Dastan is devoted to his work with refugee children at the Harsham Camp in northern Iraq:

“The children have a lot of energy which needs to be released in a positive way. Keeping busy with sport and making friends is such a benefit for them. When they come here in the afternoon they play and play and play, then they get tired and go home and sleep.

I have been coaching them so that they learn about team tactics and how to work together in a positive way.

“We laid a new pitch and put goals up. We bought the children kit and new footballs. I have been coaching them so that they learn about team tactics and how to work together in a positive way. The pitch is open five days a week and is always full.”

We have several success stories from this football project. The biggest story is that our student Mohannad Hosam has received an invitation to join Aljazeera football club in the United Arab Emirates. Now he is now playing with them. This is a great achievement for him and for us. Imagine, he has started with us at this refugee camp and in the middle of this hard situation, and he has ended up with Aljazeera club!

“I care for these children and want to continue helping them.” Dastan says. “They are the next generation.”

In Autumn 2019, Mosaic Middle East supporters paid for the renovation of the football pitch.