Stay tuned for updates here at the GYPA website as Team Uganda participates in the Inaugural Female Homeless World Cup in Melbourne, Australia from November 30 - December 7, 2009.

The Global Youth Partnership for Africa (GYPA)recently hosted it's first Immersion here in the United States. We hosted youth leaders from Cameroon who previously participated in the US/Cameroon Immersion in Cameroon in June 2007. GYPA participants included: Jeremy Goldberg, Pat Wu, Annelisa Lindsay, and Karen Hopkins. Special thanks to GYPA Alumni: Jaime Alvis, Anna Phillips and David Post who also helped us to facilitate meetings here in Washington, D.C.

Also, special thanks to Saul Garlick, Vanessa Carter, and Julie Michelle-Waltz of SMRC, and Jerual Mackey and Sophie Waskow who are members of the Starting Bloc Institute D.C. Alumni Chapter.

The Cameroon delegation included: MS. ELVIRA LEINYUY, MR. GEORGE NJIFAW, MR. ELVIS BESSINGI, MS. BARI FANSO and MS. PATIENCE ELANGO of the Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace (CAMYOSFOP) in Washington, D.C. November 8 – 14, 2008. These CAMYOSFOP Youth participated in the US/Cameroon Youth Immersion that was held in Cameroon from June 10 – 26, 2007. The Washington, D.C. program served as a platform for further dialogue, potential collaboration and interaction between U.S. and Cameroon Youth.

View photos here

The Washington D.C. Forum discussed ideas, strategies and action items for potential future US/Cameroon collaboration; consisted of meetings on youth development and participation in decision making with youth, NGOs, university students, academics, foundations and other civil societies group. The meetings attended were:

• Amnesty International – Ilona Kelly, Individuals at Risk Campaigner for Africa
• Search for Common Ground – Felix Unogwu, Specialist Children and Youth, Institutional Learning Team
• One Campaign – Josh Lozman, Health Policy Manager
• Ashoka – Simon Stumpf, Africa Division
• National Endowment for Democracy, Dave Peterson, Africa Department Director
• Embassy of Cameroon - Naomie BEGALA MIKEL, Second Counselor
• Washington, D.C. for Obama - Adam Barr, Founder

The participants also presented about their programs and expertise in the following speaking engagements:

• Starting Bloc Institute - Roundtable Discussion on Social Entrepreneurship
• Center for Strategic and International Studies - Next America Fellows Roundtable: US/Cameroon Discussion
• Georgetown University – Student Movement for Real Change Student Chapter Roundtable:“Youth perspectives on the development challenges in the 21st century”

Additionally, the participants participated in cultural tours of Washington, D.C. that included visits and site-seeing to the George Washington University Campus, American University Washington College of Law, Georgetown University Campus, the U.S. Holocaust Museum, Union Station, the Washington National Cathedral, the U.S. Capital Building, the Washington, D.C. National Mall, the White House, the Washington Monument, the Abraham Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

We are grateful to all of the organizations and individuals who helped to make this a reality and specifically thank the US Embassy in Cameroon and Embassy of Cameroon in Washington, D.C. for their support of this exchange. Finally, a BIG thank you to our friends and partners in development and peace building in Cameroon!

This just in, Kevin Carroll Katalyst, and Jessica Lustbader (member of the Katalyst Consultancy Staff) and participant in the More Than A Game! Uganda Immersion 2008, recently send us this moment of WOW link. Enjoy!

http://kevincarrollkatalyst.com/index.php/blog/monday_montage7/

GYPA Partners with OSU Dental Students to Bring Care, Treatment and Educational Programming to Uganda...

In the summer of 2007, Charu Gupta and Rebecca Goldberg established a partnership with GYPA. As a result of this fact-finding, dental education mission in Uganda Rebecca returned to OSU eager to enable the opportunity for other students to travel to Uganda.

This December, as part of a team of eight 3rd and 4th year Dental Students from Ohio State University Dental College, Rebecca Goldberg will lead a Dental Immersion in Uganda.

As emerging professionals in the dental field, the students feel compelled to serve and support those receiving substandard health and medical care, locally and globally.

In addition, students will donate supplies such as masks, gloves, amalgam, stainless steel crowns, and other materials to public, private and university dental facilities in need.

In order to make this experience possible, they are accepting donations here at the GYPA website. Please take a moment to help them achieve their mission to travel to Uganda this December.

Interview with Anna Phillips...
September 16, 2008

A few days ago, I had the chance to talk to Anna Phillips, the incredible 22-year-old founder of Girls Kick It!-- a comprehensive sports program for young women in northern Uganda. Anna created Girls Kick It! with the help of Global Youth Partnership for Africa (GYPA) to empower and educate women, many of whom have been affected by war and poverty, through sports. Interview continues here.

This month, a landmark event will take place in Uganda: the selection of the 1st All Female Homeless World Cup team, who will represent their country at the Inaugural Female Homeless World Cup in Melbourne, Australia (December 1 – 7, 2008). Through the generous support of the Homeless World Cup, the players and coaches will have their airfare and accommodation covered entirely. Gomo Tong Football Club, representing Uganda at the Homeless World Cup in Cape Town 2006, Copenhagen 2007, is sponsored by Kevin Carroll Katalyst.

I first met the Kataylst in September 2004 at the Uganda North American Association (UNAA) Conference in Seattle, Washington, DC. This was shortly after my second trip to Uganda and you could say that I was on a “fundraising-spree and speaking-spree” My efforts were, similar to today, focused on sport and leadership programming for youth and community empowerment programs in one of Africa’s most densely populated slums, Namuwongo. In advance of the event, I reviewed the conference schedule looking for people who may be interested to support my efforts. Kevin’s name and title “Katalyst” immediately caught my attention. So, off to the UNAA Youth Forum I went, and the rest is history. It’s hard not be drawn to Kevin’s personal story from the playground in Philly chasing the red ball to the global stage. His genuine charm and ability to tap into your passion drives you to dream BIG

However, who’d ever have predicted, that nearly 4 years later, I would find myself in Uganda with 300 Kevin Carroll Katalyst Red Soccer Balls and Red Rubber Balls, and preparing to do the largest Ball Drop in the country’s history to celebrate Kevin’s mantra, “A Ball Can Change Your Life” and the Sports for Social Change Movement.

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In conjunction with the selection of Gomo Tong Football Club for the Melbourne Homeless World Cup, I am with the Global Youth Partnership for Africa Uganda Country Office, Sports for Social Change Red Ball Drops. From Kampala to Rakai to Jinja to Gulu, Gomo Tong Football Club players who traveled to Cape Town and Copenhagen for the Homeless World Cup, and the newly selected Team for Melbourne will mobilize communities, local leaders, schools to participate and embrace the role of sports for development in their communities and country, and that “A ball can change your life.”

According to his website, Kevin’s special edition Red Soccer Ball and Red Rubber Ball represents what grabs you by the soul and captures your imagination. These customized soccer and playground balls were created by Molten USA Inc. (also a sponsor of Beijing Olympics) exclusively for Kevin. The Red Rubber Ball represents any activity, topic or purpose that excites and inspires you each day. Mark your moment of discovering what inspires you with this tangible reminder of your daily "chase" and your quest to turn your DREAM into a reality.

The timing of these ball drops, in my opinion, couldn’t be better. With the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics just a few days away (August 8), celebrating Uganda’s local Olympians and honoring them in the spirit of play and sport, we will aim, through Kevin’s leadership, organizations like the Homeless World Cup, and our team Gomo Tong Football Club, to expand the power of sport and play across Uganda.

Photos, stories and other commentary from the field will appear throughout this week. Stay tuned.

Founder and Director of the Global Youth Partnership for Africa, Jeremy Goldberg, spoke to over 400 high-school students from 62 countries on Monday, July 28th in Washington, DC.

The event, coordinated and hosted by the Global Youth Leadership Conference, which is under the umbrella of the Congressional Youth Leadership Conference, brings together young people from around the world to develop leadership skills, to exchange ideas with their peers. In addition, the group meets with leaders in government, private sector, education and civil society.

Goldberg's hour long presentation and Q&A focused on encouraging students to pursue their ideas, dreams and passions for international work. Specifically, he remarked about his own story. That finding your passion, and chasing your dream is the first step to achieving your dreams (something he credits to great mentors and supporters like Kevin Carroll Katalyst, and young African leaders who have inspired him).

GYPA would like to thank GYLC for this great opportunity and looks forward to participating in future GYLC programs.

Kevin Carroll Katalyst, friend, mentor and donor to the Global Youth Partnership for Africa's Gomo Tong Football Club, launched his second book, "What's Your Red Rubber Ball?" discover your inspiration and chase it for a lifetime!

You can check out his musings at KatalystAtLarge.com and also at ESPN Page 2. His recent post about how he came to write this book, "What's Your Red Rubber Ball?! adds to the unwavering excitement to sit down and read his newest book, but to continue to chase your dreams!

Congratulations Kevin! An inspiration to all!