--  From Captain Robert Kersigo & Staff Sargent Rodriguez of the 407th Civil Affairs Battalion; currently deployed with the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan.

 

"....We have received Soccer equipment from the Kick for Nick Charity. I can't tell you enough how thankful we are [....]  Our objective in the war here is also to win the hearts and minds [...].  The kids in this country have absolutely nothing to look forward to in life. Afghan kids don't have the basic skills that American kids have by the time they are at the age of 10. They are lucky to even attend school, and if they do it is usually on a few hours a day. Your donation to us allowed us to keep kids in school and hopefully make them understand that going to school is beneficial. From the early age of 5 Afghan kids are on a day to day survival basis. They do whatever they can to pass the time away and maybe earn money for food or they steal in order to barter for food. The donations not only help the kids but the Soldiers serving here in Afghanistan. We are keeping kids in school and interested in school by little things like soccer equipment. The alternative for these kids is making money anyway they can. They earn money by placing IED's for the Taliban. Usually they give them $50 trying to plant an IED or shoot at us. So your donations are helping to fight the unconventional war that is raging here in Afghanistan. Keeping kids in sports while staying away from negative influences is helping to turn the tide in this war."

Cpt. Kersigo & SSG Rodriguez distribute KFN soccer balls to Afghani children