In the summer of 2010 all eyes will be on South Africa for the FIFA World Cup, as this precedent-setting historic event will be hosted on the African continent for the first time. While the spotlight shines on South Africa, the world will see not only the amazing spirit of the people there, but hopefully also bear witness to extreme challenges faced by the many impoverished children and their families.

South Africa has the highest prevalence of people living with HIV/AIDS in the entire world. The affect this virus has had on the children is astounding- with over 1.4 million orphans from HIV/AIDS in the country. It is estimated that half of all orphans in the country are due to this epidemic.

In addition, the lack of access to clean water plagues the rural parts of the country, particularly affecting youth and women as they are traditionally the ones traveling long distances to collect the water.

In response to these issues, the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project and the ONEXONE Foundation have formed a partnership on a new initiative, the Home Field Advantage (HFA). Announced in October 2009, the Home Field Advantage project will combine the efforts and dedications of Charlize Theron and ONEXONE Ambassadors, Matt Damon and Mia Hamm. The team will pool resources to create solutions that are sustainable, high impact, and responsive to community feedback.

Home Field Advantage will work to bolster rural communities in South Africa in the following ways:

• The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project will build soccer fields at the schools that they already support through the community-based organization, Mpilonhle's mobile health units.
• The fields will give kids a much-needed social outlet and foster a sense of community and fraternity amongst children. By making each school an epicenter of cultural organized activity, the benefits to education are significant.
• Mia Hamm, an "Ambassador" of ONEXONE, will offer advice and expert opinions as both a retired professional soccer player and a role model for young girls. Under Mia's guidance, Home Field Advantage will work to raise participation of young girls in sports- helping to promote self-esteem and keep them in school.
• ONEXONE will provide access to a safe water resource for the community by assessing the area's needs and limitations and implementing whatever project is best suited (be it a hand-dug well, borehole, rainwater harvesting system or other source). Access to clean water is nothing short of life changing, by localizing this resource at the school, it will reinforce an emphasis on education and strengthen a sense of community.
• Matt Damon, an "Ambassador" of ONEXONE, will lead the effort around clean water as an individual highly dedicated to and passionate about the cause, and Co-Founder of H2O Africa.

The fields and the wells will create an ideal space for gathering, centered around the schools, which will not only uplift the overall sense of community and the value of education, but also build off of Mpilonhle's work. The mobile health units will be in able to able to reach out to more individuals providing them with life-saving services at these congregating locations.

The HFA strategy aims for the organizations to work in lock step, digging a clean water source for every soccer field built and vice versa. For the first phase of the project 6 schools have been identified in the rural Umkanyakude district in the KwaZulu-Natal province. These sites have been selected based upon need in the area, commitment of the local community and authorities and management capacity of the school- that is to say that everyone on the ground there is as committed and excited about this project as the HFA team.

Each of us has a responsibility as a global citizen to be active and public in our efforts to help children and their families ravaged by poverty and disease. Our hope is that our actions and the Home Field Advantage partnership will prove these are not hopeless causes if we all work together; and that our efforts may inspire others to join in and lend their support.

Stay tuned for updates from HFA and more ways to get involved!

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