Sometimes Soccer is an Open Door

Faisal, a 9 year old local boy would spend his days in silence sitting in a corner. He wouldn’t go to school or talk to other people. One day Marisa saw him and helped him cross the street. She then sat down with him while they waited for his parents to pick him up. As they waited Marisa tried but struggled to communicate with him in the local language. Faisal stared at her for a while and then started smiling at how she kept trying to form sentences. When his mother came to pick him up she told Marisa that he had a learning disability and he wouldn’t talk to anyone. After that encounter Marisa felt like she wanted to give him a gift so she bought a soccer ball and asked his mother if she could take him to the park to play.

Faisal’s mother happily agreed and so playing during the evenings also turned into Marisa teaching him what she was learning in her language classes. She taught him the numbers, colors and even the alphabet! One day Marisa was invited to visit Faisal’s grandparents in their small town. When they met her they were puzzled at how someone who was learning their language could teach their grandson. They thanked her and were so glad for her help. After eating, Marisa and Faisal went to a soccer field to play. In less than 20 minutes Faisal was surrounded by other boys who wanted to play soccer with them and he was grinning from ear to ear.

Marisa continues playing soccer with Faisal and teaching him while also learning and having language classes of her own daily.