Former school teacher turned charity worker Michael Gallus is a man who sees more in a simple ball than most people - to him a football is a gift of hope.
Since he established his charity Footy’s 4 All six years ago, Mr Gallus has distributed more than 20,000 footballs and netballs to underprivileged children around the world. Even by his lofty standards his latest accomplishment is inspirational.
Football is the national sport in Uganda and in a remote village in the capital Kampala, footy is King. Students from the Amazing Grace primary school, many of who are orphans and from impoverished backgrounds, play the game at every opportunity but their version of the game it rarely the "real thing," explains Principal Daniel Male.
“Most of the children in my community had never seen a real football and they have been using fibre, banana fibre. They wrap it in some rubbish, they just wrap rubbish together and begin playing,” Mr Male said.
Ugandan school principal Daniel Male surprises charity worker Michael Gallus in Melbourne. Source: Supplied
When Mr Gallus answered a Facebook request from a mutual acquaintance and sent a dozen professional soccer balls to the school of 400 pupils, the response was astronomical.
“First of all their faces changed. They started smiling, they started laughing, they realised that the boxes had lots of soccer balls. They started screaming, children were running out of their classrooms without order,” Mr Male said.
Michael Gallus has grown accustomed to such an overwhelmingly positive reaction in the African nation. He was initially inspired to create Footy’s 4 All after hearing former South African President Nelson Mandela's speech at the inaugural Laureus Sports Awards, where he declared that sport has the power to "change the world."
“Sport can create hope where once there was only despair; it is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers,” the former South African President said.
On Tuesday, Mr Gallus was overwhelmed when Amazing Grace School Principal Daniel Male arrived in Melbourne to say thank you in person on behalf of his remote Ugandan village students.
“It's not just a ball and for Daniel to travel 11,000 kilometres to come out here and say thank you, that's life-changing,” Mr Gallus told SBS News.
Mr Male has invited Michael Gallus to visit Uganda to present a trophy cup that will be named in his honour. He hopes the simple act of kindness from one Melbourne man and his charity will have a long-term positive impact in his homeland.
“I see him as a man who is going to leave a legacy in our country by raising the talents of these children when I think of Michael Gallus I see him going to impact the next generation of Uganda,” Mr Male said.
