Recent images on social media show young Senegalese footballers wearing familiar jerseys... from Colmar-Berg.
Not all football clubs can afford to change kit every season, but those who can, may donate their old kits elsewhere. This was the case for AS Colmar Berg, who used the "Les amis de l'Association Etoile Polaire" (Friends of Polar Star) non-profit association to recycle their old kit and equipment, giving them a new lease of life in Senegal.
The club in northern Luxembourg is not the only club to donate generously. RTL Infos spoke to N'Doye Bocar, a former Beggen player, who founded the initiative. In honour of his roots, Bocar created Etoile Polaire to enable Luxembourgish clubs to donate funds, kit or equipment to help set up a team in Senegal. A number of clubs in the Luxembourg national divisions have signed up to the charity, including Junglinster, Beggen, Merl and Colmar-Berg.
But the generosity does not stop there - even the Luxembourg basketball federation (FLB) has also contributed donations.
"Sporting equipment is the most important," explains Bocar, who personally oversees the shipping of the donated items by travelling to Senegal several times a year. "You know, there are some associations that embezzle funds and donations," he adds.
For Bocar, the most important thing is to ensure mutual aid and solidarity. "They don't have the means there [in Senegal]. Even just a football makes all the difference."
Currently, the items donated by Luxembourg clubs mainly benefit the Polar Star club, which was recently affiliated with the Senegalese football federation. "We donate any surplus items to young people in need, it's important to make sure the community benefits as well," adds Bocar.
Bocar believes in "education through football", maintaining that people can be both footballers and engineers, for example. He hopes to get away from the cliché of unintelligent footballers, and plans to open a football school in Senegal. "This is the path I have decided to follow," he says.
Always ambitious, Bocar has given himself five years to get his team promoted to the Senegalese national division. In order to achieve this, he will require a lot of support - support that he has thus far found thanks to his "great football friends" back in Luxembourg.
© N'Doye Bocar
