Warrnambool Wolves and Port Fairy Plovers to join forces this Saturday to raise funds for the Bandari Project

The match - which will be played at Harris Street Reserve in Warrnambool at 12.30pm - will be dedicated to raising funds for the not-for-profit Port Fairy-based organisation which helps to break the cycle of poverty by providing educational opportunities to underprivileged children and women in Mto wa Mbu, Tanzania.

Both clubs are aiming to raise the funds to send soccer equipment to the organisation, with opportunities and activities, such as soccer games, a raffle and BBQ lunch throughout the day to enable them to send the equipment to Tanzania.

Port Fairy Plovers president Woody Bucci - who spent time in Tanzania volunteering prior to COVID-19 - said the club was delighted to get the charity match off the ground.

"It's lovely, a really nice link between the two clubs and the two towns," he said.

"We've got Seif Sakate, a player for us, our senior men's coach who formed the charity and Natasha Cummings from the Warrnambool Wolves, who has really led the initiative of this match.

"We're hoping to bring the match into the season proper in future years but it will be good fun throughout the day."

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Bucci says to give back to the Mto wa Mbu community through soccer is something both clubs won't take for granted.

"It's the world game, it's played everywhere regardless of wealth, creed, backgrounds and religion. It's held dearly for so many people around the world," he said.

"It's nice to link our clubs to this charity based in Tanzania. Being part of the volunteering program and having lived experience of life in Tanzania, I know how much these sort of events are needed and how well they're received on the ground."

Bandari Project co-founder Catherine Ryan said the idea to bring a charity match together was a wonderful chance to provide the 'soccer-mad' kids in Tanzania with equipment.

"Tash Cummings and I worked together at Emmanuel College and she's involved with the Warrnambool Wolves, and she knew there was a lot of jerseys that were going to be thrown out," she explained.

"She was horrified at the thought, and thought there would be a way to get them to your kids in Tanzania because they are soccer mad, they absolutely love it, so to have a kit they would be so excited, but the issue is the cost to send them over so that's where this idea started from.

"The Wolves have been really supportive, Seif is heavily involved in Port Fairy so their support was guaranteed, and there's a nice connection between the two teams.

"It should be really good."

Cummings said the opportunity to come together for a worthy cause was something both clubs would relish.

"From our perspective, soccer is a world game and it's more than about us, and we do have this wonderful link with Port Fairy," she said.

"We've had a shared relationship for so long, and when we did a big clean up and realised we had this amazing equipment, we spoke to Catherine because they're crying out for equipment, so it just seemed like a really good fit.

"It really is about raising awareness about being more than a game, it's bigger and it's important and I know Port Fairy and the Wolves see it as bigger than two teams going at it with a ball."

To learn more about the project head to thebandariproject.com

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