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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/22/football-club-that-saved-disconnected-refugees-needs-fundraising-win
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Football club that ‘saved’ disconnected refugees needs fundraising win | Football club that ‘saved’ disconnected refugees needs fundraising win |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| After Zakarya Shojaie made it to Australia, he established the Afghan Victory Football Club to give fellow refugees a place to come together | |
| Calla Wahlquist | |
| Thu 22 Jun 2017 02.13 BST | |
| Last modified on Thu 22 Jun 2017 02.14 BST | |
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| When Zakarya Shojaie was released from immigration detention in 2012, he went straight to Dandenong. | When Zakarya Shojaie was released from immigration detention in 2012, he went straight to Dandenong. |
| “I had a friend in the detention centre, he said he heard about Afghanis, they live in Dandenong in Melbourne,” Shojaie said. | “I had a friend in the detention centre, he said he heard about Afghanis, they live in Dandenong in Melbourne,” Shojaie said. |
| The 29-year-old Hazara man found a community full of other refugees from Afghanistan, most of them young, and many without any family or support networks. | The 29-year-old Hazara man found a community full of other refugees from Afghanistan, most of them young, and many without any family or support networks. |
| So he turned to the world game, the sport he had played as a teenager before terror attacks made his hometown unsafe, and started a football club. | So he turned to the world game, the sport he had played as a teenager before terror attacks made his hometown unsafe, and started a football club. |
| “I saw many young refugees, teenagers, from Afghanistan,” he told Guardian Australia. “After school they are walking around Dandenong Plaza, Dandenong train station … they didn’t have anywhere to go, no family. | “I saw many young refugees, teenagers, from Afghanistan,” he told Guardian Australia. “After school they are walking around Dandenong Plaza, Dandenong train station … they didn’t have anywhere to go, no family. |
| “I thought: if they live like this it’s very dangerous for them, they may get into alcohol or drugs, they won’t have a good life. I felt that it was my responsibility, I live in this wonderful community, and I said I have to do something.” | “I thought: if they live like this it’s very dangerous for them, they may get into alcohol or drugs, they won’t have a good life. I felt that it was my responsibility, I live in this wonderful community, and I said I have to do something.” |
| Shojaie founded the Afghan Victory Football Club and invited the young people he saw hanging around Dandenong streets. | Shojaie founded the Afghan Victory Football Club and invited the young people he saw hanging around Dandenong streets. |
| At their first training session they had 25 players. Four years later, they have 50 members, enough to field an Under-17s boys’ team, Under-19s girls’ team, and Under-25 mens’ team in the Melbourne Chinese Soccer Association champions league. | At their first training session they had 25 players. Four years later, they have 50 members, enough to field an Under-17s boys’ team, Under-19s girls’ team, and Under-25 mens’ team in the Melbourne Chinese Soccer Association champions league. |
| Shojaie covered the cost of uniforms and association membership fees out of his wages from a manufacturing job until he lost the job earlier this year. | Shojaie covered the cost of uniforms and association membership fees out of his wages from a manufacturing job until he lost the job earlier this year. |
| He is now crowdfunding and trying to attract sponsorship to get the $20,000 a year needed to keep the club going. | He is now crowdfunding and trying to attract sponsorship to get the $20,000 a year needed to keep the club going. |
| Without it, he is worried that young players will lose the structure and role models the club provided. | Without it, he is worried that young players will lose the structure and role models the club provided. |
| “It has been really positive and they have become good friends, they feel like they have family, they live together, and they help each other out,” he said. | “It has been really positive and they have become good friends, they feel like they have family, they live together, and they help each other out,” he said. |
| “Sport is a good thing to bring the community together. It is important for these young people to know we can have a good life, we can be healthy and we can have family.” | “Sport is a good thing to bring the community together. It is important for these young people to know we can have a good life, we can be healthy and we can have family.” |
| As of Wednesday the club had raised just 5% of its goal. | As of Wednesday the club had raised just 5% of its goal. |
| Refugees | |
| Australian immigration and asylum | |
| Afghanistan | |
| Migration | |
| Melbourne | |
| Australia sport | |
| features | |
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