Less than a year ago, Robia had never played soccer, but you wouldn’t know it now – twice a week, she is out on the field with her team, excited to be there.
“The first day that we went, none of us could really play, and we did some weird things! We were all laughing – we didn’t know any of the rules,” she shares, smiling at the memory.
Robia says that where she’s from, girls don’t play soccer. When she started, it was all completely new. She left Afghanistan three years ago, when her father decided to send her, along with five of her seven siblings, to Tajikistan. The situation in Afghanistan was challenging, and he hoped there would be more opportunities for them in Tajikistan.
When they first arrived, it was difficult to adjust to a different culture. Now, Robia says she feels used to life here now. Part of that is her soccer team, where she and 15 other girls from Afghanistan have learned the sport together. It was intimidating at first, but with a combination of teaching and practice, Robia and her teammates have vastly grown in their skills.
“Now when I go, I believe in myself. I think, ‘I can do this.’ Because, after this experience, I know that if I like something, I can learn it.”
On and off the field
It isn’t just soccer that Robia has learned, either. She has learned about discipline, respect, and teamwork – values that she sees as helpful both on and off the field.
“Respect is relevant in every area of life – at home, at courses, at school – everywhere,” she says. “And when I am at a course, at home, or doing any work, I should know how to work with a team, how to help the team, and how to respect one another’s opinions.”
Learning these values, along with passion, determination, and honesty, are all part of the goal of Omega’s Sports Project. The Sports Project exists to create a safe environment for young adults, like Robia, where they can learn core life values and develop a healthy lifestyle through sports.
Robia is now a volunteer at Omega’s Sports Club as well, where she helps to lead games and teach these same values to younger girls, too – and where her lived experience of perseverance can be an example to them as well.
“Bit by bit, with perseverance, people can do anything.”
In 2023, our work in sports benefited over 200 people. Find out more here.
