Samsung to empower African youth

MOBILE phone manufacturer Samsung has underlined its commitment to empower youngsters around the African continent through a partnership with a non-governmental organization in a project aimed at raising R1 000 000.

The funds will be raised through a certain percentage from the sale of its exquisite J700 handset.

The partnership was entered into with South Africa’s Play Soccer.

“Through the Samsung NextHero campaign, Play Soccer South Africa is hoping to receive R1 Million, which will be raised through the sale of the Samsung J700 phone.

“For each phone sold, Samsung will donate a portion of the sale to Play Soccer South Africa, which in turn will be used to build two campaign branded sites thus enabling them to expand into other disadvantaged areas of South Africa and to enroll a further 1300 children in 2009,” said the organizations.

Recently, a gala dinner event held in Johannesburg saw the celebration of Samsung Mobile’s inaugural corporate social responsibility programme where Samsung handed over of a cheque for R1 Million to Play Soccer South Africa.

The project caters for South African children between the ages of five and 14.

Play Soccer added, “This campaign aims to develop soccer at a grassroots level in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt

Soccer greats such as Shaun Bartlett and Itumeleng Khune have stated regularly in the media that we are privileged in South Africa to have an abundance of talent but without the necessary training on an initial level and good management in place, we will not maintain an internationally powerful soccer team.”

The organization is also an implementing partner of the FIFA’s Football for Hope movement, and it also has a strong partnership with UNICEF in South Africa and other African countries.