Bomber looks to help village in Namibia

By: Ed Tait Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Thursday, Sep. 23, 2010

If Obby Khan and the folks behind Project Winnipeg have their way, a village in Namibia will soon be decked out in Blue Bomber colours and 10 orphaned children will get a chance to grow up healthy and happy.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/09/2010 (5528 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Khan, a centre with the CFL team, and University of Manitoba football player Thomas Hall unveiled plans Wednesday for Project Winnipeg under the umbrella of the recently formed Project Echo non-profit organization.

Khan and the folks behind Project Winnipeg have committed to raise $75,000 over the next three years as part of a national effort to build a SOS Children’s Village — completely funded by Canadians — in Ondangwa in northern Namibia.

KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Blue Bomber Obby Khan (centre) is doing some good work off the football field. — KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Blue Bomber Obby Khan (centre) is doing some good work off the football field.

Taking the idea one step further, Khan has already spoken with Stu Laird — the president of the Canadian Football League Players’ Association — and hopes to have eight houses, one sponsored by each CFL team, in the village.

“The ideal plan would be to one day have a whole compound of CFL teams,” Khan said. “We’ll send over Bomber paraphernalia, we’ll send over posters, we’ll paint the house blue and gold and have the flags of Canada flying there. To have these kids grow up and know that people on the other side of the world care about them I think would mean a lot.”

Through Hall, Khan and Jeff Fisher of Elite High Performance & Sports Injury Centers began brainstorming about making a bigger splash.

An SOS Children’s home supplies food, education, shelter, medical care, recreation and an SOS ‘Mother’ for up to 10 orphaned children.

“We sponsor a girl for a dollar a day and we get these letters back that make you cry and it makes you realize how much you could do with such a little contribution,” Khan said. “So to give back to 10 kids in Africa would be huge. But if we could give back to 80 kids and get the whole entire CFL involved… in my opinion that’s what the CFL is all about.

“Imagine having a village in Africa sponsored by the CFL? That would just be so cool.”

Project Winnipeg is holding its first major event, a banquet dinner, on Sunday, Oct. 24 at Bailey’s Restaurant. For more information, contact Hall via e-mail at director@project-echo.com or by phone at 979-0791.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca