Tom and I are asking for your help. We are looking to fundraise to send Umaru Samura, the First Generation Team Captain, to the Dale Farm Milk Cup, a youth football tournament in Northern Ireland.
About the Milk Cup:
The tournament is a prestigious football event that has been running since 1983 and brings together people from all over the world. The large talent pool brings football scouts from around the globe looking for the next big thing. Previous competitors have included David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney, Craig Bellamy, Nicky Butt, Joe Cole, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe, Robbie Savage, Danny Wellbeck and Ryan Giggs, just to name a few.
For many of our boys this will be their first experience of playing football outside of Africa, and even a first time experience getting on a plane. Not only is this a great opportunity for the boys to make a name for themselves at one of the world biggest youth football tournaments but we are also looking to extend our tour to include a 10 day trip of educational events to enhance their academic studies.
The Craig Bellamy Foundation runs Sierra Leone’s only professional football academy. Operated on a not-for-profit basis, we offer children the opportunity to reach their true potential by nurturing their sporting and academic excellence. Our 1st Generation of CBF Academy boys are now entering the final phase of their scholarship. We cannot get the boys to Northern Ireland without the generous support of Craig Bellamy Foundation friends and followers. £700 is enough to help us get one of our boys to the tournament. This is spent covering the cost of the flights to and from England, and then Northern Ireland, tournament entry costs, accommodation and food for the duration of the trip, internal travel and the educational events we are looking to organise. Its amazing how far that £700 will go.
Umaru's story:
Umaru is a quiet, sweet 15 year old but don't let the quietness fool you; what at first appears to be shyness is actually a steely determination and a maturity way beyond his years. Umaru is an excellent team captain, both on the pitch and around the Academy. He regularly tops the EAD board (Effort, Attainment and Discipline weekly monitoring where the boys are given points depending on their attitude that week) and can always be relied upon to assist in any task.
Umaru is also an extremely talented footballer with a promising career ahead of him. A tricky midfield playmaker with outstanding technical skills, he combines quick feet and an array of deft touches to wriggle out of tight areas. Accomplished as both a box-to-box midfielder or more advanced playmaker, Umaru has the potential to be the difference maker.
Like many of the boys at the Academy Umaru has had a very different childhood to you or me. Umaru grew up as the youngest of the family living in a single room with his mother and four siblings in the Gray Bush area of Freetown, with his father living in nearby Congo Cross.
Overcrowded two storey houses double up as single rooms for several families and rubbish lines the streets thanks to the non-existent waste management in the area. Many of the families that live in the area make their meagre living selling items from small home made stalls at the side of the dilapidated roads and buildings.
Umaru's family was no different. His mother, Hawa, sells fried fish to passers by while his father, Ali, sells cold drinks from a cooler. His mothers house consists of a single room where they all lived, ate and slept. Despite their hard work selling water and bread, his parents struggled to provide Umaru with more than the bare essentials. It was common for the family to share a bowl of rice at meal times.
Umaru went to a school nearby from the age of 5. Unfortunately he wasn't able to attend school regularly due to the school fees, which his father wasn't always able to pay. As such Umaru attend a week here and a week there. Back then he wasn't a fan of school, in a class of 35 students all with different ages and abilities Umaru found it difficult to concentrate and his schooling suffered.
While he didn't enjoy school, Umaru has always loved football. When he was small he taught himself to play using a ball made from pairs of socks. Later he played with other boys on a dusty field nearby as often as he could. Football has always been his dream and at the age of 10 he joined a local team called Syke Rangers. He had played for Syke Rangers for about a year when the opportunity came up to attend a trial for the Craig Bellamy Foundation Academy.
Umaru was successful and was to change his life forever by joining the Academy in 2010 on a five year scholarship. His father was ecstatic but initially his mother was apprehensive as she did not know what the scholarship would mean for Umaru, thankfully his mother is now proud and grateful for all he has achieved already and the opportunities Umaru may have in the future.
Over the last few years Umaru has consistently made improvements on the football pitch under the watchful eye of professional coaches and physios, and in the classroom tutored by a mix of local and international teachers. Whilst he is the youngest member of his generation he demonstrates maturity beyond his years, setting an example for his peers to follow. In 2013 Umaru was chosen to fill the position of CBF Academy Captain for the First Generation team (Toms team).
It means a lot for Umaru to be able to say he now enjoys school. In a class of 9 boys he has been able to learn a great deal over the years and Umaru now loves to read and write. He is also looking forward to learning more about the new subjects here like geography and humanities.
Umaru has gone from strength to strength as Captain, both on and off the pitch, and has certainly proven his worth. He is also one of those kids you cannot fail to like with his easy going attitude, helpfulness and desire to succeed.
Umaru would not only gain a lot as a footballer and a student from the tour in Northern Ireland but would also be a credit to CBF and his country.
Umaru has gone from strength to strength as Captain, both on and off the pitch, and has certainly proven his worth. He is also one of those kids you cannot fail to like with his easy going attitude, helpfulness and desire to succeed.
Umaru would not only gain a lot as a footballer and a student from the tour in Northern Ireland but would also be a credit to CBF and his country.
Umaru's dream will always be to become a professional footballer and that is something he is striving for. The advantage of the academy is that we are able, with a little help, to be able to offer the boys the opportunity to travel abroad to develop their skills, and potentially be noticed for future scouting for trials or training placements.
With the education the boys also receive they are able to plan for successful careers alongside or after the football dream has been realised. Umaru has several options he would like to consider after football, he would like to either be a doctor, a banker or a football coach. A wide range of choices at the moment but with the potential to achieve international GCSEs these dreams are entirely possible.
Umaru has asked that I write you a message from him:
"Thank you very much for sponsoring me to go to the Northern Ireland Cup, I appreciate it a lot. I would be proud to represent CBF and my country. I have the belief that if we go, we will win the tournament. If we go I will also have the opportunity to be scouted as a footballer and that means a great deal, thats my dream, to play in Europe. My biggest dream is to play for Chelsea. When I was a little boy, just 5 years old, my father supported Chelsea and so I have followed in his footsteps"
Umaru would also like to say thank you in advance for sponsoring him and giving him this amazing opportunity.
Should you wish to sponsor Umaru please donate via GivenGain on http://tomandgemma.givengain.org and select the Northern Ireland Cup project. All funds received go straight to the Craig Bellamy Foundation to enable Umaru to attend the tournament.
Thank you for all your support.
