In the midst of an economic, social, and political crisis in Venezuela, an increasing number of children have quit school,and are now spending much of their time unsupervised and on the streets. Particularly in the capital Caracas, which in recent years has been called the most violent city in the world, that can be dangerous.
Our Correspondent Juan Carlos Lamas has this story about an organization run by Venezuelan children to help other Venezuelan children find meaning and joy off the streets and on the football pitch.
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It's called Una Camiseta Por Venezuela --- a t-shirt for Venezuela…a group of teenagers from 25 different schools in Caracas, on a mission. Their goal is to deliver t-shirts, food and sports equipment for children from poor communities in the capital and to arrange for them to have a chance to forget about their everyday struggles on the football pitch.
Sot1. Luis Berlioz, founder
"We created this organization last April in the middle of antigovernment protests. Children could not attend school, most of them stayed at home doing nothing. The best way to keep them away from the streets and bad habits is through sports."
NARRATION
But it's not only about passing and scoring goals on the pitch.
Members of Una Camiseta start the session with a pep talk about setting life goals, and the importance of teamwork and education to make a brighter future.
For this game on a rainy Sunday, nearly 50 children from age 4 to 16 came out to the pitch, where they played a series of matches.
Daniel Arismendi says before Una Camiseta he was planning to drop out of school, but now he's making other plans.
SOT2. Daniel Arismendi, student "This organization has rescued me and many more people, people who had bad habits. Now instead of being in the streets, we practice soccer three times a week, preparing for the next match, and we also eat at the end of each practice, and that's priceless"
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This non-profit depends on donations and the hard work of teenagers concerned about the effects of the social, political and economic crisis in their country.
The feeling of community the non-profit has spread is important to the children on the pitch and to their parents.
SOT3. Marisol Villalta, mother
"It's the first time in the twenty-two years I've been living here, that an organization has reached out to help us. As a mother I am very thankful to see my children practicing sports and studying and not in the streets."
NARRATION
Beyond politics, members of this organization say the children of Venezuela are its future and they hope – one t-shirt, one soccer match, one positive interaction at a time – to make a difference.
From the equipment on the pitch to the food after the matches, Una Camiseta por Venezuela has already helped more than a thousand children from poor communities in Caracas and the organizers plan to expand the program to reach more children this year.
Juan Carlos Lamas Caracas