Jakob Gaertner (founder & extended coordinator) NAME: Jakob Gaertner
AGE: 16/08/2004 - 19 years
I was born in Tübingen but raised in Konstanz, Germany. After I graduated from High School my priority was to travel the world and get to know different cultures. Since I always wanted to visit Africa Cedrik and I decided to volunteer with BetterMe in Kisumu, Kenya. During our stay we met Curtis and Billy and decided to create a football club.
About Football:
I was passionate about football my whole life. As a player I played for my local club in Konstanz for over 12 years. It is also the place where I met most of my friends and football became a very important part in my social life. As I enjoy taking responsibilities, I also got to know the referee and manager part of the game. In my whole life I experienced the power football has on and off the pitch. Especially in the social part it is a place to get to know different cultures and to improve leadership and team playing. As I had very good experiences with participating in football I believe that we can change much in the children’s life as well as giving them a perspective and structure.
About the Community:
Although the community and environment is so much different compared to the place I grew up in, I felt so much welcome since the time I arrived. The love I felt between the people living there is unbelievable and is a great opportunity for myself to learn and adapt. There are so many kids with massive talent around who just don’t have the possibilities to develop and explore themselves. As I see how people struggle to manage their day to day life, I want to help and encourage them in the best way I can.
My visions and goals with the project:
For me it’s important that the kids benefit in the best way possible. I want them to improve everyday on the football pitch, but even more important is their mental well-being as they experience traumatic things everyday. We want to strengthen them for their future as well as showing them their opportunities and perspectives. To achieve that I want to create a trustful and respectful room where everybody can express themselves. Overall it’s just about creating a bright future for them.
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