The untold story of the World Cup, from an African perspective

With the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup coming up next week, I went searching for stories about how this massive sporting event affects the local population and found Twenty Ten: African Media on the Road to 2010 (And Beyond). Twenty Ten was created by and features the work of 34 African journalists in a multidisciplinary media project. What’s distinctive about this project is how clearly the voices of Africans come through as they talk about what soccer means for their livelihoods, homes, hopes and aspirations.

“The stadium and the World Cup is beautiful—but it also breaks my heart”

Natasha is a homeless woman struggling to survive in Cape Town. She narrates the story of her tiny community in a series of photos in the feature In the Shadow of Green Point Stadium. Natasha’s story is especially poignant after the reports of how urban homeless were moved and arrested in the run-up to the event, and the continued influx of people to the city.

Twenty Ten’s focus on Natasha doesn’t shy away from laying out the circumstances of her life—the abuse she suffered at the hand of a family member, or the conditions under which she and others currently live. But like all the stories featured, no editor or announcer interjects to make judgments or editorialize. These are simply stories told by the person living them.

Alive and Kicking

Alive and Kicking Zambia has “the balls to make a difference”—the nonprofit hand-stitches soccer balls and distributes them to children in schools, orphanages, refugee camps, and youth groups across the continent. “Footballs Made to Last” shows children playing and having fun, as well as the people at work making the balls. The balls also have an educational aspect built right in—they carry messages about diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDs. From the pictures in the story, though, it’s clear the kids just love being able to kick the ball around.

To the Pitch

During the World Cup, eighteen of Twenty Ten’s participating journalists, who call themselves “The Dream Team,” will travel to South Africa to report on the event. Until then you can read the many other features on the site, including a Soweto street bash, the creation of the “Diski” Dance, and the 32-year old professor who plays soccer for The Burkina Faso Princesses.

Learn more:

Alive and Kicking Zambia

Homeless International

Addiction Action