As a result, foreign brands like Adidas, Nike, Puma, Diadorra, Lotto and a host of others have become well-known brands within the sports fraternity in Ghana.

To turn this trend around, a social enterprise has been set up in Ghana to, as a first step, produce footballs for the Ghanaian market.

Known as Alive and Kicking, the football manufacturing organisation, situated at Batsonaa in the Greater Accra Region, also uses sports to impact  the lives of less privileged in society.

Presently, Alive and kicking which started operating in Ghana about three years ago, employs over 50 people, majority being physically challenged. The organisation produces both professional and amateur balls which are hand stitched by about 25 people who produce 75 balls, which include volleyballs, netballs, rugby balls, footballs and handballs for both professional and corporate games on a daily basis.

In an interview with the Graphic Business during a tour of the offices of the organisation, the General Manager of Alive and Kicking, Mr Sam Bonsu, said his outfit reinvested proceeds from its production and sales to improve the lives of the physically challenged and the disadvantaged in poorer areas across the country.

Currently the organisation supplies its products, which include branded balls, for use as birthday gifts, for corporate bodies as well as other organisations for marketing and social responsibility programmes in singles and on wholesale basis.

 “If any individual, team, company, NGO needs any kind of ball for their sports programmes, Alive and Kicking has the answer” Mr Bonsu noted and called on Ghanaians to patronise products made locally.

He mentioned Shoprite, Game and Ghana Made stores in Accra as some of the outlets selling their products. — GB