Inter Campus Puerto Carreño, Colombia and Venezuela together with UEFA Foundation

VICHADA - Puerto Carreño is a small town in Colombia, in the Vichada region, that sits at the intersection of three rivers: Meta, Vita and Orinoco. On the opposite side is Venezuela, where daily commuters or fleeing families in search of a new life come from.

Since 2017, Inter Campus has been building a project that is growing thanks to the dedication and enterprise of local coaches. The 80 children involved are divided into four groups, with one composed entirely of Venezualans. Life with the Colombians is peaceful, even if unstable life conditions are a constant threat to social stability in the area. The Nerazzurri project’s objective is to promote inclusion and dialogue, with a progressive approach through football and shared moments. Many of the locals are indigenous: they live in the surrounding areas, often moving according to the season. They all, though, join together for their passion of football, uniting populations through the game.

Together with UEFA Foundation for Children, an analysis of the development of children’s personalities has been set up – already underway in Venezuela – with three aims: knowing each individual’s personal circumstances better, being more efficient in speech education, and analysing this progress over time. In twelve months’ time, at the next evaluation phase, we will have the first results. For now, let’s keep playing football.