South Sudan media, Red Cross organize football match for blood donation drive

By Ruot George

The Union of Journalists of South Sudan and the South Sudan Red Cross are in a quest to garner more blood to help people in need.

The two organizations, flanked by the Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce have set December 6 for a football match that is billed to attract the public to join the exercise.

According to Oyet Patrick Charles, the chairman of the Union of Journalists of South Sudan the match is intended “to build good working relations between the media workers and others” and “to raise awareness and encourage people to donate blood to be taken to the hospital to help people in need. “

“I encourage journalists and members of the public to donate, you never know it maybe you in need of the blood,” he said.

“I called upon all of you who are fit to donate blood.”

The South Sudan Red Cross said the match is planned to celebrate the international volunteers’ day.

“Besides team building and networking between the two groups, we hope to use this opportunity to mobilize people to donate blood during the match to help save lives of people in need,” the organization said in a statement.

Robert Pitia Francis, the Chairperson of Central Equatoria Chamber of Commerce noted that “it’s good to attend and support such kind of activities because it helps people.”

“Also, people can donate blood. With difference skills this will add upon things that we use to do”. “Through sport you will get many ideas that can be part of the development of the society”

Last month, South Sudanese journalists played a friendly match with South Sudanese National Police Service. The media team was defeated 1 – 0.