This #WorldAIDSDay, global adolescent health leader @GrassrootSoccer is releasing a limited-edition kit in celebration of its 20th anniversary, designed in partnership with @IcarusFootball. 

Available to purchase on @soccerdotcom, proceeds will support Grassroot Soccer's adolescent health programs, which since 2002 have used the power of soccer to equip more than 18 million young people with the life-saving information.

 

 

 It shall also provide services, and mentorship they need to address their greatest health challenges, including HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health.

 

 

Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is an adolescent health organization that leverages the power of football to equip young people with the life-saving information, services, and mentorship they need to live healthier lives.

GRS’s evidence-based SKILLZ programs, led by trained local Coaches, incorporate football and fun into interactive and dynamic activities about health that engage young people and break down stigma and cultural barriers. 

 

 

Designed in collaboration with the team at Icarus Football, the kit celebrates Grassroot Soccer’s history and impact while embodying its vibrant, fun, and positive culture — a key part of its signature approach that uses football to engage adolescents around the most important, difficult, and often taboo health topics.

 

 

The pattern of the kit and trim are inspired by traditional Xhosa patterns in South Africa, where Grassroot Soccer has a long-standing affiliate site and runs programs. The number 20 on the back of the jersey signifies the organisation’s two decades of impact on adolescent health.

 

 

The kit's crest features 20 stars for the organisation’s 20 years, along with a football ensconced by a red ribbon, the universal symbol of awareness and support for people living with HIV.

 

 

 

The vertical black stripes in the crest are an homage to Highlanders F.C.: the club in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe that Grassroot Soccer’s four co-founders played for during the height of the AIDS epidemic.

 

 

Their experience watching friends die of AIDS while playing for Highlanders led them to recognise that football — a positive force in the community — could be used to engage adolescents to stop the spread of HIV, leading to the founding of the organisation.

Support the cause and buy the shirt from @soccerdotcom .

#GRSturns20