Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho, one of the world’s best known sports figures and a United Nations goodwill ambassador, has launched an institute in Porto Alegre, Brazil, to help disadvantaged children through sport and education, an initiative that shows the way forward in global development.

The Ronaldinho Gaúcho Institute aims to provide poor children and youth access to education, health care and cultural activities, with a capacity of 3,500 youngsters a month. These young people will take part in football, tennis and other sports, as well as attending workshops on information technology, languages, theatre, music and other classes.

“With the launch of the institute, that dream of helping the most vulnerable children and youth in Porto Alegre has come true,” said an emotional Ronaldo Assis de Moreira, better known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho.

The UN is cooperating with the institute and will provide technical advice and assist in recruiting professional staff, as it shows the power of sport to help countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals, a set of targets to slash poverty and other global ills by 2015.

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