Children need to play

I was in Djibouti my first time and our driver stopped to pray in a small village. I found myself with some boys and one was wearing a shirt with the name Messi on it. I said Ronaldo and then it was like obvious we began playing soccer with a soda can. I had a great time and we all laughed a lot.

I made a vow next time I come to one of these countries I would come with soccer balls. So before heading to Nepal the next year I approached the Tampa Bay Rowdies and they donated deflated balls and team mini shirts.

I handed them out to the Principals of two schools that had met with me for lunch.

They carried them back to their schools and I could tell by their smiles they were would be the heroes of the day. When I returned to Djibouti I carried another group of soccer balls again thanks to the Rowdies. I got to kick the ball around in the village of Douda with some kids and my friend Mohammad. We gave out balls to the children of the ADPEB school in Djibouti city. These children are homeless and the school is their only refuge.

The video shown is our intern Elana distributing the soccer balls in their new tent school we had built. Finally I gave the other balls to that village I had stopped in the last time I had been in their country. I really wished I could have been there. Sports are a connector no matter where you are.