SAN DIEGO, California - May 17, 2007 - Africa Aid, a nonprofit founded by a group of University of California, San Diego (UCSD) alumni, along with the Africa Aid student organization at UCSD, hosted the Kicks For A Cause Charity Soccer Tournament. The successful event raised enough funds to feed over 200 children in school at the Buduburam Liberian Refugee Settlement in Ghana for the entire month of June. This was the first year that Kicks for a Cause was held and it was the first event put on by the Africa Aid student organization. University involvement is an important and innovative component to the unique model that is Africa Aid. Led by the student organization, over a hundred participants from the San Diego community ranging from university students to professionals with skills ranging from amateurs playing for fun to semi-professional came out to play in the tournament and support Africa Aid.

The event took place on UCSD's Warren field on April 28, 2007. Fifteen teams competed; with most teams playing at least three games before heading to the semi-finals. First place went to Mark Rivaldi's Team Fun followed by Paul Waid's FC Sigma Nu. Everard Castenada, Africa Aid's resident photographer captured the excitement of the day and the images are now posted on the Africa Aid's online photo gallery. Success of the event was apparent with many teams already enquiring when the next tournament would be held. For the players, the event was not only fun, it was emotionally satisfying. "This was a great event to be a part of. It is not often that you get the chance to have fun at a sporting event, make new friends, as well as raise money for a great cause," said Luis Zepeda, a player who is no stranger to physical endurance having completed the Iron Man this past October. He was there as a member of the Coyotes Team who all happen to train for their triathlons together. Sandra Wang, a UCSD grad, echoed the same sentiment, "Knowing that we can make such a huge impact from a few hours playing soccer is satisfying yet mind-boggling. We definitely take a lot for granted here, and I can only hope that more people take the time to support the children in Africa through Africa Aid." Wang was there as a member of the ProFlowers corporate team. "It's rewarding to know that players are more satisfied with fighting poverty than winning the tournament, that they are here in support for Africa Aid and what we are aiming to accomplish as a community" says Boramy Sun, Africa Aid's Fundraising Coordinator.

Although this was the first event for the student organization, they have worked tirelessly tabling for weeks at a time on campus to spread awareness and educate the student body about Africa Aid and their mission. In addition to the smaller fundraising opportunities on campus, the student organization participates in the Africa Aid call-to-action t-shirt campaign by selling t-shirts directly to individuals on campus. For the price of one t-shirt, the same amount can feed a child for the entire school year. Currently, Africa Aid depends on their international t-shirt sale as a way to fund the Student Lunch and Education Program (SLP) for the rest of the school year as well as the entire second year.

Africa Aid's innovative School Lunch and Educational Program (SLP), serves to stimulate the educational empowerment of over two hundred children in Buduburam. The SLP is an example of Africa Aid tackling all four interconnected poverty issues within one exciting program. By providing clean water and a nutritious daily lunch to more than two hundred underprivileged refugee students, the SLP currently supplies the necessary incentive for students to participate in school, while increasing their ability to learn by improving their nutritional well being. Working with African Refugee NGO Partner, Self-Help Initiative for Sustainable Development (SHIFSD), Africa Aid has constructed a kitchen and hired several mothers of recipient children as cooks in the name of improving the economic status of women in the Buduburam community. To solidify a true local connection, Africa Aid has worked closely with their student organization at UCSD to create a health and nutrition curriculum that supplements each school lunch in Africa. The SLP will serve as a jumping point for the development of Africa Aid's micro-lending program, which will create economic opportunities for collectives of Africa women refugees who are notably also the mothers of the children in the SLP.

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