SLUM BOY BECOMES HOPEFUL AT THE STREET CHILD WORLD CUP IN QATAR

The Street Child World Cup 2022 in Qatar was a memorable time for me. At this event, l met many other street connected young people and participated in a variety of activities, one of which had a significant impact on my life was the congress, where we were separated into groups with young people from other nations.

We were asked what we wanted to be in the future during this session, and 100% of the youngsters stated they wanted to be professional footballers because we all assumed it was only about football

We were asked to consider something that would withstand the test of time; in other words, they wanted us to think about the future, and that is when we thought of other propositions. Personally, I always wanted to be a teacher and that is what came to my mind first, others wanted to be doctors, lawyers and many more. But most importantly, we were challenged to come up with something that would have a greater impact on our communities, families, and fellow street connected youth.

It is therefore with this knowledge from Congress that I now organize meetings in my community for fellow youth both boys and girls to focus not only on talent but also on education, which is one of the most difficult challenges that the youths in my country face today.

Above all, one thing that is always in the back of my mind is the Street Child World Cup theme “I am somebody”. this has made me realise that I am indeed somebody and that I have value, and has built my hope for a meaningful future. Thank you to @streetchildutd for this life changing opportunity, and we are truly grateful.

Bongomin Thomas Lodio