Bringing the true magic of the giving game to Africa
THE MISSION OF THE RO16 FOUNDATION
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BUY LAND AND CREATE A LACROSSE FARM COMPLETE WITH CHICKENS, CATTLE AND AGRICULTURE, OFFERING PLAYERS A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES BY SELLING THESE PRODUCTS
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THE LACROSSE FARM WILL ALSO HOUSE A LACROSSE FIELD AND PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE TO TRAIN AND PASS THE GAME ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION
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TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL FUNDING FOR PLAYERS TO ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS IN LIFE BEYOND LACROSSE
Ugandan lacrosse players come from some of the
worst slums in Africa, and are grateful for the gift of the Creator's game, but even more than sticks, these young man need a sustainable way to obtain food and shelter. The mission of this foundation is to address the survival needs that these players face every day and to create the opportunity for a better lacrosse experience and more importantly, a better life.
The Man Behind the RO16 Foundation
Reagan Ochan and The Power of Dreams
Reagan Ochan, a sixteen year old Ugandan lacrosse player and I met at the 2018 World Lacrosse Games in Israel. Since that meeting, we have joined together in a mission to harness the power of dreams to bring to life the promise of the giving game of lacrosse in Africa.
This website will reveal the amazing story of Reagan Ochan, who at ten years old was the sole support of a family of fourteen in the Kiganda Slum, brought his dream of playing lacrosse and getting an education in America to life. But that is the only starting place for our dream for African lacrosse.
The truth is that historically most lacrosse players in Africa come from conditions that you cannot imagine. Water is a daily struggle and the harshness of life beyond and after the world games would be difficult for you to imagine. This website will provide you a snapshot of those condition that will be hard to forget
This dream that Reagan and I now share is to make lacrosse sustainable for his team in Africa by creating a working farm, a pathway to education for players on the team and a real field.
We ask you to become a part of that dream and bring the magic of the giving game to life.
Kevin Sheehan
President of RO16 Foundation
This website will share with you the incredible work of the RO16 Foundation! We are working on building a sustainable farm in Africa that will provide food and create employment opportunities for lacrosse players.
But thats not all! We are also aiming at the first ever lacrosse field in Africa.
Our goal is to empower these young athletes to work on the farm and play the sport they love.
We're creating a holistic ecosystem that combines sports development with sustainable livelihoods. You can help can us make this vision a reality! Join us in making a difference in the lives of Africa lacrosse players.
Reagan and Kevin meet at the 2018
World Lacrosse Games in Israel
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Africa and World Lacrosse:
Behind the Smiles, the Dances and the Drums
As lacrosse moves into an exciting new Olympic era, the expansion of the game into Africa played a major role in making the case to the Olympic federation that “the giving game” is an now really international sport on every continent. But what most of the lacrosse world may be unaware of is that the majority of players, who we have been thrilled to see compete in recent World Lacrosse Games, come from some of the worst slums in Africa and live in conditions that are hard for you to imagine.
Having coached in Africa, I can attest to the fact that there are no real employment opportunities for those players. Behind the smiles of the players, their dances and drum playing witnessed at international competitions, is a daily battle for survival. Their struggle for food is more real and more constant than can be imagined by any of us. This is a plea to bring the spiritual foundations of the “medicine game” to life by creating a farm and a field to sustain, not only the game, but the very lives of the players. This dream truly has the power to transform the Creator’s Game into the Giving Game promised by the Creator in its Native American origins. Please give today if you are able. Any donation can make a difference that you may never see, but that can change the life of a developing lacrosse player. The goal is to use your funding make life and lacrosse sustainable in Africa and, hopefully, one day, create model that makes lacrosse sustainable on its own in the future.