The Associated Press
November 28th, 2007
International Herald Tribune

Innocent Chileshe, a major in the African Union, believes he can help change the future of war-torn Africa. All he needs are a few soccer balls.

Chileshe has spent the past year of his observatory mission in Sudan's Darfur region building a sports outreach program for children. Using donated equipment — essentially cast-off American volleyballs and soccer balls — Chileshe has taught about 16,000 kids how to play. They learn about sports, he says, and gain much more

"Sport is magical. It has an aspect that just unlocks the human nature," said Chileshe, a soft-spoken native of Zambia who grew up playing badminton, soccer and volleyball. "Those who under normal circumstances stay down and do not want to speak, by virtue of just getting involved in some activity, it just opens them up and gives them the opportunity to express themselves."