Boys in the “Comuna 12” neighborhood of the Pacific coast city of Buenaventura, in northwestern Colombia, hone their football skills. The boys are participating in an impromptu match and coaching session organized by Brayan Moreno, a 29-year-old former professional football player who now volunteers with kids in this marginalized neighborhood. Brayan believes that sport is an effective tool for keeping vulnerable young people out of the clutches of the armed groups that hold sway throughout large swaths of this part of Colombia, sometimes forcing entire communities to abandon their homes and leave their communities. (Brayan himself was the victim of forced displacement as a child.) The football program for which Brayan was a coach received funding from UNHCR, allowing the group to improve the pitch, buy the basic equipment, and provide Brayan with a modest stipend for his time and dedication. But funding shortfalls to UNHCR’s operations in Colombia meant that support for the program had to be cut. Still, despite his daily struggles to put food on the table for his partner and their toddler, Brayan continues to volunteer his time to coach the youth of “Comuna 12.”
