Football Unites Us
Natalia Acero, Spain
My name is Natalia Acero, I am 36 years old, I come from Bogotá, Colombia. We are the residents of CAR (Refugee Reception Centre). There I met a group of children who motivated me to go back to playing football. In Colombia I played with my college and work colleagues, but I left the country due to conflicts with subversive groups and gangs. I have known football since I was very young because in my country it is the sport that is played from a very young age, no matter what age, gender, or neighborhood where you grew up. You could say that football unites us.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any broader meaning with the photos?
They were taken in the park and at the Alcobendas Sports Centre. In the town of Alcobendas there is very little football, although older people play in the sports hall.
I wanted to show that women are capable of playing better than men, and second that we can be a great support for our children to achieve their goals.
You can see Ghayth, a 13-year-old boy who comes from Lebanon, who is eager to play and form a good football team.
Why is football important to you? What role does football play in your life right now?
Football is important because I can share it with my son, and we can also show that women are very feminine regardless of playing football. I can teach my child that life is sometimes won or lost, know different cultures and dialects, and sport gives us discipline.
I like to watch my son play soccer. Accompanying him to play in the park has allowed me to know him in other areas of life and his childhood where I had never seen him. It has helped me to get to know him in another way.
Today's football does not take into account age or gender. Those kinds of values are what I want my son to learn, to play with other people of the same or different ages, playing with people of the same or different gender, playing with people of the same or different nationality, that does not matter. The important thing is to form a team and fight together for the same goal. Therefore, I admire this sport. I have an age and a gender, my son has another age and another gender, but together we form a team to fight for the same objective, to build a new life.
What ambitions do you have for the future?
In the short term, I want to stabilise in a place to live, get a job and continue my professional studies. In the medium term, I would like to get a job related to my profession and help people who need it.
