Friendship Cup in Mexico with Inter Campus
Every time Inter Campus come there to Mexico – whether they are headed to Chiapas, Queretaro, Guanajuato or Mexico State – it’s always the metropolis that hosts them first. With its 21 million people, Mexico City is one of the most populous cities in the world.
The first day of the Inter Campus visit took place off the pitch, as they were hosted by their partner Fundacion Renacimiento in the infamous Tepito neighbourhood. Every time they call a taxi to take them there, the driver asks if they’re sure they really want to go, but they feel safe with the coach Oscar. Along with him, Inter Campus take Christian and Aracel to school, two youngsters involved with the foundation. The streets are a marketplace, an endless array of small, makeshift mobile stalls, where you can find everything. In the neighbourhood, besides providing basic assistance to adults in need, Fundacion Renacimiento works with street children, who they host – including for long periods.
For the last year or so, the foundation has also been taking in immigrant children without their parents who arrive in Mexico from other areas of Central and South America. Like Kelli, a six-year-old girl from Honduras, who lives in the facility along with lots of other children and young adults. The foundation offers a whole host of courses and services, including Inter Campus’ fun and educational offering. This visit was held at UNEVE university in Valle de Ecatepec (Mexico State). There the coaches from the Inter Campus sites in Mexico City, Silao and Queretaro came together to attend a training course run by Inter Campus coaches Juri Monzani and Silvio Guareschi. Within the university, Inter Campus has ran a project to help 40 children living in poor and dangerous conditions over the last three years. Sadly the crime rate is very high in the area and this work helps the children to develop properly and prevents them from falling into youth crime.
‘Love’ and ‘Generosity’ won the Cup
The week in Mexico City ended in the Ceylan neighbourhood with the Friendship Cup. Two groups of kids came along to play. The first came from Silao along with lead coordinator Juanjo and Erika from the Peter Pan foundation. The latter group came from Queretaro with Sister Carolina, the new Inter Campus contact at the long-time local partner the Sisters of Saint Marcellina. They would like to officially welcome Sister Carolina and, after five years of running the project, they bid farewell and thank Sister Adriana. The tournament was one big celebration. Everyone wore the Nerazzurri colours, as around 100 boys and girls were split into 10 teams. Each of them chose their team name: Courage, Generosity, Responsibility, Love, Tolerance, Respect, Friendship, Honesty, Integrity and Peace. The two tournaments running side by side were won by Love and Generosity, though the real winners on the pitch were fair play and healthy competition.
