June 11, 2010: Three football Stars visit the 1 Goal School in Soweto

The football players Sócrates (Brazil), Andrew Cole (Manchester United and England) and Quinton Fortune (Manchester United and South Africa) have visited this morning the school Winnie Ngwezi, in Soweto, where they have chatted with the students on the importance of education, in their role as the 1 Goal campaign ambassadors.

At 11.30h, the football players arrived at the school, where they played a small football game with the students. Then, Sócrates, Cole and Quinton learnt a lesson: the importance of education in order to fight poverty.

"Years ago, to keep black people out of school was a way of oppression, so today to be able to see so many children in school, getting the education they deserve is wonderful. The time has come for the world leaders to guarantee that what we see here today may be a replica world wide” said Quinton Fortune.

On the other hand, Andy Cole added: "It is a great honour to be here in Soweto and see this incredible place. The work carried out here is impressive. And these children’s abilities with football are quite good…It is very hard to think that 72 million children don’t have the chance to go to school”.

The Soweto school has 850 students between 4 and 12 years old. Many of them are orphans and 80% live in extreme poverty. June 9 was the last school day in South Africa, so schools are already closed. The case of this Soweto school is special since it will keep its doors open during the summer as one of the sites of the 1 Goal Campaign and will report on the initiative and distribute the “yellow tickets” where people will be able to sign messages supporting education. These messages will reach world leaders through the campaign.

The visit of these football players has been done in the framework of the 1 Goal for Education campaign, supported by the FIFA, whose objective is that the 2010 World Cup may leave a sustainable education legacy. Last week, South Africa President Jacob Zuma announced an education World summit for next July 7.

1 Goal for Education, an initiative of the Global Campaign for Education, is represented in Spain by the following organizations: Entreculturas, Ayuda en Acción and Educación Sin Fronteras.

 FORMER NEWS .......................................................................................................................................................

June 10, 2010: Shakira takes her message on eduaction to a school in Soweto

June 9, 2010: The Global Campaing for Education travels to South Africa

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1GOAL is a campaign seizing the power of football to ensure that education for all is a lasting impact of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. By bringing together footballers and fans, charities and organisations around the world, together we can call on world leaders to make education a reality for 72 million children by 2015.