Empowering Poor, Rural Girls in Paraguay

Last month, 8 students from the Mbaracayu Educational Center were selected to represent Paraguay in this year's Homeless World Cup to take place in Paris, France, from the 21st to the 28th of August.

These girls were drawn from the entire student body of the Mbaracayu Ed Center, a girls-only school comprised of around 144 adolescents.  After announcing the 11 shortlisted players in June, last month the candidates worked even harder to make it to the team.

The players that make up Team Paraguay were selected not only for their football talent, but more importantly, for their leadership skills, attitudes and motivation towards this annual world cup of street soccer.  They are:

1. Nancy Beatriz Florentín, 17 yrs old
2. Julia Clavelina Ortiz Busto, 16 yrs old
3. María Montserrat Oviedo Quintana, 17 yrs old
4. Sandra Delicia Aguilar Giménez, 17 yrs old
5. Dora Elizabeth Galeano Galeano, 16 yrs old
6. Marta Mercedes Noguera, 18 yrs old
7. Ylsialini Battro Dávalos, 16 yrs old
8. Bianca Carolina Soares Zucon, 17 yrs old

Please support Team Paraguay get to Paris in a few week's time.  The team is looking for donations to cover certain expenses such as passport issuance, football gear and equipment, first-aid kit, among others.

Your support can really make a difference in these girls' quest to transform their lives through football, team work and shared goals.

We take this opportunity to thank our recurring donors for their continued support.

Go Paraguay!!

Links:

• VIDEO: Team Paraguay for Homeless World Cup Paris 2011
• Article in local Paraguayan newspaper
• Homeless World Cup, Team Paraguay Profile

ASUNCIÓN – Paraguay (June 02, 2011).- Fundación Paraguaya held a press conference to announce the short list of players for the Women’s Soccer Team that will represent Paraguay at the Homeless World Cup 2011 to take place in Paris, France, August 21-28. 

The soccer players are students from the Mbaracayú Educational Center located in the Mbaracayú Nature Reserve in the Department of Canindeyú, Paraguay. They were chosen from among the 142 students at the Environmental Sciences Technical High School. In addition to the basic curriculum, the students develop entrepreneurial and business skills through the diverse education for entrepreneurship programs- Junior Achievement and the Self-Financing Education model.

The shortlisted players are: Astrid Yadai Cáceres Portillo from Yrybucuá, Venancia Giménez from Itanará, Dora Elizabeth Galeanos from Britez Cué, Nancy Beatriz Florentín from Villa Ygatimi and Julia Clavelina Ortiz Bustos from 11 de Septiembre. The team also includes: Mariza Tykuarangi from Arroyo Bandera, Marta Mercedes Noguera from Villa Ygatimi, Bianca Caroline Soares from Nueva Esperanza, Sandra Aguilar from 11 de Septiembre, Raquel Airagi from Arroyo Bandera and Montserrat Oviedo from Villa Ygatimi. All are students from low-income rural families who were called to participate due to their skills in the realm of soccer as well as their positive attitudes and sense of camaraderie.

The Homeless World Cup (HWC) is a global street-soccer event that has been held each year since 2003 (Austria 2003, Sweden 2004, Scotland 2005, South Africa 2006, Denmark 2007, Australia 2008, Italy 2009, Brazil 2010, and this year, France).

The organization invited to coordinate the Paraguayan participation in this international tournament is Fundación Paraguaya through its Entrepreneurial Education Program.

The international tournament uses this sport as a catalyst to encourage homeless youth to turn their lives around as well as to change the attitude of governments, the media, society in general and influential individuals to create better solutions for the problems faced by homeless people around the world.

HWC has international partners and allies such as the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Nike, Vodafone Foundation, the United Nations and soccer clubs that support this innovative initiative such as Manchester United from England and Real Madrid from Spain, as well as famous soccer players such as Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand.

Mel Young, co-founder of this world-level cup maintains that “more than 70% of the boys experience a favorable change in their lives and more than half have overcome addictions to drugs and alcohol. They have found their place in the educational system and have becomes agents for change in their community.”

The participation of the Paraguayan Women’s Team is enabled through an invitation extended by the organizers who will cover the stay of the players during the tournament, and local sponsors who are providing support by covering travel and equipment costs.

Global Givers can now join the cause in support of the girls' paticipation in this international social soccer competition by making contributions.  

Many thanks in advance to our generous supporters.  Go Paraguay!

Links:

• Press clipping
• Team Paraguay, Homeless World Cup