This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Players With Pride

Spanish Translation

It is game day in a poor neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya. Hundreds of kids gather at a school field to play soccer. Their equipment would surprise most U.S. soccer players. The kids bring rakes, wheelbarrows and trash bags.

Before the game, the players will spend five hours clearing trash. They will sort items for recycling. This is the only way to earn a spot on a soccer team. In one year, the kids will clear more than 250 tons of garbage from their community.

Hope in a Harsh Place

The children live in Kibera (ky-bee-rah), a slum, or very poor neighborhood. Nearly 1 million people live in a small area. Everyone is poor, and many have health problems. But a group started by a U.S. Marine captain is giving Kibera's people a shot at a better future.

Rye Barcott started Carolina for Kibera (CFK) in 2001, when he was a college student in North Carolina. His goal is to help people in the area build richer lives. The kids' cleanup days are only one way of doing this. "CFK is more than just soccer," Barcott told TFK.

The group helps run a free health clinic in Kibera. CFK also has a program for girls. It gives them a place to learn and to talk about important ideas. Girls in Kibera are rarely encouraged to get an education.

All of the CFK programs get Kiberans involved. They make important decisions about their community. Barcott hopes kids will learn to take on Kibera's tough problems--and win.

Next: A Modern Princess