Sonrisa

Sonrisa* is 14 years old and plays defence for Team Bolivia, who are currently in training for the Street Child World Cup which is taking place this October in Doha, Qatar. Football is an important part of Sonrisa’s life – read a bit more about why and how below, in her own words.

"I’ve known Alalay since I was very little. I only have my mum as my dad died when I was young. I’ve got 6 siblings and 5 of us have lived in Alalay’s Home at some point. I used to come and visit my siblings and then one day, I ended up staying because my mum was having some problems. I’m the youngest of the six of us and all my brothers and sisters are always looking out for me. I go to school and I’m doing well. One of my greatest achievements so far has been getting into football because I’ve been able to represent my school in national student championships and I’ve been selected to play in Qatar; my next challenge is to play well in the World Cup and raise awareness of Alalay.

The thing I like most about being part of the team is getting to know the other players and sharing things. Every day in training, I learn things that make me better. Football is a team sport and I love that we can model our values. I like that I can have fun with my friends and share games with the opposing team too.

“Playing football teaches you a lot of skills – some are physical so that we can improve our control and performance with the ball. We can also learn about values like respect, responsibility, how to get on with others, self-esteem and equality.” Sonrisa

"I’m really excited for the World Cup because I love being part of my country’s team and I’m looking forward to meeting people from other cultures. People should support Team Bolivia because we’re representing our country and with the support of others behind us, we’ll be even stronger.

After the World Cup, I hope to continue training and being part of the team so I can continue my performance and become a professional player!"