This is a special post

By Oren:

This is a special post as this isn’t just for fun. I’m not just writing this blog today to tell you what we’ve done this week. I’m writing it because I want to help some Colombian children we met and we need your help.

While we are in Colombia, my mum is volunteering at a charity called Tiempo de Juego (Play Time). Tiempo de Juego help children who come from a poor neighbourhood of the city near us, called La Lucha. Lots of children who live there have very different lives from me and Brae and most of our friends. They don’t have water or electricity in their houses or doctors if they get sick. Also, lots of them don’t have a dad living with them and their mum has to go to work to earn money so they don’t have anyone looking after them after school and there are some scary and dangerous things happening where they live.

Tiempo de Juego organises football clubs for children, so that they have something good to do. Also, when they go there they can learn from older children that joined the football club when they were young who can tell them how to keep away from the bad things in their neighbourhood, stay safe and have a better life.

Because my mum is working there we got invited to a charity football match. It is quite interesting as when they play football in their clubs the games have three parts. First, the children in both teams agree on some rules at the beginning. Everyone has to come up with the rules and there is no referee or grown up to decide the rules for them. footballed-2For example, they might say that a girl has to score the first goal (loads of girls play football in the clubs), or that play stops if someone gets hurt, or that everyone in both teams has to celebrate when someone scores a goal, and things like that. Then they play the football game. Then the third part is when the teams get together to decide who has won, and it’s not necessarily the team that scored the most goals! It is also about which team followed the rules best that they agreed at the beginning.

footballed-4So, last Wednesday we went to a special pitch (it was special because the famous Colombian footballer Carlos Alberto Valderrama, otherwhise known as Pibe Valderrama, played on it when he was a little boy) and we watched another charity play against Tiempo de Juego. In the middle of one of the matches the team instructor came up to us and asked if we wanted to play! We were a bit nervous at first because we didn’t know what the rules were, but we soon got the hang of it and before long we felt really part of the team.

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In my match my team played well but the other team scored more goals ☹ but after the match we talked about who followed the rules best and we gave points. The score in points was, us: 7 and them: 5, so we won! ☺

I wonder if Mr Brown might want to do a match like this in training to see how it goes?

Anyway, I have been thinking a lot about these children and I feel sad that they don’t have the simple things they need in life. So Brae and I have made a fundraising page and we really, really hope that it can make a difference to their lives.

Here is the link for anyone donating money in the UK: EverettsInColombiaFundraising

Or if you are in Colombia or somewhere else, you can give money directly to Tiempo de Juego: DonateTiempodeJuego

If anyone felt that they could make a donation we would be so happy and we’d feel like our blog was really doing some good, apart from just talking about our adventure.

We hope to see our new friends from Tiempo de Juego again so we will tell you more about them next time.

Thank you, friends, family and all our blog readers that we haven’t even met yet!

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15 thoughts on “This is a special post”

  1. Oren and Brae, just wanted to say that I love that you’re doing this, it’s incredibly important and incredibly inspiring! You are living such an incredible experience, make sure you enjoy every moment of it!! I’ve set myself a reminder to donate to your page as soon as I’m back at my desk tomorrow. Lots of love to you both and to mum and dad! Xx

  2. Well done boys. I’m so impressed with this. It’s such an important lesson in life to realise that not everyone lives as you/we do and that we are incredibly privileged. Not only will it make you appreciate what you have but no doubt make you (even) kinder and more empathetic to others. I will be donating!

  3. Good luck with the fundraising we are all behind you and hope you raise lots of money. Colby is also going to help with the fundraising and its lovely how you are helping poor children.

  4. Well done boys…. Lovely you want to help those less fortunate than yourselves. Have you read the latest newsletter!? X

  5. Oren and Brae your doing an amazing thing for the charity. I hope you are having an amazing time also did you or Brae score any goals in the football match.

    1. Hi Harry. Thanks for your comment. We’re having an amazing time. At the football match, everyone was so nice. I didn’t score any goals because I was in defence but Brae scored two. I’m so happy that they are having a Colombia day at Colby! Thanks for supporting our charity. From Oren

  6. I really love the things what you do and I will leave some questions for you to answer.

    have you got some over friends ? are your friends nice in Colombia ?

    how many people was in the team ?

    how many friends did you get ?

  7. Hello! Brae and Oren all the pictures are amazing and that ice cream looked yummy but the thing I liked best was the football one because the rules are different and because I like football. Oren and Brae you must love to be in Colombia because all those pictures looked like lots of fun.

  8. Hi Oren hows you. Hi Brae hows you. this is your Ezra speaking and I have a couple questions to ask you!!!!!
    1) Have you been swimming?
    2) What are your plans in the future?
    3) Is their any thing I would like?
    4) What was your best part so far?

    Have fun from your bff Ezra

    P.S I sent cbbc a email about the fundraising idea and you got on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. Hey Oren!Hope your having a good time its really good of you to do this for the kids in Colombia I think they will really appreciate it!Hope you’ve made loads of friends… but don’t replace Colby
    School must be really fun as its a really big change especially if its hot everyday and all that.Do you have loads of ice cream???Just wondering.Anyway hope you enjoy the rest of your time

    from
    milly

  10. You guys are awesome! A life changing experience for you, enjoy every minute and I’ll cook you a good old English roast when you’re home!

  11. Oren and Brae – you are both amazing but then you are the product of amazing, beautiful, considerate humanitarians! All our love xxx

  12. Hi there Oren and Brae, great to read your posts and learn a little bit about Colombia.

    I loved the alternative scoring idea of the football match and it reminded me of something I saw about 3 sided football. Have you heard of it?

    Here’s a link about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzbnKQKszm4

    Maybe we should organise a game?

    All the best, narwhals,
    Richard

    1. Hi Richard
      I have seen the video. I never knew that there was a game called three sided football. It seems strange to us because we have only played football ever with two teams. It would be cool to try it some time. I I am glad you like our blog.
      From Oren

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