Kids everywhere love soccer, and the kids at Escola Secundaria de Massaca in Mozambique are no different. But it's difficult to get a good game going when you have a ball made of grapefruit rinds and no proper cleats.

That's why the members of Cornwall Consolidated School (CCS) Roots & Shoots group in West Cornwall, Connecticut decided to take action.

Group leader Tricia Collins had been in touch with former CCS student Juliet Lyon, who was a Peace Corps Volunteer with the students at Escola Secundaria. As part of her Peace Corps service, Juliet was creating an after-school soccer program for her students. The program was intended to be a positive outlet for the kids in this community, who face high rates of HIV infection, early pregnancy, alcoholism and school drop-out.

Next, Tricia contacted the U.S. Soccer Foundation and learned about their Passback Program, which helps set up collections of sporting equipment to donate to those in need.

Soon after that the third-, fourth- and fifth-graders at CCS were sending out calls for donations. In just three weeks, the Roots & Shoots group collected 51 pairs of cleats and rounded up several boxes of uniforms.

They sent the donations to Eurosport, a partner of the Passback Program, which distributes the donated equipment to the recipients. Tricia tracked the package, as it made its way from the United States to Germany and finally to Mozambique.

"When I found out that it made it, I burst into tears," Tricia said.

The reaction on the other end was emotional too.

"The kids were so happy to receive the gear and have been playing every day since it got here," Juliet said. "They are now able to challenge bigger and better teams."

While the students in Mozambique sharpened their soccer skills, the students in West Cornwall sharpened their knowledge of how other people in the world live. When she returned from the Peace Corps service, Juliet brought a video of the students in Mozambique playing with their new soccer equipment, and she shared it with the Roots & Shoots members at CCS.

One member was so excited about the project that he asked if the kids in Mozambique could fly over to Connecticut for a visit—and a soccer scrimmage!

"This has been an amazing project with unbelievable repercussions all over the place." Juliet said.

Are you a soccer fan who wants to help? Donate your used gear or become a Passback Star.