Nigeria international and Watford centre-back, William Troost-Ekong has announced he will be captaining a new team on the Game of Our Lives social action platform.
Fresh from leading the Nigerian squad at AFCON, the Dutch-Nigerian footballer has joined forces with the END Fund to lead its Thrive Africa team in taking action to eliminate NTDs in Africa.
More than 600 million people in Africa are affected by NTDs which cause long-term disabilities like severe pain, disfigurement, and blindness and can lead to death if left untreated. In addition to health challenges, NTDs can lead to social isolation and stigmatization that affect both children and adults by reducing the number of years of education completed, future earning potential and overall economic productivity. The mission of Thrive Africa is to build a team of social activists who can work together to address these issues, empowering Africa to thrive, not just survive.
“I am incredibly proud of my African heritage. It is always a huge honour to represent Nigeria on the football pitch, and now I want to represent Africa off the pitch,” Troost-Ekong explained.
“I have met many people in Nigeria and across the continent who are living with an NTD. They have to work extra hard to overcome the physical, social and economic consequences of their ailments in order to survive. But it shouldn’t be about survival. If we can work together to eliminate NTDs we can create greater access to education and work opportunities for over 600 million people, boosting Africa’s economy and building a great future for our continent.”
He added: “More than 1 in 5 people worldwide are affected by NTDs and yet these diseases remain largely unknown and under-prioritized,” said Sam Mayer, Vice President of Public Affairs at the END Fund. “Thrive Africa will offer an engaging space for a growing coalition of leaders across the continent to join us in our efforts to ensure more healthy and prosperous lives for those affected by NTDs. These diseases cost far more to ignore than they do to treat, and Thrive Africa will help more people realize this.”
By joining William and becoming a Thrive Africa team member, you can actively work towards supporting the END Fund and its partners in their work to eliminate NTDs by completing tasks such as pledging, learning, watching, sharing, and more to come.
www.gameofourliv.es/thriveafrica