LET'S CHOOSE OUR FUTURE

This is a message I received yesterday from a new friend I got during the campaign I've been  participating in for a couple a months. Why don't you join 1 GOAL, too? It's your future, as well. It's every child's future. SPEAK UP!

Dear Mioara,
Hello from South Africa! My name is Nthabiseng Tshabalala and I'm 12 years old, and go to Winnie Ngwekazi Primary School in Soweto, South Africa. It has been a huge honor to work on this issue with all of you. Education has changed my life, and I want every child around the world to have the same chance.
During the World Cup, I had the incredible chance to work with Shakira and 1GOAL. Together, we delivered Education Yellow cards from 1GOAL supporters to world leaders who were meeting here in South Africa.
I thought that meeting was big. But next week, all the leaders in the world are meeting at the United Nations to discuss how to deal with issues like education. So this week I’m travelling with the 1GOAL Campaign to New York City! At the summit, I will talk to world leaders, tell them my story, and ask them to make sure every child has a chance to get an education.
I also know they will listen much more closely if they are hearing from many people at once. So now I am asking you to join me. Imagine you could tell all the world leaders what you wanted them to do about education by 2015. What would you say? What kind of future do you want in 2015?
I know I'm very young to be speaking to Presidents and Prime Ministers but they are deciding the future. And it is children, like me, who will live in that future. So I think it is important for us to tell them what kind of future we want to live in.
New York City is farther away from home than I've ever been. I’ve always wanted to go to America, so I am very excited and but I’m also very nervous. But I know I should go. I know that these leaders are choosing which future I will grow up with.
It could be a future where every child gets to go to school. That way, if you're good at maths, you can become an engineer. Or if you are good at science, you can become a scientist. We wouldn't need to worry about going hungry, because everyone would have good jobs that they are good at doing. (I would like to be a writer. Can you tell?)
Or it could be a future where most kids still can't go to school. So even really smart people can't find a job, because they never learned anything. In many places like where I grew up, there would be no engineers to build new buildings and no scientists to help cure diseases. And people will go hungry because they cannot find work.
I am hoping that I can encourage the leaders in New York to choose the better future for me and children around the world.
And I am hoping you will write to me about the world you want in 2015. I want to add all of your voices to mine at the United Nations next week. Please write your answer to me right away:

www.join1goal.org/r/chooseourfuture

believe that this way, we don't have to just wait to see what the future brings. We can choose our own future.
Thank you for being part of 1GOAL. And thank you for fighting for me and all the other children and adults in the world who are denied an education.
Sincerely,
Nthabiseng Tshabalala

MY FRIND FROM GHANA - an extraordinary young man

Dear Mioara,

I am writing to you as a fellow 1GOAL supporter, to share my story. My name is Stephen Odai and I am 18 years old from Accra in Ghana. I just finished my basic school and now I play football. Two weeks ago I was signed by one of the big clubs in Ghana, Liberty Professionals.
I have six brothers and sisters and I am the first born, so they are all depending on me. I was not in school because of lack of finance, but one day my headmaster called me and said ‘Stephen if you want to play football you have to further your education.’
It was hard because I didn't have money for the fees. All the money went to buy food for my family.
The only way out for me was to go to the road side and sell items so that I can raise money for my admission fees. I did that for some months and I was able to raise the money for my admission fee, and to support my family.
Without education attached to my football I cannot make it in life.  I raise the money, but many of my friends cannot pay the admission fee and do not go to school.
I realise it is not enough to make sure I can go to school. I want to help everyone have the same chance to go to school.
Leaders from all over the world are coming to South Africa the day of the final match to talk about education. I have sent them my message, so if you join me and send your message, I hope they will listen to all of us.
I would like to show you a video that tells my story. And then I ask you to send your own message to world leaders about the importance of education:
http://www.join1goal.org/steven_landing.php
One day I met 1GOAL people in Ghana and I explained everything that I am going through about how I manage to pay my own school fees and my family as well. 1GOAL connect football and education like me, and they asked me to come to South Africa to share my story.
I met the Ghana team and my hero Richard Kingson presented me with a ticket to watch the match against Uruguay in Soccer City. It was amazing and I am not going to forget the experience in my life.
I hope that one day I play at Chelsea and play for my national team the Black Stars as well. I’m training hard and practising hard to get there because there is a saying that the sky is the limit, and I will never give up even though things are difficult.
I hope this dream comes true for all children. So I would like to use this opportunity to urge parents, our leaders and all people to support 1GOAL for the 72 million children who don’t have the chance to go to school.

Sincerely,
Stephen Odai on behalf of 1GOAL