The Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy today pledged to use football as a vehicle to help 16 million children across Africa gain access to schooling by the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, working with FIFA, The FA, the Premier League and the French FA and League.
The new initiative was unveiled at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, where the two leaders were joined by FIFA President Sepp Blatter and FA Chairman Lord Triesman.
The FA will use its on-going football development projects in our partner countries Botswana, Lesotho and Malawi to train local schoolteachers as football coaches and sponsor school competitions.
Every year, The FA runs a range of coaching and refereeing courses, workshops, ambassador visits and awareness sessions on health and social issues as part of its worldwide international development programme.
Lord Triesman, a former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with responsibility for Africa, said: "In my experience in government working in Africa, people's health and education is always improved if linked to football. It is The FA's privilege to be included in this initiative."
The Premier League has pledged £480,000, in partnership with Sport Relief, to provide care for HIV/AIDS-affected widows and orphans in Kenya and a further £2m towards a partnership with the British Council to deliver coaching and leadership skills to young people in ten African countries.
FIFA will increase its grassroots development activities, earmark funds from its World Cup revenues for education, support the involvement of players in related projects and work with The FA and other national associations to explore future opportunities.
Photograph courtesy of Arsenal FC.