LIMA, OH (WLIO) - A local non-profit raised money to continue providing mentorship to young kids through soccer.
The Oheneba Soccer Academy held their 3rd annual charity gala Saturday evening to fundraise for expenses like new equipment, transportation, and scholarships for kids in need to attend the program for free.
The academy isn't about turning kids into World Cup-caliber players but rather teaching them confidence, teamwork, and a good work ethic that they can carry with them in aspects of their lives outside the game. Volunteers and coaches aim to be role models for the students, especially one like Kenyon Jarman, who struggled with both ADHD and the death of his father at a young age.
"If the only father that he knew is no longer, as coaches, we want to step in because our program is all about to discover, to develop, and to mentor. So this is where I come in; I say, you know what, I would like to mentor Kenyon. Since then, we just started being there for him, and now Kenyon 16, 15 years old, still playing soccer, and enjoys soccer. That's the only place that his pure joy is. As an organization, that is one of the reasons why we do what we do," explained Edward Eghan, the founder and executive director of the Oheneba Soccer Academy.
The gala was also attended by special guests from Ghana, Queen Nana Abena APonkuah II and her husband Nana Gyimah, to show that the athletes are supported by royalty and like royalty themselves, which is what Oheneba translates to.
