Project Report
| Nov 10, 2015
Kaya's Soccer Superstar
Imagine that all your friends are getting ready to go out and play with dolls in the street, but all you can think about is getting ready for practice. Passion invades you since this is what you really love to do and, moreover, you're very good at it. While your sister and her friends play with their Barbie dolls, you put on your cleats and a hat to protect you from the sun and run towards your greatest passion: SOCCER.
This is the story of Fabiola, a girl from Kaya with a great talent for the sport of soccer and a determination that has taken her far. Far towards her dreams for the future, and far away from the image that traditional Bolivian society expects her to maintain. Fabiola has been very passionate about playing soccer since she was little; however, since she is a girl, no soccer school would accept her. In addition, her family was not happy that she wanted to participate in a sport they considered “for boys.”
"I thought it was just a whim and that the desire to play would go away, so I spoke to her and told her to play like other girls. But the desire to play persisted, and I decided to support my daughter in the fulfillment of her dreams," said Fabiola's mother. Despite receiving insults from their neighbors and close friends who warned her that if she let her daughter keep playing soccer she would end up losing her, Fabiola´s mother persevered in encouraging her daughter and gradually began to see the fruits of that support.
Fabiola lives with her mother and brothers in extreme poverty. Her father abandoned them several years ago, and they now live in a two-square-meter room. Only recently have they received water and electricity service. Fabiola and her siblings attend theKaya Center for educational and nutritional support. Every day, Fabiola wakes up early ready to train. Through Kaya, Fabiola obtained access and a scholarship to a recognized soccer school and now trains three times a week and plays matches on weekends. Fabiola loves to play soccer and has won several awards for her talent. "I have been given medals, baskets of food, trophies, and once I was given a sheep because I was the best player in the game," says Fabiola.
Kaya completely supports Fabiola´s wish to play soccer. We make sure she eats properly every weekday; we take her to and pick her up from every soccer practice. We help pay for soccer fees when she plays in championships, and we are on the sidelines cheering when she has the opportunity to play in a soccer match.
Fabiola´s biggest dream is to play professional soccer and be able to help her family. She would like to be able to give them better opportunities in the future. One thing is certain: No matter how difficult the future may look, this little girl will keep working hard every day and changing the idea of what it means in Bolivia to “play like a girl.” Your support to Kaya makes these dreams possible.
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