FCSA – Football for refugees in Jordan

FCSA – Football for refugees in Jordan

Since the end of January 2009, Bayer 04 has been an official member of the Football Club Social Alliance (FCSA). The Alliance is a network of professional football clubs, which are committed to social issues in crisis and development areas and moreover in the field of disabled football. The aim is to help children and young people in difficult circumstances and to use the positive power of football.

Bayer 04 and FC Basel have now launched the first project of the Football Club Social Alliance for refugees. For six days the club instructors at the Azraq Refugee Camp, deep in the Jordanian desert, formed 39 Syrian Women and Men to children’s football coaches with special social competence. With the newly gained knowledge, they now can create sports, provide playing and learning opportunities for children and help them with their trauma of the flee from the war zone in Syria.

From Bayer 04, two instructors have traveled to Jordan. While Magdalena Schiefer taught the women, the men of Peter Quast were introduced into the foundation of children’s football. Quast is convinced that this project offers new perspectives to the trained Young Coaches. “Our activities here mean a lot of to the people. Their everyday life is rather dreary. Therefore our training is very meaningful and welcome to them. It offers them future perspectives her at the camp and hopefully later back at home, to look after the children and to convey them the joy of football

Young coach Yasseir is happy about the opportunity to train children: “I participated in the programme to gain more experience working with the kids. Especially in this difficult situation, I would like to make them laugh and take their fears. I am currently working for an NGO here at the camp, providing everyday training for men aged from 18 to 35. My dream is to work with children aged 6 to 14. I want to provide my gained knowledge further to others who are dealing and coaching children.