Senda: Soccer's Path to Fair Trade Documentary

BIG THANK YOU & SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

After we pass the $5k mark ($252 to get there), a generous donor will match every pledge. See what else is new this week on the video below:

About the Documentary

Soccer is the world's most popular sport, and a majority of hand-stitched soccer balls are made in Sialkot, Pakistan. As the founder of Senda Athletics, a fair trade soccer ball company, I recently completed a 10 day trip to Sialkot in May of 2012. 

This trip landmarks the first time visiting the factory since officially opening the company in 2011. I felt that it was important to go and meet the people behind our Fair Trade soccer balls and to hear many of their stories. I took a camera with me to document my experience while visiting the factory and workers' homes, learning how to stitch a ball, playing pick-up soccer with the locals, trying local foods, and more!

It is our goal that this story inspires the millions of soccer lovers in the USA and around the world to explore how they can use their passion for the game to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

In taking this journey with me, you will get to meet some of our memorable workers, learn how quality soccer balls are made, view the positive impacts of fair trade in action, and find out what soccer can do to create positive change, both on and off the field.

This will be a 16-20 minute documentary, which will cover the story of how I started Senda, my trip to visit our producers in Pakistan, the stories of people who showed me the power of soccer to change the world, and Senda's path to partner with some of the most innovative organizations using soccer for social development.

Feel free to visit Senda's blog to get a taste of my trip as a teaser to the documentary!

Why Fair Trade Matters

At Senda, we believe that happier people make better soccer balls. For that reason, we follow Fair Trade standards. This means we instill clean and safe working conditions, pay fair wages, do not use child labor, and reinforce reasonable working hours in our factory. To do this, we partner with Fair Trade USA, a third party organization, which certifies products like coffee, tea, chocolate, and now soccer balls!

Giving Back at Home

By combining Fair Trade practices with long-term support of organizations using soccer to improve their communites, we want to allow players, coaches and parents to make an impact on the lives of others, every time they get a ball for themselves.

Since launching in 2011, Senda has been extremely lucky and proud to support nonprofit organizations, through providing them with quality soccer equipment on an ongoing basis. The documentary will show the great work these organizations do and some of the amazing people behind them. You can help us change the world through soccer along with our partners: Soccer Without Borders, Street Soccer USA, and Defensores del Chaco.

Below, Players from Street Soccer USA loved their new Senda balls for the 2012 season!

Soccer For All!

The film will also tell the inspiring story of our latest non-profit partner, BORP Power Soccer, an organization that promotes the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for people of all ages and genders who use a power wheelchair. Senda has been working with BORP for the last 18 months, to develop a special Soccer ball with the perfect size, weight and touch that will allow players on a power wheel chair to enjoy the game to their fullest potential. 

What We Need

Most of the footage for the documentary so far was was shot in Pakistan, and now we need funding to shoot in the USA, and put it all together. MOPED Productions, a digital media company that focuses on stories with impact, will be providing post-production oversight and distribution strategy. We are setting the goal of having the documentary complete by the end of September 2012, and it will be officially released online in October 2012.

With your help, we will be able to work with the experienced team of MOPED Productions and:

• Shoot post-trip footage
• Hire an editor, who recently graduated from UC Berkeley
• Add voice-over and sound mixing
• License the rights to news coverage, and music
• Work on online editing and mastering
• Make DVDs, T-shirts, and other rewards
• Begin outreach to different media sources
• Distribute the film through strong partners
• Cover all processing fees for the campaign

The Impact

This project will help further legitimize Fair Trade as an industry, a practice, and a way of life.  Many times people assume that fair trade only has to do with food products or clothing—or they don't know what fair trade means at all.

Fair trade is a category that can also be applicable to sporting goods, and in Sialkot, where an estimated 70% of the world's soccer balls are created, fair trade is a welcome difference.

Fairness is a Game Changer 

The world needs to learn where its products come from, and make sure that every worker obtains the fair wage and clean working conditions they are entitled to, that every child experiences a childhood without work, and that individuals achieve empowerment through their own work.

Soccer is known as “The Beautiful Game,” and it should stay that way. It is a game played by millions of people every day, so we know that just one soccer ball can touch many lives.

How You Can Help

We realize that not everyone can contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help.

Please spread the word about Senda, and our Indiegogo campaign to your friends, family, and EVERYONE who loves soccer. Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for updates on our campaign!

Help us change lives. Help us tell Senda's story to the millions of people who love the game in the USA and abroad.