WCIP sponsors Malawian football club
Published: 14 April 2022
Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology researcher Dr Walt Adamson has arranged a pioneering sponsorship agreement between the WCIP and a Malawian football club.
Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology researcher Dr Walt Adamson has arranged a pioneering sponsorship agreement between the WCIP and a Malawian football club.
In Rumphi in northern Malawi - the area most affected by sleeping sickness - the local football team, Rumphi United, was recently promoted to the Super League, the top flight of the country's football system.
Dr Adamson contacted the club to ask whether they could help out with some public engagement work, and was met with an enthusiastic response.
From there, the connection was strengthened by a sponsorship agreement that saw the WCIP logo appear on the front of the side's kit.
Dr Adamson explained: "Over the past few years there has been a significant increase of sleeping sickness cases in Malawi, and the group I work in is involved in several projects investigating the causes, and what can be done to reduce case numbers.
"Along with the core research, we have been given funding to do public engagement work in communities affected by sleeping sickness.
"Elsewhere in Africa, football has proven to be an effective route to breaking down barriers and starting conversations like these.
"Rumphi United has just been promoted to the top league of Malawian football, and on the off chance, I contacted the club to ask whether they could help us with some of our public engagement work. They couldn’t have been more enthusiastic.
"The club's Facebook page included a photo of the team in their green and white kit, which I couldn’t help noticing didn’t contain a shirt sponsor.
"It wasn’t long before ideas were formulating in my head about how filling that space with something related to our work might help to demonstrate our association with the community, and also widen publicity about our work whenever the team featured in the media."
Walt added: "The Leopards kicked off their 2022 league campaign this past Sunday afternoon in kits carrying the logo of the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, as well as a newly-created web address where we will be showcasing our public engagement work.
"Unfortunately, the scoreline wasn’t quite what we hoped for as the team fell to a 0-2 home defeat to Dedza Dynamos. However, there remains plenty of time for the team to find their way up the table, cheered on by their new Scottish fan club.
"Along the way there will hopefully be many opportunities for us to work with the team as part of our activities in the area - and from a personal point of view, I can’t wait find some excuses to get to a match or two!"
First published: 14 April 2022