The South End United Empoli U18 Boys from Winnipeg, Manitoba have been working to raise funds for orphaned and abandoned children in South Africa.
The boys raised funds by cleaning the yards of trucking companies, laying sod, putting up soccer nets for tournaments, and delivering flyers for politicians, among other activities.
The funds will be contributed to '6 villages for 2006' the Official Charitable Campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which aims to raise enough money to build 6 new SOS Children's Villages around the world. SOS Children's Villages Canada is working with the Canadian soccer community to raise funds for a new village being built in South Africa.
This village was chosen for an SOS village because of the devastation of the HIV/AIDs pandemic in the area, and the huge numbers of orphaned children it has created. The money raised by the South End boys will go specifically to build a ‘Canada House’ in Rustenburg, South Africa - the Canada House will be home to up to 10 children in need.