Sports and education go hand in hand.

The connection between football and the power of education to pull communities out of poverty may seem frivolous, but it’s at the heart of an important conference being held in South Africa today to tie-in with the last week of the World Cup.

The 1Goal campaign, co-ordinated by Global Campaign for Education, has been running all year with the specific aim of using the World Cup to raise awareness about the importance of education. Supporters include Mick Jagger, Bono, Clive Owen and just about every footballer on the planet, including Gary Lineker, Pele, Thierry Henry and more.

The objective of 1Goal is simple. It’s not a fundraising campaign, rather it’s just about getting the message across to world leaders about where to spend their money. If you want to get people out of poverty, give them an education. It’s the single most effective way of increasing wages, reducing maternal and infant mortality, improving agriculture and trade and giving people the chance to stand on their own two feet and not rely on food handouts for the rest of their lives.

The playing field at Simakakata.

It works both ways, too.  Football isn’t just a tool for raising the profile of education, sports are a key part of the curriculum at Simakakata Community School in Zambia.

“Children who don’t perform well in class may be much better at sports,” says Edwin, the PE teacher, “It’s a great way of motivating them and increasing their confidence.”

Sports classes take place on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons in a field behind the school, and although they only have a few balls to play with and no kit, Edwin tries to organise football matches against other schools as often as he can.

“It’s very important for the children to be exposed to other communities through sport,” he says, “And when we don’t win, it teaches them to try harder and work together as a team to improve themselves.”

As well as keeping the children fit, Edwin explains, sports provides an outlet for later in life. As in most impoverished areas, alcoholism and drug abuse aren’t uncommon in rural Zambia.

It's not just about football, either.

Last week the children of Simakakata took part in a regional competition against 14 other schools from the Kalomo area. Headmaster George says that a farmer from his home in Good Hope lent them a truck to make the journey.

“We didn’t win anything,” he laughs, “But taking part was very exciting for the children. It gave us something to reflect upon in class.”

Our NGO partner in Zambia, Response Network, values sport as one of the most important methods of community cohesion.

“’Let`s start our own sports club’ was one of the first manuals we wrote,” says country director Håkon Spigseth, “We encourage communities to start sport clubs as it is both healthy and participants learn organisational skills. It’s also fun and for youth, a good alternative to drinking and more negative social hobbies.”

We’re currently raising funds for the final classroom block at Simakakata school, to help secure its future and make sure the children of the community have every opportunity possible. Giving a child an education is the single most important thing you can do to help. LearnAsOne is a unique charity that creates a transparent link between donors and those who need help. You can donate to LearnAsOne or get involved and help us fundraise through this site, and we’ll show you where every penny is spent.