AFJA Visit Recap: El Pajaro Picon

09.06.2019

"All of a sudden, my visit to the motherland had a new meaning"

During a short vacation in El Salvador, I was contacted by Steve from Academia de Futbol Juvenil Amatense (AFJA). “If you have time, I would love to have you visit Los Amates for a practice, ” he said after a brief greeting. My immediate response was “I would love to!”. I didn’t think about it twice. I felt honored to be able to visit Los Amates, one of AJFA’s local academies, and was looking forward to learn about the project in person and meet the kids. All of a sudden, my visit to the motherland had a new meaning. I had something special and spontaneous to look forward to, aside from visiting family and friends, and doing touristy things I had included in my travel itinerary. In the end, going to Los Amates was the highlight of my trip.

Let me share my experience.

 I am a firm believer that one can make a positive impact on society through “fútbol”, and for that reason, I became a supporter of AFJA since the very first day I learned about the project. I highly admire what AFJA is doing with children and families in El Salvador and the rest of Central America, but I never imagined that “El Pájaro Picón” could personally help the cause in Los Amates. 

 Although I had seen pictures of Los Amates thanks to AFJA’s Instagram account, in many ways, I wasn’t completely sure what to expect. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up in El Salvador, and I know how simple things like a soccer ball can make someone happy. However, after 20 years of living in Los Angeles, I felt like I had lost touch with the reality of the country. Fortunately, Steve was on top of everything. He set up everything in advance in a highly professional manner, and told me that the kids knew about me and the support I had provided to AFJA. All of a sudden, I was set to visit one of the soccer practices of Los Amates on the afternoon of September 9, 2019.

 As I was headed to Los Amates, I realized how far this “cantón” (small town) was from San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. You have to drive through many roads and pass through the city of San Juan Opico and all the nearby factories to get there. Upon arriving, I quickly put on my mask, got out of the car, and noticed there was a group of approximately 40-50 kids, some of their parents and the local staff all lined up. “Bienvenido Pájaro Picón!” they all chanted in unison. That was an unforgettable moment. I never expected such a warm welcome. It was a humbling experience.

 The visit lasted more than I thought it would. I didn’t want to leave. Despite being in an impoverished community, I saw nothing except happiness, humbleness, talent, unpretentious dreams and love for the beautiful game.

 All in all, if I had to describe the entire experience with one word, it would have to be “hope”. From my experience, what AFJA is doing is truly remarkable and inspiring. I hope that sharing my experience can motivate others to donate to their cause. 

Thank you for reading.

El Pajaro Picon

IG: @elpajaropicon

Twitter: @elpajaropicon_