Jordan has a dream: to build a love.fútbol project in his home village in Tanzania

By Guy de Bordas

Jordan Peloubet, a 17-year-old teen living in Tampa, Florida, is raising money to build a love.fútbol project in his home city of Arusha, Tanzania. His campaign, launched last November, has already obtained more than $98,000 out of the $115,000 goal.

Located 500 kilometers north of the Tanzanian capital, Dodoma and at the base of volcanic Mt. Meru, Arusha is a gateway to safari destinations and to Africa's highest peak, 5,895m Mt. Kilimanjaro, lying some 100 kilometers northeast. It is a multicultural city with a majority Tanzanian population of mixed backgrounds: indigenous African, Arab-Tanzanian and Indian-Tanzanian population, plus a small European and an American minority population.

There is prosperity in the city but also a significant income inequality between districts. For instance, Sokoni 1, the birthplace of Jordan, has a population of about 50,000 and is the poorest area of Arusha where there's a gap of public services to the population and few recreational opportunities for children.

Home of the Arusha FC football team and the Tanzanian national rugby team, Arusha vibrates for sport and particularly for football. Jordan recalls that “growing up there, playing soccer was our outdoor activity.” A slightly deflating ball or a ball made out of plastic bags or torn clothes, open space and a couple of friends are enough for a passionate game. Unfortunately, the danger of getting injured is omnipresent with rocks of all sizes spread around improvised pitches. But the passion for the game is often stronger than the obstacles and therefore it never stops any children from playing.

in Sokoni 1, the birthplace of Jordan, there's a gap of public services to the population and few recreational opportunities for children.

Living in the United States nowadays, Jordan is going to be a junior in high school at Tampa Prep and is a player of the school’s football team. He wanted his native town’s children to benefit from the opportunity of having a safe football facility to play the game they're passionate about. When the idea became strong in his mind, his adoptive parents organized a meeting between him and their close friend Farrukh Quraishi, a former player of the Tampa Bay Rowdies and love.fútbol board member. “Building the field will eliminate all the dangers and risks of playing on rocks and unleveled dirt, making the beautiful game of soccer even better for them”, explains Jordan.

Jordan is looking forward to playing the first of many games on the new pitch with the children of Sokoni 1.

The process of collecting funds started last Christmas when Jordan asked family and friends who might consider giving him a present to donate to his cause instead: “I want to make life better for the people over there,” he said. “That is my dream.” Now, with the spotlight given to his initiative by friends, partners such as the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and the media, who wrote articles about Jordan’s story and interviewed him on television, Jordan’s dream to give back to his hometown is soon to become a reality.

Once the funding goal is reached, the mobilization phase of the project will begin, and likewise other love.fútbol projects the community’s active participation will be key in the construction of the pitch. The idea is to inaugurate the new place to play in November, with Jordan's presence as he is looking forward to playing the first of many games on the new pitch with the children of Sokoni 1.

If you want to support Jordan's dream to ensure a place to play for the kids of his hometown, please, consider donate at https://lfarusha.org/donate and help him reach the $115,000 goal.

Learn more about Jordan's story: