Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has won the FIFPRO Impact Award for humanitarian work, for the medical care his foundation provides to underprivileged communities in Cameroon and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Doctors have performed more than 1,200 surgical operations over the past three years in collaboration with the 28-year-old’s Andre Onana Foundation, which works with medical professionals to provide surgery and care for people, particularly children.
The honour is part of FIFPRO‘s Annual Merit Awards that recognise players giving back to their communities. The global soccer players’ union will donate $10,000 to Onana’s foundation.
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“When I passed through Barcelona, Amsterdam and Milan on my way to Manchester United, I had people who helped me on that journey. When I was down, they gave me a hand so that I could stand up,” Cameroonian Onana said on FIFPRO’s website. “I’ve never forgotten the help I received.
“Because of the people in the past who supported me, I feel I have a responsibility to give back and help others.”
Onana said the plan when he started the foundation was to help blind children in Cameroon, but it has since grown to become an NGO, bringing doctors and surgeons, mainly from Spain, to Africa to perform procedures.
