In rural Rwanda, soccer gear doesn’t come from a sporting goods store — and as in many other aspects of life, resourcefulness and creativity play a big part. In the skillful hands of a child, recycled items take shape and transform into a ball, enabling groups of soccer-hungry kids to start a game. Here’s how they do it:

1. Gather cloth rags, plastic and paper shopping bags, newspapers, and twine.
2. Crumple one bag into a small ball, which will be the center of the finished ball.
3. Layer other bags, newspaper, and cloths over the center, taking care to keep the ball round and push out air pockets with each layer.
4. For the last layer, cover the ball with the thickest bag.
5. Wrap the ball with twine, pulling tightly and making a web of knots to cover the entire ball.
6. Bounce the ball on the ground a few times to see if any parts come loose; if so, cover with more twine and knots. 

Photo ©2016 World Vision, Eugene Lee