Ray Parlour the football legend who played for Arsenal was there to inaugurate one of three new football pitches that are located in North Jakarta’s disadvantaged slum communities. Ray was there to participate in the Save the Children football programme which is financed through the Arsenal Foundation. Arsenal ran an end of season campaign to fund the project in order to enable children to be empowered to fight for their rights and help them escape tragic circumstances.
Safe spaces for children
Ray visited the programme in Indonesia’s capital that is providing a safe place to play for vulnerable children and in the process, build their confidence by encouraging teamwork. As part of his visit, Ray played football with the kids and participated in a training session run by Drew Tyler, who is a coach at Arsenal Soccer School.
Inspirational children
Speaking about the visit, Ray said that football has been such a big part of his life and provided him with so many opportunities that it is truly amazing to see the sport used in a way that makes such a massive difference to children’s lives. Ray cited the example of a young boy called Dhani who lives on a bench at the edge of a rubbish dump. Dhani has had to leave school in order to support his family and listening to his story was a real eye opener for Ray. Dhani faces so many struggles each day but through football he can live out some of his childhood and put a smile on his face.
Lack of public spaces
Fajar Jasmin who works for Save the Children in Indonesia said that there are more than 1.6 million people living in North Jakarta and there are lots of urban slums in the region. Many children from this part of the city live in extreme poverty and are socially excluded every day. These children are forced to live in conditions which are unstable and are exploited and neglected combined with a lack of public spaces. As a result of the Arsenal Legends game which Ray participated in, The Arsenal Foundation and Save the Children have come together to enable the power of football and the Arsenal brand to build and run pitches.
