This is a phrase my wife consistently uses when our children misplace their jacket or jumper. My wife goes on to explain that if you lost your jumper in South America, you probably wouldn’t get another one, due to the high cost of essential items like clothing. It is surprising just how the context of a situation can change our values; how the same thing can be valued so differently depending where you are. So where are you?
If you’re reading this blog, then you are probably not climbing on to a garbage truck to retrieve some materials that can be sold for recycling, you are probably not shaking excess garbage of food scraps before eating?
During my recent time in the Philippines I was always amazed by the sights I would see on my way to various training grounds as part of my job with the U21 National Team. I then heard of a very special football program. During a rare day off, I decided to visit Payatas, which is the largest open dumpsite in the Philippines. It was reopened only months after the 2000 disaster, where about 1,000 people were killed, at the request of scavengers and other residents of the area who depend on it for their livelihood.
Several foundations operate in Payatas to help improve the opportunities of residents, including the Fairplay For All Foundation. FFA has a football team known as Payatas FC which has been very successful. Several players have been invited to join professional football academies and even national teams, while their various age groups have won more than 20 trophies between them.
I volunteered to coach at one of the Payatas FC sessions and was surprised to appreciate the similarities that existed between there and Australia. When the kids are playing, they are playing. Running with the ball, passing and shooting brings just as much joy and engagement to kids everywhere.
The difference was when they were not playing…or should I say when our kids are not playing. Here, in any given football training session, someone will make a mistake, receive a tackle or lose the score. This is often when I see players become emotional and maybe cry, feel sad or act angrily. I did not see these same reactions from the kids in the poverty stricken area of Payatas.
I suppose they realised that if you lose the game, you might not get another one.
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