Solskjaer to build schools in Malawi

Former Manchester United star player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has included Malawi on the list of three Southern African countries to benefit from his charity work, UK leading newspaper The Sunday Times reports.
Solskjaer, who was forced to retire from active football in 2006 after a splendid 10-year career at Old Trafford due to recurring injury, has plans to build 10 schools in Malawi, neighbouring Mozambique and Angola through Unicef’s Worldwide children’s charity.
The paper said each school will cost in the range of 20,000 pounds to 200,000 pounds (K6 million to K60 million) depending on the location.
The money for the project will come from a testimonial match between Manchester United and Spanish club Espanyol will be played on Saturday at Old Trafford in which Solskjaer will play.
The UK’s highest selling newspaper reported that the 35-year-old Norwegian would not pocket the 2 million pounds (about K600 million) for his personal gains as it has been the case with most players.
The paper said: “Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the former Manchester United striker , known as ‘baby-faced assassin’ plans to use the proceeds of a multimillion pound match in his honour to build schools in Southern Africa.
“The schools will be built in Angola, Malawi and Mozambique under a programme run by Unicef, the worldwide children’s charity for whom Solskjaer has been a goodwill ambassador.”
The Solsjkaer-Unicef project will also provide books, writing materials and sports equipment.
He also pledged that if the match would not raise estimated 2 million pounds he would dig deeper into his pocket to fund the project.
Solsjkaer became interested in charity work after visiting a Unicef camp for abandoned children in Thailand in 2001 while on tour with Manchester.
The paper quoted the player as saying he was changed forever after the Thailand experience.
“To be honest, I had never thought about it before, that as a well-known footballer I could help children through my position,” he said.
The former player, who is now managing Manchester United reserve side, is no stranger to charity work and would like to build 20 or 30 more schools.
In 2004, he announced that he was donating to Unicef Norway his entire earnings 70,000 pounds a year kit deal with Nike and 30,000 pounds for advertising Norwegian cheese.
His gesture has won him praises from Unicef Norway executive director Kjersti Flogstad, who said: “There are not many people, let alone footballers, who are like Ole. It has been a big joy and a source of motivation to work with him.
Solsjkaer who scored a dramatic stoppage time winner in Manchester’s first ever Champions League glory in 1999 against Bayern Munich, has two sons and a daughter.