Because kids should always have the chance to play
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), children are faced with one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world and are often needed to take on adult roles. At Colorful Standard, we wanted to find a way to give back, not in a material way, but in a way that would simply bring joy to kids' lives, allowing them to act as kids do and play.
FC Masi Manimba, our all-purpose activity center, provides a safe space where children can freely express themselves while exercising their bodies and minds and learn the spirit of team building and community.
From a single
football to a local stadium
Why football? As the world's most popular sport, football has the power to bring people together in a fun and joyful manner. Long before the activity center was born, we filled a car full of footballs and drove around Masi Manimba, passing them out to children. We soon realized that handing a single football to one child quickly turned into a dozen children playing and having a good time.
So, with the help of generous donations and the local community, we purchased an open field and built a football field from scratch, literally. We then took it a step further by putting our manufacturing center to use and provided FC Masi Manimba jerseys and other sports apparel.
Becoming an
all-purpose activity center
As things started to progress, we wanted FC Masi Manimba to be more than a football club and instead serve as a multi-purpose activity center for all children within the community. Today, our centers are equipped with various activities that appeal to both boys and girls, as well as computers with internet access.
FC Masi Manimba is free of charge for the children, the only requirement to become a club member is to simply sign up. Today, around 400 children and young adults between the ages of 6-25 play every single day.