International children’s charity World Vision UK is delighted to
announce a brand new partnership with Charlton Athletic footballer and FA Women’s Cup winner Freda Ayisi, adding to the line-up
of sporting stars that have partnered with World Vision.

Freda Ayisi partnership announcement video:

Freda was born in Ghana but grew up in England, becoming an accomplished professional footballer who currently plays for Charlton Athletic. She is also a
content creator, with a social following that has amassed hundreds of thousands of fans, including former Arsenal and England legend Ian Wright, who has been more than impressed by her skills.

Driven to inspire others as she has been, Freda travelled back to her roots in Ghana, getting the opportunity to see some of the work World Vision is doing
to protect children, including health and nutrition programmes supporting mothers with malnourished children. Nutrition is the focus of World Vision’s global campaign, ENOUGH, which revealed a $3.4 billion commitment across three years to provide solutions
to the global hunger crisis.

During her time in Ghana, Freda met with local children, challenging them to do more keepie-uppies than her, as well as participating in after school reading clubs, cooking
classes for mothers, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes. She also saw a Mother to Mother Support Group, designed to share knowledge and skills, especially regarding nutrition, providing mothers with support and guidance from World Vision trained
community health volunteers.

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Photo Credit: World Vision – Freda Ayisi visited an after-school reading club supported by World Vision, taking part in story time, games and reading with the children
of the local community.

The inclusion and empowerment of girls and women across all our programmes is a huge priority for World Vision, and through Child Sponsorship, women and girls can overcome
barriers and empower themselves. 95% of the children in World Vision’s sponsorship programme are going to school, which is vital as girls who lack education are three times more likely to marry before 18 than those who go to school. As a child-focused NGO,
World Vision knows that when women and girls are empowered, everyone wins.

Freda Ayisi said:
“Football has been a passion of mine ever since I first kicked a ball as a kid with my brothers, but I am also passionate about inspiring
children and making a difference. I have fond memories of Ghana so it’s great to return as a World Vision ambassador and meet the local communities and play some football with the kids, teaching them about my journey. I was inspired from a young age, and I
hope that I can pass that on and inspire other children too. The beauty of football is it is a universal sport that can also bring people together.”

Speaking in Ghana, having visited a World Vision supported health clinic, Freda added:
“Just listening to how much it’s reduced the health risks in Ghana and it being the main healthcare in the district for the community where we’re staying is amazing, because that’s the healthcare that World Vision built as well.”

World Vision Ghana reached 45,000 children and their families with messages on nutrition, basic hygiene and sanitation practices in 2022*, as well as making
sure there is increased access to health care and protection from infection and diseases for the most vulnerable children and their families.

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Photo Credit: World Vision – Freda Ayisi meets with children in the local community in Ghana to share and swap football skills.

Helen D’Oyley, Director of Strategic Partnerships, World Vision UK, said:
“We couldn’t be happier that Freda has become an ambassador for World Vision UK. Freda is a great example of the passion that drives us, taking pride in her Ghanaian roots while serving as a role model for others looking to succeed.
We are incredibly excited to show her the work we are doing in the country and look forward to working closely with her to continue to drive change in the continent.”

World Vision has been working in Ghana since 1979, and we partner with parents, like-minded organisations, faith leaders, and the government to address the
underlying causes of poverty and injustice to help build lasting change. In 2022, World Vision made clean water available to over 85,000 community members through its work in Ghana, along with household sanitation for over 56,000 people.