Many talented women play football
Image: Romain Kedochim
“I actually look at myself and think that I am in a good place.”
Nearly 4,500 miles separates the Homeless World Cup host city of Oslo and Kenyan capital Nairobi, and for Kenyan player Peris Nyakowa, the spirit of the tournament is helping her to cope with being so far away from her native city.
“I can say that I am a little homesick. It’s my first time outside of Kenya and I am very, very, very far away from home. But I’m still enjoying being here. Here I’ve found so many new people that treat you like you are part of their family. It’s like I’ve made a lot of new families.”
Nyakowa is captaining a Kenyan side that is making its first appearance at the tournament since winning in Paris back in 2011, and what she finds the most eye-opening part is the number of talented women turning out to represent their respective countries.
“When I go back, the thing I will most take with me will be the understanding that out here there are so many talented women who play football. And they are really, really good.”
Through playing football 23-year-old Nyakowa is able to disconnect from the reality of her current situation in Nairobi, one where she and her family often go to bed hungry.
“With me, at home everything isn’t so good. We can’t afford three meals a day. We usually eat two or sometimes only one meal a day. We have had problems paying rent, and so it’s been the case that we have ended up homeless.”
But her experience of playing for her country at the Homeless World Cup in Oslo is providing her with what she feels is a valuable insight into issues that players from other countries have had to deal with.
“What I am getting through being out here is not so much happiness, but more the experience of the problems other people have also. Even if it feels you have everything like a home and money, you can still have problems like drug addiction. So I actually look at myself and think that I am in a good place.”
Words: Craig Williams
Images: Romain Kedochim