Latin America's Super Stars
Posted on 26/04/2009
During a visit to Chile and Brazil we caught up with players from previous Homeless World Cup tournament's who continue to inspire as they lead their lives with true courage, spirit and glory.
Miguel, Chile
Miguel, 32, played for Chile at the Cape Town 2006 Homeless World Cup. He lived on the streets for 8 years, in the doorways of banks or hospitals, and was also addicted to drugs for 8 years. Today he is a natural leader, proud to show me round Nuestra Casa (Our House), a project that runs the football programme in Chile to select the national team. Miguel is no longer on drugs. He has a job and for the first time in his life he rents his own home. Last year he got married and he will be a Dad in September. Miguel says: "This is what is brilliant about the Homeless World Cup and the Street Football Project in Chile. Now I have all this. I have a life."
Miguel is a monitor in one of the tougher parts of Santiago where he is well known and well liked. This means he invites the young kids and adults from this area hooked on drugs to come along to the football. Now players from previous Homeless World Cups are all becoming monitors in different parts of Chile and the impact continues on - lasting and significant.
We went along to Miguel's new home with a film crew from Chile's main television news programme. He shared his story and invited the nation to get involved: "This is real life, not reality TV. Support the national team from Chile. Football is powerful. It changes lives."
Eduardo, Brazil
Eduardo, 28, played for Brazil in the Gothenburg 2004 and Cape Town 2006 Homeless World Cup. Eduardo is from one of the 1000 Favelas that run across Rio. Here his life was taking and selling drugs to make around $250 a week (the minimum wage here is $250 a month).
Then he started with OCAS and began selling the street paper where he was invited to participate in the football programme.
Today he is presenting his story to 50 homeless men in Rio, themselves going through a drug rehabilitation programme. Eduardo shared: "I didn't believe it when Luciano (President, Ocas) told me I would represent Brazil in Gothenburg. And then a passport arrived for me and I started to believe it." And then there he was! The Goalkeeper, representing Brazil, away in another country.
Eduardo no longer takes drugs of course. He is a super alive and shining person who is really fun to be with. He now has his own home a whole world away in the safe southern neighbourhood of Rio. He lives here with his girlfriend and their 10 month old son. He is a waiter and a plumber. He still plays football sometimes but mostly loves to swim at the beach and surf, where he is called the alligator because he surfs the waves without a board.
