Improvised footballs from Africa

Photographer Jessica Hilltout travelled Africa documenting homemade footballs/soccer balls improvised across the continent. Shown above, a ball from Mozambique, made by Domingo. Left, a Ghanian ball from the Anokye Stars.

Balls (via Kottke)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: africa • happy mutants • makers • photos • sports

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saint_al

Slightly off topic, but I wonder if all those flattened footballs that some US troops gave away to Iraqi kids ever were inflated. The story went that the kids wore them as hats that day, laughing at ridiculousness.
mtdna

This charity is trying to distribute a nearly indestructible self-inflating ball for third-world children: http://www.care2.com/causes/meet-the-indestructible-soccer-ball.html
- nixiebunny
  
  At $40 each, they’re a bit rich for my taste.
  - mtdna
    
    I think you’re right. The high price will clearly limit how many will be donated, and makes buying them implausible for the people who would actually use them. But maybe if they can increase production and sales, the price will come down. I got one of these balls and I’m impressed with it. They would make great school yard balls anywhere, not just in the third world, because they’re so tough.
  - CrivenS
    
    $40 for two balls (one for me, one for kids in need) i can do but add an additional $40 postage to Australia and I’m afraid they have to count me out.
ComradeQuestions

Soccer balls.
- nixiebunny
  
  In the non-USA world, they’re footballs.
  - ChicagoD
    
    Only lately. Apparently the Brits called them soccer balls for decades before switching to the non-English usage.
    - foobar
      
      [Citation Needed]
      
      (Not being snarky, I’m honestly curious.)
      - ChicagoD
        
        I believe I read that in Soccernomics, but there is indirect support here as well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football#Etymology_and_names
http://www.facebook.com/jeff.gordon.90 Jeff Gordon

Amazing
dragonfrog

Am I the only one who doesn’t know what an Anokye Star is?
- Donald Petersen
  
  Nope. But I also can’t imagine what Jazz in Utah would sound like.
http://twitter.com/dethbird dethbird

I believe the care2.com link leads here, but just for the sake of linkifying: http://www.oneworldfutbol.com/
http://goot.myopenid.com/ GOOT

The NY Times had a great article about the One World Futbol Project recently. The idea of a “virtually indestructible ball” is brilliant. I am going to participate in their buy-one-give-one program.
Clark Starr

Love the one world futbol. Solves a problem I’d never considered. I too have done the buy-one-give-one on their site.