Support football culture among refugee children in Mozambique

For years Northern Mozambique has been affected by a civil war: hundreds of thousands have fled their homes because of violent Islamic paramilitary groups. Many have sought refuge in the provincial capital of Pemba. They live in camps on the edge of the city, on the beach, or on the street. Many of these refugees are children or teenagers. 

My name is Abdul Latif Buraimo and I come from Pemba, the capital of the Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique.

My parents and grandparents also fled from Pemba before the civil war.

I’ve been in Berlin since 2010 and have known the KuB since I moved here. I learned German in the KuB, I’ve gotten to know the people there, and I’ve gone on trips with the people I’ve met there. In the KuB they value people’s individuality and promote solidarity. 

Since I’ve gotten to know the organization I feel closely connected to it and support their work when there’s need. For example, I offer help with my car sometimes. I also help as a translator for Portuguese.

Parallel to my efforts in the KuB to support refugees here in Berlin, I would like to help young refugees and refugee children in Pemba. 

I myself am a passionate football player and have played with the Sport Union Berlin in the A-league since 2016. I am also a trainer and referee with the Union. 

From my own experiences I know about the difficult conditions in which young refugees and refugee children in my hometown Pemba live. I also know that these young people love football. I know how much playing football helps these kids deal with their otherwise difficult lives, which are defined by war, displacement, and poverty. Playing football with others is a joyful activity that provides the kids emotional stability, helps build their confidence, and gives them the feeling, that they have power over their own lives. Many kids in Pemba play football wherever they can find some space, oftentimes simply on the street. Most kids don’t have shoes and wear their everyday clothes to play football because it’s the only clothes they have. They also go to school with these clothes, which means the clothes actually needs to stay clean and neat and last as long as possible. But that’s barely possible when the kids play football in the same clothes every day. Of course the clothes get dirty and rip. 

I would like to support the refugee children who have fled a warzone to live in Pemba by sending them clothing to play football in. This way they can play football anytime they want and without worrying that they’ll damage their everyday clothing. 

For this reason, I’ve collected from the Berlin Football Association: 

350 jerseys, 200 shorts and pants, 200 training jackets, 300 shin guards, 100 sweatpants, 50 tank tops, and 10 balls. Now I just need to get the equipment to Pemba. To do that, I need 4300 Euro.

Help me bring the donated equipment to Pemba, so the kids there can in the future play football without a worry and by doing so feel joy, confidence, and hope!