10 Futbols to Zambia..and Peru, Morocco and Hanoi

Hello, Uncle Wilson.
Wherever you are, it's probably cold. In fact, even though you were probably blown clear off the summit of Mount Adams, you still may be the coldest One World Futbol in the whole world. Most are a lot warmer.

For example, some place in Zambia, there are some kids running around in the hot sunshine, kicking One World Futbols. It's running in the 80s in Lusaka, the capital city, where there are few, if any, clouds, and  zero chance of precipitation for the next few days.

The balls reached Zambia courtesy of the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, which is located on Seattle's Capitol Hill. Students travel from there to Zambia each year during the summer, and this is the second year in a row that they have put One World Futbols in the hands of kids who might have been kicking rag balls around. You can see from the photos they aren't playing in a soccer field. But they are playing; and with balls that they'll never have to repair.

Game On! The grass isn't cut, and there's no soccer field, but they do have a One World Futbol!

Seattle Academy received 10 balls this year which were purchased by supporters of your Wilson campaign in 2015. Here's what Gabriel Cronin, a faculty member and lead adult for the group, reported via e-mail:

"We dropped off the soccer balls in Zambia... we spread them out amongst four schools, a vulnerable child's family, and one found its way to the "village" in the care of a worker at the camp we stay at.  I've attached a few pictures...."

At the entry to a school, an adult discusses the ball with children.

Children get acquainted with the ball in the school yard.

The garments suggest that these kids are not in a hot part of Zambia.

"We really appreciate the gift and we hope that the balls will make students and children very happy," said Gabriel

In a couple of weeks, more futbols will be headed to Morocco, Vietnam and Peru. Some of those locations will have temperatures similar to Zambia's. Here's the weather at some major cities:

• Cuzco, Peru, elevation 11,152 feet: high 60s low 70s and 10 percent precipitation
• Hanoi, Vietnam, elevation 69 feet: high 80s low 90s with precipitation ranging from 10-60 percent over the next several days
• Rabat, Morocco, elevation 259 feet: low 80s to low 90s with 10 percent chance of rain

The balls are reaching Peru, Morocco and Vietnam via medical teams that are part of the Global Impact program operated by three Seattle community colleges that send teams to underdeveloped countries to work on health issues. In 2011, one of the teams focused on building  cook stoves that carried the smoke outside the home; promoting effective water filters for the home; and conducting medical clinics that included the flouriding of children's teeth. This year is the first time the Global Impact program has been involved in distributing One World Futbols in its field projects.

Kazoos will accompany the futbols to Peru and Vietnam.

Also going along for the ride:  Kazoos! Teams heading for Vietnam and Peru will be packing kazoos. In 2011, Peruvian school children were somewhat intrigued to hear a harmonica being played, but there was only one. Kazoos are very inexpensive, so this time many will have a chance to play, as well as listen.

The Global Impact teams will be on the ground in Vietnam no later than Aug. 21, and I'm going to be there with them. I'll be writing before then to tell you a little bit about what's going to happen, and I hope to be able to blog when I'm there. Until then,

Love,

Jean Baptiste (And Robert)