A non-profit social integration/education and sports intervention project through the adoption of three key pillars.
Established in 2008, Books & Boots combines (1.) Education (reading) with (2.) Recreation (soccer) and (3. General Communication (music and dance) to positively impact the lives of young people and their guardians in Communities across Ghana.
Books and boots taps, nurtures and develops raw, mental and sports talents whilst building character, leadership through discipline and teamwork.
Over the years, the project has been able to gather useful sports data especially relating to grassroots football.
This data can now be passed onto relevant education, civic, gender, and even sports stakeholders.
Another aspect of Books & Boots that has gained greater significance amid the economic challenges of the day is communities networking.
Lack of opportunities and the general rise in unemployment is one of the greatest challenges facing society both domestically and globally.
Recognising this challenge, which poses a potential threat to the harmony and stability of peace in any environment, Books and Books has created a template that offers hope to the youth of Ghana and Africa through the simple congregation of like-minded people from different walks of life.
Realising the need to adequately equip people to be effective volunteers and educators, Books & Boots has forged a partnership with the Ghana Volunteers Brigade solely aimed at supporting the Education with Recreation vision.
Active Minds Reading Club is another vital partner in the growth and success of the Books & Boots Project with donations of books and provision of personnel for communities engagement.
The Educators and Volunteers program carries a simple mission; ” train to empower” young volunteers, reading coaches, aspiring soccer coaches and other related personnel including those from the media.
Perhaps most significantly, Books & Boots is now at the stage where we seek partnerships to attract and create more resources to build infrastructure for lasting legacies.
This has brought the project in contact with inspirational young leaders such as the Ghanaian shipping magnate Dr Daniel McKorley aka McDAN.
The entrepreneur/philanthropist has supported sports like tennis for many years and his direct investment has undoubtedly secured the roots he helped plant for Ghana Tennis over a decade ago.
In early 2018, the Communities Champions League Football concept was introduced with a pilot tour of Greater Accra.
The future we are collectively working towards is the establishment of the first Books & Boots Academy in Ghana by the year 2020.
source: Dickson Boadi