Welcome

First off, thanks for being on this blog (intentionally or otherwise).  For those of you that don't know, I have recently accepted a one year position as a volunteer intern in Africa for Grassroot Soccer, a leading HIV-prevention organization.  AIDS remains the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa, killing an estimated 3,800 men, women, and children a day.  To combat this, Grassroot Soccer (GRS) uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize youth to stay AIDS free and operates primarily in southern Africa in countries like South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  GRS recognizes the power of using local role models along with cutting edge curriculum development to increase knowledge and improve decision making which has already yielded measurable results.  You can learn more about GRS by clicking on the link or watching any of the videos on the right.  I have just learned that I will be based in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, as a programs and operations intern.  I'm extremely excited and grateful to be joining GRS and look forward to meeting the many challenges I'm likely to face.  I'm also hoping to have a great time meeting people, experiencing a new culture, being around soccer, and most importantly supporting one of the largest health issues of our time.  I leave for Africa in August and while there I'll do my best to keep this blog up to date.  Until then, any support you can give by donating to GRS on my behalf through the google checkout on the right, or directly to me will be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!