By Delinda Lombardo on
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is currently representing Les Elephants in Angola at the African Cup of Nations, but there’s more than soccer on his mind – he’s eager to address issues of health care in his home city of Abidjan, where he intends to build a hospital as the first major project for the Didier Drogba Foundation.
“To open the hospital would be the best achievement of my life, that would be my contribution to Ivory Coast. The minimum I can do is to make them feel important. ”
The often misunderstood player hopes more fans take notice of his charity work off the pitch.
“When I am in England we are only playing games, people don’t have time to ask what we do when not playing football, questions are about the games,” Drogba told Chelsea’s official website. “It is difficult to know what we are doing, it is sad that people don’t understand me but it is never too late.”
Drogba, who left the Ivory Coast when he was six, has never forgotten where he came from and where he calls home.
“I left Ivory Coast when I was six. When you leave when you are young it makes you stronger, you always think about going back, about your country when you left. Every time I had the chance to come back, even if I spent seven years without coming, I missed it. That’s why I’m really proud of my country.”
Last month, Drogba joined Product RED, Nike and several other players from the Premier League to Lace-Up to Save Lives.
Copyright © 2010 Look to the Stars
