New York – “Memories of my passion for soccer go back to when I was a little girl. My father traveled a lot and I liked to be with him when he was home. One of his favorite things to do was relax and watch soccer games on TV and explain the rules of the game and the names of the players and teams to me. I spent hours watching games and without even realizing I became a real fan.
Growing up, I learned to love soccer for other reasons. Soccer is an incredible way to strengthen your self-belief, teamwork, ‘healthy’ and friendly competition, empathy, passion and determination. It also plays an important role in education and learning through play. What fascinates me most about soccer is that it gives you a sense of total freedom and a desire to reach your goals.
The first time I heard about Inter Campus was when Inter visited the UN in New York in July 2016. Inter came with a group of children who were promoting the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for the 2030 Agenda. In my spare time, I also contribute to promoting the principles of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs by engaging in activities that help vulnerable people improve their well-being. One example is the creation of the One Billion Voices event, which brings the voices of people with disabilities, particularly children and young people, to global attention and raises awareness of their rights, hopes, and abilities.
It was with Omar El Sayed, Inter Campus Project Manager and head of the USA project, that I learned Inter Campus is perfectly aligned with my values and those of the United Nations in promoting socioeconomic and environmental development, social justice, and respect for human dignity. This is how our collaboration began. I invited Inter Campus to the “One Billion Voices: Making the Invisible Visible” event that I had organized in collaboration with the United Nations, focusing on how the public and private sectors can promote the inclusion of people with disabilities through sport.
Furthermore, sport is defined in the preamble of the UN’s 2030 Agenda as an “enabler of development and peace.” The sport of soccer has the unique power to unite people and serve as a tool to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It can also be used as an important instrument for educating through fun and play (SDG 4), strengthening resilience. For me, this sport also has the power to unite people and bring communities together, especially in times of difficulty. With soccer, diversity and multiculturalism become added values!
Inter Campus encompasses all of the above, creating a better life for children living in underprivileged areas. I was truly inspired by the Inter Campus Managers and coaches and their devotion to the cause, who together work to give a better life to future generations of children so they can realize their dreams. That’s why I didn’t hesitate and enthusiastically agreed to support Inter Campus in bringing its activities back to New York, to a school in Queens, which is located in the most culturally and ethnically diverse urban area in the world, believing that the New York project will also contribute to the growth of many young ones to become great.
