WHEN IT ALL STARTS

PUERTO IGUAZU – Primero de Mayo is a very poor area of Puerto Iguazu, a city in the province of Misiones, Argentina where around 2000 families live on extremely low incomes. This is where, in 2010, Fundacion Grupo London Supply built a school for 1000 children aged 45 days to 18 years. And it is here that Inter Campus set up its sports project for kids in the area a year ago.

Around 80 ten-year-old boys and girls were gathered together one day in April 2015. They didn’t know what to expect other than that they would be receiving a very important visit. The day began with torrential rain and for a while it looked like it might have to be called off. In the Primero de Mayo district the roads are dirt tracks which turn into mud when it rains making it hard to get anywhere. But as the kids waited anxiously along came representatives of the London Supply Foundation and Inter Campus to announce the start of their project. That day marked the beginning of a new sports activity that would bring football, learning and lots of fun to the children’s school day.

The sound of Pazza Inter came out over the loudspeakers and all the kids started jumping and clapping. Lining up, they were each handed an official Inter kit. Amidst all the smiles and excitement, the youngsters wondered if those jerseys really were for them. They could hardly believe it.

In the afternoon it was time to get down to work. The Inter Campus coaches started training the teachers and ran the first session on the pitch. The kids ran about in their Inter shirts taking part in group games and exercises with the ball before ending training with a match.

The surprises didn’t end there, though. After the match there was a bus waiting to take them to the Iguazu Falls. Despite living very close, many of the children had never seen the spectacular waterfalls. They could barely contain their joy.

Training sessions continued throughout the rest of the school year. Twice a week you can see the kids leaving their humble homes in their black-and-blue shirts and walking along the dirt tracks to the pitch. And it doesn’t matter if there’s torrential rain or stifling heat and humidity: on those days the kids are always there.

Parents come along to watch their offspring at the training sessions. For these parents – many of whom did not have the opportunity to study themselves and have lived hard lives – it is a dream come true to see their boys and girls receive an education and enjoying themselves through sport.

Marcelo Musante, Fundación Grupo London Supply sociologist

15.01.2016