Accra, Aug. 27, GNA - Organisation of Rural Primary Education Developers (ORPED) Ghana, a non-Governmental Organization has announced a new phase for the Million Balls Africa Project for Children.

The Project, an initiative of ORPED will evolve into the Sports for Development Program (OSFDP) and to serve as a tool to promote, advance and research for social development.

A statement signed by Charles Cobbina, Executive Director of ORPED Ghana said the new project will be realised through using sports in the form of community soccer schools, weekend soccer clinics, community sports for social development forums, monthly soccer tournaments and one-off donations of soccer balls as well as sports tours.

Cobbina said the Project which will kick-start on Saturday, September 18 at the Million Balls Soccer Plaza will see well-trained coaches and technical persons taken through skills, rules, culture and business of the "beautiful game of soccer".

He added that on Tuesday, September 14, his outfit will reach out to schools in three districts in the Central, Western and Ashanti Regions on the 'my-first-day-in-school' in partnership with the Ghana Education Service.

Cobbina said Basic schools in Awutu Senya District, Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality and the Obuasi Municipality, particularly children in classes 1(one) to 6(six) will receive over 200 balls to complement the schools' total child development program.

"Beneficiary institutions will in turn have to promote reading, tree planting, climate change and peace building."

ORPED Ghana in July 2008 conceived the idea of a gift of a soccer ball to enhance learning among children and young children in African communities.

The Project has currently reached Liberia, Lesotho, Nigeria and South Africa.