The Kicks Project
“Empowering Children to Become Leaders in their Community.”
Kicks Projects in the past:
Trinidad 2009
Our team of seven, self-funded volunteers traveled to the slums and orphanages of Trinidad’s capital city, Port of Spain, to distribute scores of soccer balls and children’s clothing, penetrating deep within the forgotten communities at the edge of town.
The impact was not limited to the community alone; many team members who have never been subject to such poverty were left emotionally changed. The byproduct of K.I.C.K.S. is that American volunteers are exposed to life-altering experiences that they’ll carry with them throughout their lives and hopefully draw upon to become leaders in their community in years to come.
Brazil 2008
Our team of four traveled to Brazil on the sponsorship of Rotary International through a grant program called “Global Study Exchange” to distribute mosquito nets and deliver instruction on avoidance of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever to families in need in the Amazon region of Brazil.
We also drove into “Os Projetos”, or The Projects, to distribute 50 pounds of life essentials (food, school supplies, shoes and clothing) to the children of the community, as well as a number of soccer balls with tiny American flags embroidered upon them designed to create good will between our peoples.
The Kicks Project
About Me
- The Kicks Project
- The Kicks Project was born out of an excursion to Africa where I met 3 children, Bongi, Donasi and Sorasi, who would change my perspective and purpose in life forever. After playing with them in the surrounding jungles of Marangu, I learned from my translator/guide that they had lost their younger sibling to malaria just days earlier. At that moment, I could not imagine how a disease could ever be so accepted as to be considered a normal way of life for children. I have since conducted fund-raisers in Mexico, helping to raise $7000 for the neglected street kids of Cusco Peru; as well as in my hometown of Philadelphia, breaking a Guinness World Record in moonwalking, earning donations for KidsPeace. In April 2008, I traveled to Brazil on the first sponsored Kicks Project to distribute malaria nets, soccer balls & essential life items to the families of the Para and Amazonas regions. In 2009 Kicks traveled to Trinidad to distribute life essentials to the impoverished orphanages of Port of Spain. We are currently conducting a soccer ball donation project with US soldiers in Afghanistan.