On a dusty community pitch in Lagos, two boys chase a ball with the kind of joy that needs no translation. No stands, no jerseys for everyone, no referee — just space to play, and a game that makes them feel free. That pitch is where YEDI's work has always begun, and thanks to the IShowSpeed Foundation, it will keep reaching more young people.
A Grant That Backs the Pitch
The IShowSpeed Foundation has awarded YEDI a grant to expand its football-for-development programming across Lagos communities. The funding will support SKILLZ sessions that use the game young people already love to teach the things they are rarely taught — health knowledge, emotional well-being, gender equality, and the confidence to make decisions about their own futures.
Why Football Works
Adolescents do not turn up for lectures — they turn up for football. Our trained coaches meet them on the pitch, where trust is built in minutes rather than months, and where the game itself becomes the curriculum. Every drill carries a lesson: teamwork becomes respect, a warm-up becomes a conversation about consent, and a huddle becomes a safe space to ask the questions that matter.
What the Grant Makes Possible
With this support, YEDI will reach more communities this season, equip coaches with materials and training, and keep every session free for the young people who need it most. It also allows us to strengthen our monitoring, so that communities and partners can see, in real numbers, what changes when a child is given somewhere safe to play and someone safe to talk to. 🥅💙
Thank You
Thank you to the IShowSpeed Foundation for believing that a football pitch can be a classroom, a clinic, and a lifeline all at once. To our coaches, volunteers, parents, and — most of all — the young people who show up ready to learn, this grant belongs to you too.
