The Colby Echo

Issue date: 2/16/07 Section: News & Features

Media Credit: James Goldring

After visiting Malawi this past summer to work with a non-governmental organization dedicated to helping poor children in sub-Saharan Africa, James Goldring '08 has been collecting soccer equipment throughout the school year to send back. The equipment will enable orphaned children in some of the poorest communities in the capital city of Lilongwe to take part in the world's most popular game.

Goldring sent his first shipment, including 20 pairs of shoes, shin guards, shorts, socks, jerseys and soccer balls, in January and intends to collect throughout the spring semester to send a second shipment this coming June.

"The response from the whole Colby community has been very gratifying," Goldring said. "I've exceeded my initial goal and I really appreciate everyone taking time to dig through their closets and get this equipment to me."

In addition to gathering equipment, Goldring will be fundraising throughout this semester to raise money to pursue an independent study in Malawi this coming summer. This time he will be looking to work worth the contacts he has made there to provide bicycle ambulances, or small trailers that can be attached to bicycles and used to transport very ill persons who otherwise would not make it to medical centers.

Malawi is a landlocked, densely populated and extremely poor country in south-central Africa. The country's plethora of humanitarian issues ranges from endemic HIV/AIDS to insufficient nutrition to a per capita income of less than $1 per day. Lilongwe has around 600,000 residents, 20% of whom it is estimated are HIV positive. The well-being of its citizens depends critically on aid from non-profit NGO's, such as the Pendulum Project, for whom Goldring worked this past summer, and international organizations, such as the IMF and WorldBank.

The conditions for playing soccer in Lilongwe are also abysmal: many people don't have shoes or even soccer balls, instead balling up rags or plastic bags to use as a substitute. "I would carry a soccer ball everywhere I went and you could see the kids' eyes light up when they saw it," Goldring said.

"My experience in Malawi was incredibly rewarding because the people were so warm and welcoming," said Goldring. "It was surprising because the disparity in lifestyles [between myself and the Malawi natives] is so great. The people I met there said to me, 'Jamie, don't forget about us.'"

Goldring asks that anyone who can contribute either drop off gear in the collection box outside Dana 142 or email him (jdgoldri@colby.edu) to make other arrangements. Any equipment is great, but he is particularly in need of jerseys, including youth jerseys. Anyone interested in helping children in Malawi or anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa should visit pendulumproject.org for information.

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