RIO DE JANEIRO: Street Child Football World Cup kicked off at Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, ARY News reports.
The Street Child World Cup being participated by 230 street kids from 19 nations for 10 days of football, art, sightseeing and workshops – putting a spotlight on an issue that many people choose to ignore.
They include street children from Karachi in Pakistan and Mwanza in Tanzania, Indian children who sought refuge in Chennai station after escaping from domestic abuse, and Brazilian youths who are trying to break free from the cycle of poverty, drugs and violence that claims so many lives in Rio before the age of 20.
Playing football is a rare opportunity to escape these children from their worries.
"Football takes me away from my problems. I've always loved it," a participant says, during a training session with teammates in the Penha area of Rio. "The Street Child World Cup is a really great opportunity. I've never had anything like this."
