Bоxes оf dоnаted Liverpооl FC shirts with Mаne’s nаme оn the bаck were shipped tо оrphаnаges in the аfricаn cоuntry оf Mаlаwi in September 2018.
Months before, when the Reds star switched from wearing No.19 to No.10, fans were offered the chance to swap their 2018-19 replica jerseys for ones with the new number.
More than 250 ‘Mane 19’ t-shirts were donated at LFC stores and given to KitAid, who partnered with Friends of Mulanje Orphans (FOMO) to get them to needy kids in Malawi.
The organization just spent a week in the Mulanje area, where the Mane shirts have had such a positive effect, and they can attest to the heartwarming change they have brought about.
“Seeing the kids run around in the Mane shirts is brilliant because it just sums up the whole thing about kids loving football,” Williams informs Liverpoolfc.com.
They’re acting like they’re Mane all over the place, and it doesn’t matter where you are in the world. They don’t miss a game and are quite familiar with Liverpool, which adds to the magic.
Some of these kids have never had a kit, and it’s hard to put into words how important that is. ‘It’s more than just a shirt’ is a common phrase in our culture. It consists of a vast array of items.
If they don’t have a kit, they can’t usually play in the league, thus it’s important that they have one so they can participate.
“Even down to the very basic things of being given something is unique because they’re not used to anybody giving them anything.”
During their stay, KitAid hosted a tournament that lasted for three days. There was an exhibition match staged between teams donning Liverpool and Everton uniforms before to the final, with the Blues coming out on top, 2-1.
Derrick elaborates, “A coach with us from the Liverpool FA was making comments like, ‘That No.19 is good,'” while referring to a certain player on the other team. He was surprised to learn there were many 19s.
About 1500 kits were distributed throughout the week. We don’t just wear Liverpool gear; we also have other options.
We went аrоund tо mаny оf the 14 FоMо-run оrphаn suppоrt centers in Mаlаwi аnd distributed supplies. The yоungsters аre crаzy аbоut fооtbаll, sо we just cоntinued pаssing оut equipment tо different teаms.
Prior to March’s Legends charity match against AC Milan Glorie, KitAid set up a donation station at Anfield thanks to its partnership with the LFC Foundation.
In June, a van full of donated shirts and other items were sent to Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Malawi.
“We were really pleased to be there because it brings us into contact with Liverpool fans and we’re keen to have that link,” says Williams. The connection to the LFC Foundation is maintained.
We were able to introduce ourselves to many new people and discuss the mission and goals of KitAid.
“Liverpool were the first ever club that came on board with KitAid, so we’re proud of that heritage.”