Football for the future

The football match, held on Copacabana Beach, was organised by Karanba, a social project that offers football coaching, homework assistance and educational training to children and young people growing up under difficult circumstances.

Creating opportunities

'Playing football together brings joy and gives participants a sense of mastery and belonging. It was great fun to see the match here in Rio and to talk to the players. Sport can open doors and create opportunities for young people - not just in Brazil, but throughout the world,' said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Brazil is well-known as one of the world's biggest football nations. On one of the globe's most famous beaches, and to loud cheers from the crowd, Prime Minister Støre stressed the role of football as an important tool for inclusion and social change. The event brought together children and young people from Brazil and Norway, as well as representatives of Norwegian companies that support Karanba and Team Norway.

'A successful day on the football pitch can give you greater faith in yourself, and in your ability to succeed in other areas of your life. When we invest in children and young people, we are investing in the future,' said Mr Støre.

Dreams and a lot of hard work

One of the participants in the Karanba event, Marco Victor Santana Lima (aged 16) and a pupil at the Faetec Niterói school, spoke of his experience and shared what the Karanba project means to him.

'This project has been a dream come true for me. I have had the chance to take different courses, like IT, English and a junior firefighters' course. The project has opened a lot of doors for me and has given me a bigger network of people,' said Mr Lima.

Karanba was founded in Rio de Janeiro in 2006 by Tommy Nilsen, a former Norwegian professional football player. Karanba's philosophy is to use football as a tool to help children growing up in São Gonçalo, one of the largest impoverished areas near Rio de Janeiro. The project combines football and education to inspire young people to build a better future for themselves.

'Tommy Nilsen came to Brazil with a dream of using football as a way of helping young people succeed. His initiative is a story of resilience, hope and Norwegian-Brazilian cooperation,' said Mr Støre.

Tommy Nilsen himself highlights the power that Karanba has to change lives:

'Karanba has definitely changed my life, because the project enabled me to give new hope to people growing up in poverty. My main aim is to help prepare them better for life. They all dream of becoming professional footballers, of course, but the most important thing for them to understand is that no matter where football leads them, they have a future full of opportunities,' said Mr Nilsen.

The Karanba project

Karanba offers free football training, homework assistance and workshops to children and young people, girls and boys alike. Of the 700 children currently participating in various activities, 44 % are girls. Since the Karanba project began, more than 11 000 children and young people have played matches on Karanba's football pitches, more than 1 500 have received homework assistance and other educational help, and 535 have completed vocational training. The project also provides guidance for entrance exams to higher education.