“In the photos I wanted to show how important football is to my dad and my little brother. I grew up with football and my whole family plays the sport. It’s a way to relax. During the pandemic we had to play inside our home and that affected us a lot,” says Johanna.

Johanna Yánez participates in an initiative of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the local NGO FUDELA, the Foundation of the Americas. These organizations work together to promote the integration of refugees and host communities through sport. Football plays a key role in helping refugee and local children and youth foster lasting friendships and live a healthy lifestyle.

Claudia

Claudia Pineda is a Venezuelan professional player for the Dragonas Independiente del Valle, a club that plays in Ecuador’s women football championship. UNHCR and Independiente del Valle have been working together since late 2020 to promote the inclusion of refugees in Ecuador through sport.

With her photos, Claudia sought to show how she and her teammates train at the club’s facilities, which she considers her home. Being part of a professional team means having to train very hard every day, both on and off the field. Claudia plays in the centre back position, so she always needs to be at her physical best to stop the opposition from advancing.

“In this photo I showed Evelyn, Yuriana and my dog Oka. Evelyn is from Ecuador and is 14 years old. She plays centre midfield and is currently training and learning; she reminds me of what it means to be young. On the other hand, Yuriana is from Venezuela and is 27 years old. She is an experienced striker and makes me feel closer to home. (Both Evelyn and Yuriana) complement me as part of the football team and in life. They both remind me of the importance of scoring goals in key moments of life. My dog Oka is, together with my family, my driving force to keep going,” Claudia explains.

“Football knows no borders, and has the capacity to unite people, either in front of the TV or in the field. And it is also a fun way to stay healthy. In this photo I wanted to show a very important moment of the season. We were in the final stretch of the Superliga and the coach was giving us a tactical talk in the dressing room at the club’s stadium,” says Claudia.

Nixon

Nixon García (23) is coach from the indigenous Awa community. He lives in El Chical, a border community between Ecuador and Colombia, where sports and football are key to the integration of refugees. El Chical is a small rural town inhabited by the Awa indigenous community and is now home to many people fleeing the armed conflict in neighbouring Colombia. Nixon participates in a community sports programme run by UNHCR and FUDELA.

“In this photo I showed the children of El Chical that take part in the Community Champions programme. Through soccer, young people learn about camaraderie, teamwork and friendship. While teaching the technique, we also promote values like responsibility. Social issues are complex when you live in a border area where irregular armed groups operate. We must work permanently with children, youth and parents to keep motivating them to participate in our community activities and help build peace,” says Nixon.