SOCCER SCHOLARSHIP FOR FORMER REFUGEE

MY STORY

Hi, my name is Manyumow Achol also known as Manny Achol. I was born in Sudan. It was a very hard life living in Sudan, getting food was insanely hard- we would get one meal a day if we were lucky, we had to go hunt for our food, I went hunting with my Dad and cousins a few times. I was only 5 years old at the time so I couldn’t always go because it’ was not safe. Even getting water was hard- I couldn’t just walk into the kitchen like now and pour myself a glass of water, it just wasn’t that simple, I remember walking miles to a well to get water then having to walk all the way back home with a bucket on top of my head, that was on a daily basis. I had two younger sisters at that time, it would always be us home home alone while Mum and Dad would be out trying to find food and clothes for us. My Grandma was in a different village so we didn’t see her very often but whenever she had the chance to come babysit us she would. For the time she wasn't there I had to look after my sisters- at that time I knew I had to mature quickly because I had to look after my sisters and myself.

There was a lot of war going on at the time so our family kept moving for safety- we would walk miles to villages to be safe. I remember there was one place we moved to which I really liked, can’t remember the place but I really liked it. I went to school, I had friends and there was a church close by so we would go church every Sunday morning. My family is Catholic. I remember me and my friends would wake up early on Saturdays to play soccer. We didn’t have a proper soccer ball so we would make it ourselves. We would get a plastic bag and put a couple of old t-shirts inside and tie the plastic bag and roll it into a ball and cover it with rubber bands so it was bouncy- that is a happy memory. At school we learnt how to write the basics, alphabet and numbers. Every interval break we would run outside and play football, we would use shoes as goals and there was no grass to play on so we would play on dusty, dirt grounds and used the classic African soccer ball.

Me and my grandma ended up coming to New Zealand in 2006.. My Grandma and I were living in Mangere, some place in Auckland, we stayed there for a while. I went to school there. School was very difficult for me because I couldn’t speak English so it was hard to communicate with children and teachers but there were also other African refugee’s there which was really good. We then came to Wellington and settled here, my Grandma’s daughter and her kids were here so that was really good, having family already here made everything a lot easier.

I started playing soccer in 2010 for Naenae Junior soccer club, I really loved playing soccer, especially here in New Zealand because first of all there was a proper ball to play with and proper goals and a proper field to play on. I felt so lucky to get an awesome opportunity to play soccer like this. I really loved playing for Naenae soccer club, it was a little club and everyone was so caring and supportive. A massive thank you to Shea Galleher who was my first ever coach- he’s such an awesome guy, he would always pick me up for games and drop me home after. Another group of people from the Naenae soccer club were Rupert and Elliot Kemeys, Troy Denton and Steve Craig, they coached me when I was about 12-14 years old, they really took good care of me, providing me with boots, transport and by just being really awesome coaches and friends.

I want to fast forward to 2017. 2017 is a year I will never forget, it completely changed my life. On January 2017 there was a soccer showcase in Wellington which was organised by James Prosser and Stu Jacobs. These two men have been a massive part of my everyday life. About six colleges from the USA came and trained us for a week. Each session was taken by a different coach from a different college, I really enjoyed the sessions and learnt a lot to improve my game and it also taught me what it takes to be playing at high level of football. There's a lot of sacrifices you have to make to get to where you want to get, you have to balance football, school and a social life. They spoke about how important school was. I was very nervous about the schooling part because I wasn’t very focused on/at school, all I wanted to do was play football and hang out with mates. At the end of this week I was offered a football scholarship.

Also in 2017, Carlos Junca and Lucy took me into their home for the year. I can’t tell you how lucky I was to get that chance, they really looked after me, I call them my family because of everything they’ve done and been through with and for me, I will always keep them in my heart wherever I am in this world. James Prosser and Stu Jacobs have been the biggest part of my footballing life and also by pushing me in life and fully supporting me in my daily life. They’re always setting tasks for me to achieve to prepare me for anything that comes my way. I really appreciate what everyone has done for me and I always try to make them happy with everything I do.

My 2017 year at St Patrick’s college was a year that completely changed my life. The school staff, support in class and outside of class was massive. I still keep in touch with some of those staff up to this day and will for the rest of my life because of everything they’ve done for me. It’s people like that I like to hold on to forever. A late group of people that also mean so much to me are Rachel and Kevin Thompson, they’ve really supported me in this 2018 year. They have always been there when I’ve needed them.

I’m very thankful for the great people in my life.

I’m fundraising to get me to the States and take on this scholarship.It’s a massive opportunity for me and I want to make the most of it. I am very happy and excited to be able to get this opportunity because of the background I have come from and because how hard life has been for me. I just kept working hard and kept on trying and the rewards are finally showing. I’ve learned to never give up at something you really love and to put a lot of time into it. Just keep working hard and there will be something great at the end.

My name is James Prosser and I am an American football coach living here in Wellington, NZ going on 8 years now. I first met Manny during the beginning of the 2016 winter season when he transferred over to our club at the time, Wellington Olympic. It must have been around April 1st that year. We trained a few times a week as a team, as well as a few times a week as our football academy, Kaizen Football. These sessions took place in the mornings before school, from 6.30-8am. Manny would get on a train from home around 5am, after having to walk from home to the station no matter what the weather (mind you it's winter in Wellington so invariably windy if not also wet). I would pick him up at the Wellington city train station and head to practice. He'd bring a tin of biscuits he'd pick up at the supermarket and I would try to bring him a piece of fruit, apple, banana, etc. to ensure he was getting something in his stomach before training. I'd then drop him off at the station after practice so he could catch a train back to school. We did this throughout the remainder of the 2016 season, which allowed Manny and I to talk frequently and get to know each other a bit better. He then moved into Carlos Junca’s home in January 2017 as he mentioned above.

I've spent time with Manny in our u19 squad, reserve squad, and 1st team squad, in addition to our academy sessions. His attitude and personality always remain consistent. Manny has also assisted me with some junior football sessions across various ages and is a wonderful role model for young people. He has an infectious smile and is a magnet to anyone in his immediate vicinity. I have seen tremendous growth in Manny both physically and mentally/emotionally, all for the positive, and it is a credit to his hard work. We have seen what Manny is able to achieve through the consistency of a steady diet and structured life around his school/football/and social commitments. And the thing that I am most proud of is being able to assist Manny in the next step in his personal journey.

In January 2017, a few U.S. university coaches came here to Wellington, NZ to scout and recruit kiwi players that we gathered for a week long camp. Manny showed very well that week and was noticed by a prominent division 1 university coach, and a personal friend of mine. Through conversations that week and throughout the remainder of 2017, Manny was offered a scholarship to this school. However, we needed to improve some of Manny's academics first. Again, through Manny's determination and perseverance, he achieved the marks in both school and on his SAT test that he needed to. Any task that I ask of Manny he completes to the best of his ability and asks questions if he needs assistance.

It has been a long process from when I first met Manny, from when we first got lunch and watched a football game at the local park to now when he has an open door policy to stay at our home. We are finalising the last details on Manny's next step in his journey, a year at a NAIA college to improve his academics a bit more before he then makes his move to the school that originally offered him the scholarship. That will be another proud day in this process, one that I am grateful to Manny for allowing me to be a part of. And he knows that we have a lifelong bond now, and that no matter where in the world we are, we will always continue to be in touch and get together.

This is a link to my 2017 highlight video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD2IiIQrEAM