The Beautiful Game
Stories
The Beautiful Game
Young Shifaa lost many things when she fled Syria. But in exile she has found new friends – and a passion for football.
Practice gets underway for Shifaa's team at Za'atari camp.
© UNHCR/Bela Szandelszky
Three years of war have exposed the children of Syria to many terrible things. The sound of shelling. The sight of loved ones maimed or killed. The fear and uncertainty of fleeing for their lives.
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Once in a while, the conflict opens their eyes to something positive, too. Twelve-year-old Shifaa had never seen people play the game of football before she came to Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan. Now she's a powerhouse on a girls' team there. "The other girls like to play with me," she says, "because I'm strong and I score goals."
