The One World Futbol Promises a Lasting Source of Fun in Poor Countries SOMETIMES a soccer ball is more than just a ball. Sometimes, it's a lifesaver. Tim Jahnigen has always followed his heart, whether as a carpenter, a chef, a lyricist or now as an entrepreneur. So in 2006, when he saw a documentary about children in Darfur who found solace playing soccer with balls made out of garbage and string, he was inspired to do something about it. The children, he learned, used trash because the balls donated by relief agencies and sporting goods companies quickly ripped or deflated on the rocky dirt that doubled as soccer fields. Kicking a ball around provided such joy in otherwise stressful and trying conditions that the children would play with practically anything that approximated a ball. "The only thing that sustained these kids is play," said Mr. Jahnigen of Berkeley, Calif. Yet the millions of balls that are donated go flat within 24 hours. During the next two years, Mr. Jahnigen, who was also working to develop an infrared medical technology, searched for something that could be made into a ball but never wear out, go flat or need a pump. Many engineers he spoke to were dubious of his project. But Mr. Jahnigen eventually discovered PopFoam, a type of hard foam made of ethylene-vinyl acetate, a class of material similar to that used in Crocs, the popular and durable sandals. "It's changed my life," he said. Figuring out how to shape PopFoam into a sphere, though, might cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and Mr. Jahnigen's money was tied up in his other business. Then he happened to be having breakfast with Sting, a friend from his days in the music business. Mr. Jahnigen told him how soccer helped the children in Darfur cope with their troubles and his efforts to find an indestructible ball. Sting urged Mr. Jahnigen to drop everything and make the ball. Mr. Jahnigen said that developing the ball might cost as much as $300,000. Sting said he would pay for it. "Even on the harshest of terrain and in the worst of conditions, the ball could survive and the kids could still play," Sting said in a public service announcement he made with Mr. Jahnigen. I said, wow, yeah, let's make it. Creating a prototype, it turned out, cost about one-tenth as much as expected and took about a year. Sting called it the One World Futbol, a homage to a song he sang with the Police, "One World (Not Three)." To test the balls" durability, Mr. Jahnigen sent them to places like Rwanda, where they were used at a camp for former child soldiers. A lion at the Johannesburg Zoo, who would go through six regular balls a day, played with two balls. A German shepherd spent a year biting on a ball. In every case, the balls withstood the abuse. "When we tested the first rough prototype on the ground in Rwanda, Haiti and Iraq, it was already infinitely better than a wad of trash or a bottle," Mr. Jahnigen said. Mr. Jahnigen has developed a fifth generation of the ball, which is rounder than earlier versions. He carries samples around the world to conferences, potential buyers and sponsors. For effect, he crushes them and even drives cars over them. All of them bounce and hold their shape. By his estimate, the ball can last for 30 years, eliminating the need for thousands of hand-sewn leather balls that are typically donated by relief agencies. Mr. Jahnigen has produced about 33,000 balls. About half of them were bought for $40 each. For each ball purchased, another is given away. Word has spread. The ball is being used by a hundred different organizations and has made its way to more than 140 countries. Flight attendants, Doctors Without Borders and a United States Army colonel in Afghanistan have taken balls with them on their travels. "With this ball, we know they can keep the programs going when we leave," said Nick Gates, the founder of Coaches Across Continents, which helps teachers and coaches in countries like Sudan use soccer as a tool for education and healing. You can't do any education without them. They're more valuable than cows or goats because of the things you can do in the community. There are challenges, though. Last year, Unicef bought 5,200 One World Futbols at $17 each and gave them to schools in Kenya and Uganda. But because the balls cannot be deflated, they are more difficult to ship. Cost is another issue. "In our experience, there is sure a demand for longer-lasting footballs," said Shanelle Hall, the director of Unicef's supply division in Copenhagen, which buys about 30,000 balls a year. But "compared to the $2.50 we pay for a regular football, the current cost difference for the more durable solution is currently too high." The costs, though, may come down as production increases. In May, Chevrolet, the General Motors division, agreed to buy 1.5 million One World Futbols over the next three years and donate them to needy children. "We believe in the power of play to unite and heal and provide development for children," said John McFarland, part of the global marketing strategy team at General Motors. We don't want to focus on the beautiful game, but what is beautiful about the game. While ecstatic at the demand, Mr. Jahnigen is scrambling to meet it. At the end of September, the factory in Taiwan that produces the balls has been working two shifts a day to meet its target of 45,000 balls a month. Two 40-foot containers of balls are being shipped each week to recipients around the world, including Indonesia and countries in Africa. In time, Mr. Jahnigen said, he hopes to get millions of other balls into the hands of children. "A child can play to their heart's content where there are no content hearts," he said. We don't understand that having a ball is like the best PlayStation 3 or a rocket to Mars.