da bet7： When you say the name Craig Bellamy, certain things come into mind – his footballing ability and his mouthing off ability perhaps being the most prominent of these things, but for a man who took a pay cut to join boyhood club Cardiff City, there has to be more than meets the eye. The reaction and grief Bellamy showed in the aftermath of the tragic death of mentor Gary Speed further served to enhance the belief that what you see on the field is not exactly the man off it.
da winzada777： Whilst most footballers are involved in charity work – or at the very least claim to be – Bellamy is one of the most understated in this area yet one who actually puts in a huge amount of time, effort and money towards his personal foundation – the Craig Bellamy Foundation – after a visit to Sierra Leone and personally witnessing the plight of the children there on a visit to a friend.
Whilst we may know the ‘blood diamond’ reference to Sierra Leone, the actual scale of poverty and violence is unparalleled and upon his visit Bellamy felt compelled to do something and chose to use his livelihood as a way to do this. Handing out footballs and playing with kids in the street was the first step on a long road to establishing the CBF which is now a non–profit organisation paired with UNICEF in order to create academies for children and allow them to hone their skills with a ball in a way they would never have the chance to do otherwise.
This may sound simple and as though it is geared towards children who just wish to become footballers, but in reality Bellamy is using his foundation and thus academies to inspire social change and provide some semblance of security and education to the children who without this would have nothing. Of course in such a country things cannot be changed overnight, and the Welsh player is fully aware of this, yet there has to be a starting point somewhere and Bellamy is doing a great deal more than some in his position of wealth who host a charity auction once a year and then forget all about poverty.
The foundation is of course in some part geared towards furthering football skills, but much more than that it is about raising awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the foul conditions and utter lack of education that the children growing up in West Africa are facing, with a morality rate in the young that would bring tears to your eyes.
In the aftermath of a country in civil war, the CBF is a ray of light for youngsters – introducing discipline and a sense of community, banning children from playing in matches if they skip school or do not help in community related projects – attendance of which has risen whilst the school truancy rates have dropped.
What makes this case rare is not only the passion Bellamy shows for the project or the time and funds he has invested, but the country in which he has chosen to make a difference and the way he became effected by the sights he witnessed. It is common for a player from a war torn nation to want to go home and help – Drogba is a prime example of this, but Bellamy had no personal ties to Sierra Leone just a deep seated need to help.
Bellamy credits the foundation for changing him as a person and whilst he is adamant the only recognition he requires is because of the need for sponsors and to keep the interest of partners who provide said donations, he is quick to state that he would do it all again and is fully prepared to give whatever he can and keep funding the academy – getting far more satisfaction from seeing the difference he is making than buying a holiday home or a flashy new car.
The foundation has a number of partners including UNICEF who provide a huge amount of funds, and help the CBF enormously. Bellamy receives no money or indeed acclaim for the work he does – only drawing attention to his work when the necessary publicity is required. In fact the player has become about as well versed in the politics and history of the country as it is possible to be in such a short space of time.
Whilst most would be content with lending their name to a foundation and allowing others to run it for them, Bellamy is pro- active to say the least, carrying on from his first trip to the country handing out balls and joining in the fun, going as far as signing a deal last summer to become the Warrior’s ambassador – the first one of its kind – and all in order to use the sponsorship fee he receives as funds for the CBF calling it ‘the most important part of the deal.’
Called an enigma by The Guardian yet known as a loud mouth and trouble maker by a huge amount of football fans is certainly something to ponder, yet the way someone behaves on the field may be totally different to their actual personalities off it – Mourinho often states this, and Bellamy is a perfect example.
Yes he may have been a little too enthusiastic with a golf club once upon a time and is no stranger to trouble, but to have the president of Sierra Leone order ministers to ‘jump’ to his every command is not something to be taken lightly – nor is the heart and passion the striker puts into the CBF something which makes him a hell of a lot better than players who write a hefty cheque and leave it at that. He might be considered hard work but in this case, the boy has most certainly done good.