Gothia Cup and the Missionary Church of Sweden now work not only in Congo-Brazzaville, but also in Congo-Kinshasa. Since 2009 a football school has been in operation. This november, a new sports center will open. The facilities are in Kimpese, 200 kilometres west of the Capital Kinshasa.
The club house almost finished
It’s part of a five year erase the poverty project, started by the Missionary Church of Sweden together with the church in Congo. Economic support also comes from SIDA, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency which is responsible for the bulk of Sweden’s aid to developing countries, and from Gothia Cup.
The sports center in Kimpese is being built since december 2009 and will open in november 2010. But already there’s an existing football school there, much like the one in Congo-Brazzaville, with approximately 200 children and 14 students.
”You could say we got inspiration from what we’ve done (since 2003) in Congo-Brazzaville. But we were also asked by people in Congo-Kinshasa: ”Can’¨t you come and do the same thing here?”, explains Tomas Hammar from the Missionary Church of Sweden.
The church has a long history of working in this region. ”125 years in Congo-Kinshasa, more than a hundred in Congo-Brazzaville”, tells Hammar.
Congo-Kinshasa will be the third African country Gothia Cup is involved with (Burkina Faso being the first).
