After the success of last year's appeal for kit for the town of Hamrin in Iraq, Stowmarket-based charity RSVP Trust is appealing for football shirts to be sent out to Rwanda. The RSVP Trust works on various projects in Rwanda, supporting some of the most tortured people in the world.
When they first went out to Rwanda in 1996 to launch a project in the village of Kayonza, they were treated with suspicion with the Rwandans curious of their motives. At the time, the wounds of Rwanda were still raw following the horrific genocide of 1994.
However, when they handed the village chief the gift of a football, the mood suddenly lightened. "Ah!” said the chief, "Now we know you are serious about helping us!”
It turned out that football was a key element in the lives of the people and it still is. The RSVP Trust would love to be able to give the people of Kayonza a supply of football shirts to further enhance their enjoyment of the game.
If you can help by donating an old shirt or any other football kit, the RSVP Trust would really appreciate it. Representatives of the RSVP Trust be on the TWTD stand by the statue of Sir Alf before the West Brom match and would be delighted to receive any football shirt — any size, any club, any condition. Be assured, the people of Kayonza will be absolutely ecstatic to receive them!
TWTD contacted the club who supplied the Trust with 230 football shirts (most of them brand new) 40 footballs, seven coats and a few pairs of shorts and socks. More info on the work of RSVP in Africa at: www.rsvptrust.co.uk/africa.html.