July 3 – Italy engages in the field for the rights of children and young people in Guatemala, and scores its first important goal with “Mision Campeones.” The initiative is being carried out by the Italian Cooperation of the Foreign Affairs Ministry together with the Football Association and the National Amateurs League, with the consulting firm CS33; the aim is to reduce youth violence in the capital of the Latin American country through sport. The project led to the construction of new schools and the rehabilitation of several football fields, the training of new coaches, but most importantly it approached 3,000 children and young people ages 5-17 to football, its rules and the social values of the sport. “Creating strong group relationships, redeem every day life, get away from violence and social exclusion” are the objectives of the initiative according to Giovanni Brignone of the Italian Cooperation agency. The highlight of the “Mision Campeones” came in June, when a delegation from Italy visited the Guatemalan young players from the various districts of the city. The Vice-President of the National Amateurs League, Antonio Cosentino, the director of the Coverciano technical center, Paolo Piani, and Giovanni Galli, former goalkeeper of AC Milan and the national, team were present. The delegation brought sports equipment of various kinds, from the appropriate wearable gear to 300 balls. But above all they forwarded organizational competence to Emefut in order to create an organizational leadership for the youth in the field and help bring to light new talents. With the first phase completed, the creators are already thinking about how to continue such a profitable project: “We are already working on the second phase of the project related to youth employment – said Simona Torretta, project manager for the Italian Cooperation Munijoven project in Guatemala – We do not want too much time to go by and there is every intention of following up these agreements made by the Football Association and the National Amateurs League, by the private sector and institutions in Guatemala. 70% of the population is young, below the age of 30, there is an incredible human potential that needs to be intercepted and directed: football here can be of value.”
