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May 28, 2004
Roger Federer Foundation to Support Children and Young People in South Africa
By ATPtennis.com
The Roger Federer Foundation has gone into partnership with the South
African/Swiss aid organization IMBEWU. Since 2001, IMBEWU has been
working to improve social conditions for children and young people
in the New Brighton township near Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The
Roger Federer Foundation was established in December 2003 with two
goals: to fund projects that benefit disadvantaged children and to
promote sport for young people.
The first project to be supported by Roger Federer under the auspices
of his fledgling foundation is an ideal match for the charity's
stated aims: "My young tennis career has already given me so
much. Setting up the foundation is my way of trying to give something
back, especially to those who are least well off. I chose a project
in South Africa because my mother grew up there, which means that
I have always had a close affinity to the country. But to me South
Africa is also a shining example of a country that has overcome
hatred and oppression, making it a potential source of inspiration
for other crisis regions around the world. Another key factor from
my point of view is that IMBEWU will allow me to help people help
themselves by providing practical and tangible support in a highly
deprived area. The vast majority of the aid will benefit children
and young people directly." The Foundation's partnership with
IMBEWU will be launched at the beginning of June 2004 and is intended
as a long-term venture. The partnership will focus on three areas:
1. Sponsoring schooling and two meals a day for around 30 children.
2. Paying the wages of two local IMBEWU staff in South Africa, who
previously worked without pay. 3. Buying office equipment for the
IMBEWU organization there.
IMBEWU: a South African/Swiss partnership
The locally active organization IMBEWU Community Volunteers (IMBEWU
means "seed" in Xhosa, the local language) currently supports
and manages six projects in New Brighton, which is one of the most
impoverished parts of Port Elizabeth, a city located in the Southeast
of the country. The charity's Swiss branch, IMBEWU-Suisse, is primarily
responsible for providing financial support, but also contributes
organizational assistance. IMBEWU's biggest project is a sponsorship
scheme under which 100 Swiss families currently subsidize 100 children.
Its other projects include schemes aimed at improving the nutrition
of over 200 children, promoting sport for young people, voluntary
work and healthcare. The money to finance these schemes comes from
fundraising campaigns, donations and IMBEWU-Suisse members.
Pictures on IMBEWU's work are available at www.rogerfederer.com
Roger Federer Foundation contact
Bernhard Christen, CRP Christen Rickli Partner
Tel.: +41 (0)61 279 45 00
Email: bchristen@crplaw.ch
IMBEWU-Suisse contact
Pascal Holliger
Tel.: +41 (0)79 607 53 05
Email: suisse@imbewu.org
Roger Federer Foundation
The Roger Federer Foundation is based in Basel, Switzerland and
was established in December 2003. The Foundation has two main goals:
1. to promote sport for young people, focusing particularly on tennis
in Switzerland, and 2. to fund projects that benefit disadvantaged
children. Its activities in this latter regard are primarily focused
on South Africa. The Board of Trustees consists of the following
members: Roger Federer, Lynette Federer, Robert Federer, Urs Wüthrich
(member of the Basel-Landschaft Cantonal Council) and Bernhard Christen
of CRP Christen Rickli Partner.
IMBEWU Community Volunteers
The seed of IMBEWU Community Volunteers (IMBEWU means "seed"
in Xhosa, the local language) was planted in February 2001. It was
created out of nothing, or rather out of friendship between young
Swiss and South Africans who had a common vision: to bring a small
but valuable contribution towards poverty alleviation, social upliftment
and empowerment within the most deprived township communities of
the Nelson Mandela Bay. IMBEWU's projects mainly focus on supporting
and giving opportunities to disadvantaged children and youth through
educational, health awareness, sport and cultural initiatives. It
is a small but very active non governmental organization, run in
the townships by people of the townships. The organization's offices
are situated in the New Brighton Township and the South African
management team is currently composed of 5 persons.
IMBEWU-Suisse
IMBEWU-Suisse is the official Swiss branch of IMBEWU Community Volunteers.
It is based in Neuchâtel and is run on a volunteer basis by
a management team of nine young and committed persons who have either
lived in or visited South Africa. Until we are able to find adequate
local support in Port Elizabeth, IMBEWU-Suisse's chore activity
is to promote and assist the South African activity by channelling
financial, human and material resources to the mother organisation
in Port Elizabeth. Our aim is not to awake pity but to raise interest
in people for another culture and for what is happening 10'000 km
down south. IMBEWU-Suisse's role is to build bridges and encourage
cultural exchanges between South African and Swiss communities and
youth. In this sense, IMBEWU is actively involved in organizing
cultural celebrations in Switzerland of South Africa's 10 years
of freedom and democracy.
Further information on IMBEWU:
www.imbewu.org
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