In the past 2 weeks I have watched 2 documentaries about sport in the third world and using sport for development. The first was called Town of Runners and the second was an ESPN documentary following the events of the 2006 Homeless World Cup of Soccer in Cape Town, South Africa.
Town of Runners followed the lives of 2 teenage girls living in the rural village of Bekoji in Southern Ethiopia. This particular town has produced some of the world's best long distance runners many of them holding Olympic and World Records as well as Olympic medals. In this town, running is everything, including a way out. This film got me thinking about how my trip will affect the children in Limbe. How will my 3 month trip affect the way they live their lives and their goals. It made me scared, excited, anxious, sad and happy all at once.
The Homeless World Cup was a tournament that I had never heard of before and after reading the explanation immediately googled it. As it turns out 73 international partners team up with the Homeless World Cup to bring nations together to use football/soccer to battle international homelessness. By funding programs to help feed, clothe and shelter the homeless as well as bring disadvantaged individuals the opportunity to compete in an international tournament, the Homeless World Cup is a (comparably) small-scale account of how sport can transform and affect the lives of those involved.
Both documentaries got me thinking about the differences between my experiences in sport as a kid and the experience that the kids I will be working with in Limbe have had.
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