"Anything is Possible in Yemen" by Andrew Simon
Some people know from an early age that they want to make a difference-to help the community, serve the less fortunate and dedicate their lives to a worthy cause. I, on the other hand, found my inspiration to serve others only recently, across the street from a Baskin Robbins in Sana'a, Yemen. There, perched above a hole-in-the-wall grocery store, stood a discolored billboard proclaiming, "Anything is Possible in Yemen."
It is no secret that Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world. There are few luxuries, and many children forego schooling to help out with small family businesses. Others wander streets in search of donations or food. I saw this first-hand from the window of the Hilltown Hotel (not to be confused with Hilton) where I was housed during my DukeEngage program last summer in Sana'a.
During the first day of my internship at the Democracy School, a children's rights NGO, I was asked if I had a project in mind to implement with the NGO's backing and support. No immediate answer came to mind. After many nights spent deliberating the possibilities, I awoke one morning to the answer-just outside my window. There, across the street, children were joyously playing soccer.
Although Yemen is "another world" to most of us who attend Duke, there are cultural commonalities too. Both Yemenis and Americans share a love of sports and competition, and in Yemen the affordable sport of choice is soccer. Whether playing on a well-groomed field or glass-ridden parking lot, the rules and love of the game are the same there and here.
I realized while watching these children at play that I did not need to limit myself to tackling the overarching problems found in Yemeni society-hunger, health care, political strife. I merely needed to open my eyes to what was happening directly around me. I immediately set out to develop plans for a human rights soccer tournament that had the potential to teach some important lessons.
The tournament, which was played on two dirt fields, attracted 100 local children wearing jerseys of their favorite soccer players. A local gymnasium, meanwhile, held interactive workshops on human rights. Though similar in most respects to any other sports tournament you might see, the difference here was the dialogue taking place after the game-one that was previously non-existent, or at best concealed. Participants openly discussed what their rights were and how to protect them, who to call and who to trust, and most importantly how to rely on one another. Our conversation, though in different languages, centered on values and awareness. It was an amazing and memorable connection.
The impact of the soccer tournament did not hit me until a young boy who had not participated approached me after the games had ended. He asked me why he was not allowed to play in the soccer tournament. I responded by asking if he had spoken to the soccer coach at his school.
"Isn't it my right to play soccer?" he shot back. With a grin I told him yes, and that I would make sure to invite him the following year. Satisfied, he ran down the street and out of sight.
If you've been following recent international events, Yemen's government is fighting a war on two fronts. Northern rebel activity-including al-Qaeda-has increased with bombings in the capital Sana'a, and violent clashes in the south have led to numerous deaths and hundreds of arrests. The mounting strife has resulted in the difficult decision for DukeEngage to cancel its program to Yemen and relocate to Cairo.
I often find myself thinking about those children playing soccer from sunrise to sunset, laughing with one another, working together and competing, learning about their rights and, perhaps, one day having the courage to stand up to stop personal and social abuse. Until then, I feel content knowing that one young boy has begun to question the rights he so desperately deserves-rights that you or I may take for granted.
Andrew Simon is a Trinity sophomore. This article appeared in the Duke Chronicle on April 22nd.