“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Martin Luther King Jr

Yonus (renamed for identity protection)

coach & Mentor

Yonus was orphaned at a young age and lived in poverty.  He was approached five times by an extremist leader who offered wealth, power, and education if he would join.  At great personal sacrifice, Yonus resisted that path and volunteered to coach and mentor three different girls soccer teams.  Yonus is a Hiwot mentee and a powerful force for good- he now works alongside us, including in our work among tribal groups and refugees.

Success story: holistic transformation & conflict resolution in Ethiopia 

the sudan border/Benshangul

Trained enemy groups from 24 unreached villages who engaged in generational revenge killings. They came because it was through soccer.

Mentored & provided leadership development for key leaders. Secondary issues changed dramatically. Over 60 girls to school the week after & more

Civil War broke out in 2020; over 10,000 people were killed in this region

The community leaders mediated between security & rebel force groups, & we provided reconciliation training

Enemies reconciled, trained thousands more, and now the region transformed from one of the most violent, to one of peace. Local elections were then possible, organized peacefully by these same previously enemy groups.

“We never thought we would see this day. It’s the only time we have run for fun and not obligation to harvest, or to bring water and grain to feed our family. Nobody sent us to school, and we are forced to marry at a very young age so we have never had an opportunity to be included and learn like this- thank you.”

Wogaina (participant)

Refugees

There are many extremist ideologies that prey on people in this exact situation, but by offering a positive alternative solution that touches the deepest internal part of the person, they can know themselves and know they are valued and have much to offer to make this world a better place. 

We also train refugees in the Northern Refugee camps through the Coaching4Life course. By meeting the refugee crisis and addressing the root of the global crisis, we have the potential to change the world and multiply ourselves so that even refugees can be leading positive change with hope and purpose in the camps or beyond, regardless of which country they end up ultimately going to. We equip the coaches and they multiply this training to the tens of thousands of children and youth in the camps to provide hope and purpose.