Why was 'More than a game' created?
More than a game was originally created in 2010 to help improve awareness of the plight of the world's refugees, particularly in Africa. This was done by teaming up with Bjorn Heidenstrom's 'The Shirt' project, which involved Bjorn cycling from Europe to South Africa, collecting hundreds of football shirts, which were eventually sewn together to create the World's Biggest Football Shirt.
More than a game's Justin Walley joined the project for the final leg of the journey by cycling and hitching from Nairobi, Kenya to Johannesburg, South Africa. Justin also helped champion the work of the Norwegian Refugee Council and the UNHCR (the organisations 'The Shirt' project chose to support), through his own personal Blogs and Photos, as well as by working with the media in Europe and Africa to promote 'The Shirt' project.
The project was a huge success, with a total global media footprint in the hundreds of millions becoming aware of the refugee-awareness message. Many of the world' largest TV companies and newspapers covered the story of the journey from Europe to Africa as well as the unveiling of the World's Biggest Shirt in Cape Town, including CNN and the BBC.
Inspiration on the road
During the road trip from Kenya to South Africa we came across several grass-roots projects, run by a handful of dedicated individuals determined to improve the lives of others less fortunate than themselves. Witnessing the excellent work of these inspirational people at first hand, and meeting the countless amazing Africans these projects are helping, Justin Walley became convinced that community-based grass-roots projects can often be more effective than larger transnational NGOs in getting things done quickly, effectively and within budget. And, while More than a game continues to support the work of organisations such as the NRC, which is essential to the continued survival of hundreds of thousands of refugees in incredibly-difficult-to-manage refugee camps around the globe, the emphasis of our own project has become to raise awareness of those smaller organisations with tiny budgets, who are doing such a fantastic job of saving and improving lives.
In Africa we were inspired by the brilliant work of Onesimus in Mombasa and Smiling Kids Zambia in Chipata, as well as by the sustainable community development programmes of Redeso throughout Tanzania. You can read more about each of these organisations by simply 'clicking' on their names, or by reading about the wonderful time we spent with these organisations, and the people who dedicate their time to them, in our Africa blog. More than a game also has hundreds of Photos and dozens of Videos relevant to our road trip in Africa, which will enable you to get a fuller picture of the realities on the ground in Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa.
We hope that you enjoy our Photos, Videos and Blogs from Africa and will encourage others to visit this website.
In 2011 we travelled to South America and New Zealand to follow the Argentina Copa America and the New Zealand rugby world cup.
We also hope that you will continue to follow us on our future road trips. In 2012 we will be in Ukraine for the UEFA 2012 European football championships.
In Africa we were inspired by the brilliant work of Onesimus in Mombasa and Smiling Kids Zambia in Chipata, as well as by the sustainable community development programmes of Redeso throughout Tanzania. You can read more about each of these organisations by simply 'clicking' on their names, or by reading about the wonderful time we spent with these organisations, and the people who dedicate their time to them, in our Africa blog. More than a game also has hundreds of Photos and dozens of Videos relevant to our road trip in Africa, which will enable you to get a fuller picture of the realities on the ground in Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa.
We hope that you enjoy our Photos, Videos and Blogs from Africa and will encourage others to visit this website.
In 2011 we travelled to South America and New Zealand to follow the Argentina Copa America and the New Zealand rugby world cup.
We also hope that you will continue to follow us on our future road trips. In 2012 we will be in Ukraine for the UEFA 2012 European football championships.