Guest Blog: Richard Carranza of @Gossamr
It’s a tuesday evening in Koreatown, Los Angeles and I am meeting up Alex and Steven from AFJA (Academia de Futbol Juvenil Amatense) for the first time. In many ways I knew what to expect, just like Alex and Steven, I grew up in Los Angeles the product of parent(s) who fled the civil war torn country of El Salvador in the early 80s. I was certain we would connect over our love of futbol, familia and pupusas. Beyond having experiences which resonated including attending the same college, the University of Southern California, I was excited to meet up with the pair who just one year ago and on a whim decided they wanted to have a greater impact on the communities their families originated from and I am glad I did.
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Academic Partnership with Centro Esolcar Los Amates
Having ally ships with local schools is one of our ongoing accomplishments in Los Amates. Not only do we honour the connections we are able to contribute to, but our intention is also to develop unique relationships with other educational institutions and their students throughout El Salvador. Education is part of our foundation as we are assuming the responsibility of engaging with youth on a daily basis, therefore it is important to emphasize that education comes in many forms, shapes, and sizes outside the classroom.
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Poderosas
Poderosas
At a very young age I was introduced to the art of football and the intensity it carried in my culture. I remember it was the first time I had seen Ronaldinho at the World Cup and the foot work he put out on the field that forever captured my attention and love for the sport. Since then I have never stopped participating in engaging with the sport from playing a game to simply practicing keep-ups. However there was a dark side to the sport I learned the hard way, such as the sexism surrounding the sport when I would hear men speaking about women’s football.
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Sustainability: Recycle Your Cleats
The country of El Salvador is rich in culture, natural resources, and home to many of the worlds imports. However, due to historical ruptures infiltrated by the United States, El Salvador has been striving to economically recuperate what has been destroyed by the north. Furthermore, according to the World Resource Institue, the United States is a top contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change that affect the Global South detrimentally. Now with a president who does not believe in climate change, the responsibility to enforce change is more important now than ever.
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Why Los Amates?
Why Los Amates?: El Salvador is currently enduring a series of violent gang related crisis that has had a negative and penetrative impact on too many communities, families, women and children. Poverty and gang violence have consequentially lead to a staggering drop-out rate amongst children in primary and secondary schools. La Prensa Gráfica, El Salvador’s national newspaper, reported in 2017 that 42.6% of students in grade 6 in 2011 continued onto high school. El Salvador also continues to suffer from gender-based violence where women and girls are being heavily and disproportionately targeted. Fortunately, many after-school programs have arisen in order to occupy students and prevent participation in gang activity, and are able to stimulate those who are not able to attend a school and provide a momentary ‘safe space’. Academia de Fútbol Juvenil Amatense (AFJA) is a program that holds these preventative measures at its center, and is focused to create a fun and interactive space for children and youth through the country’s favorite sport, soccer, whilst developing learning opportunities. Fútbol, or soccer, has the ability to teach students, children and youth about solidarity amongst each other, and allows them to formulate strong interpersonal relationships and skills with their team members and others off the field. Participants are also given the opportunity to engage with co-ed spaces where girls and boys learn gender equality, and can dismantle the stigma of ‘boys being better than girls.. Most importantly, AFJA provides a place for children to be children, to play freely, and to encourages education amongst participants.
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