They sent us photos, short stories about their parties and video greetings from all over the world in those countries where Christmas is celebrated and where its magic is even more evident in the eyes of a child. There was Inter Campus Bosnia-Herzegovina where Sinisa told us about the children celebrating the Catholic Christmas and Orthodox Christmas all together because they all feel the same on the pitch. All are Nerazzurri. At the Sarajevo centre, the coach Father Christmas came and brought small gifts to the children who’d been good this year. Also very good and not just with a ball were the Polish boys and girls from the Sieborowice Orphanage who showed off their singing skills, entertaining the coaches and teachers with traditional Christmas carols.
In the South America, the end of the year is time for despedidas or greetings before the summer holidays. In Asunción, Paraguay the coach Reinaldo told us that the children at Zeballos Cue and the SOS Adeas Infantiles orphanage took part in a party, having fun with the locally famous cabaret artist Carlitos Vera in attendance. They took photos with the trophies won over the year even if the most important triumphs were those off the pitch. "During the Christmas celebrations which coincide with the end of the sporting season in Paraguay, we gave the Inter kits to the kids, the ones they’ve been playing in all year," says Raimundo as the coach in this area of Cateura. "Many of them wore their shirts on Christmas Day with their families. For these children who live in precarious circumstances, Inter Campus is a blessing. It’s like finding water in the middle of the desert. A lot of them are orphans or they live alone or with outsiders, some are the children of gancheros who collect material from the dump to survive. They develop with Inter Campus, they improve at school and in their behaviour and personal development improves. I also receive a lot from Inter, I get the tools needed to carry the project forward and the cheerfulness to be with the children."
The smiles of the children in Cambodia were sent to us along with photos of the party on the beach in Brazil along with news from Mexican coach Karla. At the Christmas celebrations in Queretaro the kids enjoyed themselves by hitting a pinata in the shape of a star before it eventually broke in a shower of sweets.
