Sylvia Owusu Ankomah, Frederick Acheampong, and Nii Odartey Lamptey, while Malcolm Fraizer Appeadu will act as the director of the foundation.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
