The Leap

Beyond the trophies of the World Cup, the beautiful game brings children together in the most unlikely places. 

“I’m waiting for this day to come every week. When I play football, I feel active, full of energy and life.” Jana*, 13, loves playing football, riding her bike and drawing. Her family is from Syria but live in a refugee camp in Jordan. After the trauma of living in war and being bullied at the camp, Jana struggled to open up and make new friends. She felt isolated and alone.  

But, thanks to your kindness, everything changed for Jana. She found a new love for life through football sessions run by Save the Children and The Arsenal Foundation. 

 

“I play as a goalkeeper, I’d like to be a goalkeeper in football. I keep waiting for my day to go to Arsenal.  When I play football, I feel happiness, vitality and optimism. I learned many things from football. In the past I had no friends, now I have a lot of friends. This is one of my favourite things about the programme.”

With a new love for life, Jana now has many goals for the future: "I want to become an air hostess, to fly in the sky and visit countries. To have our own private home, my private room, a safe house.”
 

Jana’s mum, Amari, says the club has built Jana’s confidence and helped her talk about her feelings, “This programme, it changed Jana. She was isolated, introverted, she liked to be on her own. She was bullied at schools, on the streets, anyone, everyone bullied her.” 

On Jana’s first session, Amari waited at home, nervous on how things would go. “I was surprised that she came home happy and delighted, her laugh was unbelievable.”

"She started to tell me about her problems and whatever happens to her. I think she started to love life, to love people."

Amari was so amazed by Jana’s breakthrough, she now plays football with other mums at the camp. 

Ahmad* is a Real Madrid fan, and football is his favourite sport. He also loves swimming, maths and playing hide-and-seek with his siblings. He lives in Egypt with his grandmother, but his home was in Gaza. When Ahmad's home was bombed, it killed both his parents and two of his siblings. Ahmad himself was injured by shrapnel to his head and back. He left Gaza with both physical and emotional scars.  

Despite everything, Ahmad dreams of his future and wants to be an architect like his dad. 

Because of your support, Ahmad attends one of our child-friendly spaces where he can safely learn, get mental health support, and play football with his friends.   

“The centre is nice. We come, we play, there are lessons and psychosocial support. At the centre I have many friends. We eat, and we play—everything.” – Ahmad.
 

Daniel was 7 years old when Covid-19 meant lockdowns in Hong Kong. Staying at home and away from friends had a big impact on his development, meaning he fell behind in a city notorious for putting academic pressure on students. 

Because of you, Daniel joined Save the Children’s football programme, where he built his communication and social skills. 

Keep scrolling to see the Photo of the Month. 

Lujain*, 11, poses with her beloved football in the refugee camp where she lives in Syria. “When I play football, I feel very happy. If I had the chance, I would play with Ronaldo.” Lujain would love to be a famous footballer but also wants to be a doctor. Your support helps keep Lujain’s future bright, providing her with essential supplies, as well as a child-friendly space in the camp for Lujain and her friends to learn and play.  

In 2025, we supported 37.8 million children in 92 countries around the world. 

Read more about how you helped change children’s lives in our 2025 report.

*Names changed to keep children safe.