I’m Sal Masekela and I’m in Florianopolis, Brazil in a favela known as Morro da Caixa.
Now favelas like this one exist all throughout the country, but there’s something really special about what happens within their confines.
You see, here street soccer…it’s not a sport; it’s a way of life.
We hear the word “favela” all the time in the States, what exactly does that mean when you say favela?
This is a place with really bad conditions
No water, no lights.
There’s no space for kids to have some fun.
Street soccer in the favela, that’s one of the options they have.
We give them opportunity to drive their lives in better ways.
That’s the heart of favelas.
Great people, a lot of heart and they do have the same passion for soccer, so this is the Morro da Caixa stadium for them.
They come out here, they play, they show off their skills and this is one of the home fields for the favelas.
Street soccer means everything to Brazilians.
Walk by any place that’s got some dirt with rocks and maybe a couple pieces of sand in it.
As long as you can run on it and got a ball, people are going to be down to get their game on.
It’s in the blood; street soccer is in the blood of the people here.
We play it anywhere, that’s part of what we do.
Meeting new friends everyday on the court, learn how to communicate with people, learn how to deal with the situations where you don’t have referees.
That’s street soccer.
It has a lot to do with our lifestyle, express yourself with a soccer ball on your feet.
