“If you can even just provide $3 through a soccer tournament, they can have a meal every day, every week, and that just helps them out so much because they have unlimited potential. You just have to allow them to have a full belly and access to some mild amount of resources, and they’ll just take off with it,” said Melcher, a chemical engineering senior.

The group aims to connect with community-based health projects in Africa by connecting with student groups in the U.S. to raise funds and awareness, said Alex Hill, founder of SCOUT BANANA.

Hill began the foundation after visiting Uganda in East Africa and seeing the inadequacy of the health system there, he said. Since then, the Michigan-based organization has been on 18 different campuses since its beginning. There are five active chapters in the nation: MSU, University of Michigan, Central Michigan University, University of Pennsylvania and Tufts University in Massachusetts. Each chapter organizes its own events.

MSU’s chapter is in its seventh year, said Hannah Bach, chapter coordinator of MSU SCOUT BANANA and a mathematics senior. The group holds three events per semester, she said. An ultimate frisbee tournament and a 5k run/walk were held earlier this year.

The soccer tournament included four teams, made up of nine to 10 people who paid a $30 entrance fee per team. The total amount raised from the event was about $200. About $800 had been raised in events prior to the soccer tournament, said Emily Rose, events committee coordinator for MSU SCOUT BANANA and a zoology senior.

Hospitality business senior Brian Bokram hasn’t had the opportunity to play soccer in a while, but participated in the tournament.

“(SCOUT BANANA is) doing it for an orphanage in Africa, so I thought I’d play some soccer and have a good time. … It’s for a good cause, so you can’t go wrong,” he said.

Turnout at MSU SCOUT BANANA events are down from last year when about $4,000 was raised for the entire year, Bach said.
“I think we’ve had the same kind of people coming to our events. And they have participated so many times already this year —­ they’re probably burning out,” Bach said.

All funds raised during the tournament go to an after school program located in Zonkizizwe, South Africa. The program is called Vumundzuku-bya Vana, which means “Our Children’s Future,” and is shortened to VVOCF. The program is for children either afflicted with HIV/AIDS or who have been orphaned because of the disease.

“The program is for kids probably around 6 to 16,” Rose said. “They go to school first and then come and get a meal, which, usually, it’s the only meal they get for the day — so that’s important. And then they have English classes and math classes and art.”