“Children spend too much time online. It will be good to pull them away from it, even for a moment.”
Rafał Świerczek
Rafał is a man whose passion for football knows no limits. As a football referee he officiates matches, including games for blind players, which gives him great satisfaction. His exceptional work with people with disabilities sets him apart from other coaches. He is a graduate of the University of Physical Education and of doctoral studies. Today he is a passionate primary school teacher. He works with the School Sports Association and the “Iskierka” Support Association, where he runs sports sessions for at-risk young people.
In his free time he greatly enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles. He is convinced that many ideas for sessions for Polish and Ukrainian children will come up spontaneously. In his view, the most important thing is that the project participants get on well and simply like each other.
Mykoła Nechypurenko
Mykoła has been refereeing futsal matches for 15 years – for him it is not just a sport but part of his life. He dreams of working with children and passing on the joy of the game. He comes from Kryvyi Rih, the longest city in Europe, which stretches for as much as 120 km. He came to Poland three years ago when the war broke out, travelling straight from Turkey, where he worked as a cameraman for a football team.
What mattered most to him was being reunited with his wife, who was pregnant at the time. To this day he is grateful to Poles for the help she received while he was not yet with her. Shortly after he arrived, their daughter was born. Mykoła first worked in a bakery; today he is a courier and keeps learning Polish. Many of his relatives live in Wrocław, including his 13-year-old brother, who also wants to join his sessions.
They met “through the whistle”
Rafał and Mykoła met during futsal games, a sport they are both passionate about. It was Rafał who persuaded his Ukrainian colleague to join the programme. With more experience in this area and having already worked as a neighbourhood coach, he is now introducing Mykoła to running sessions for children and young people from Poland and Ukraine. The coaches also know each other privately, so they are confident their cooperation will be fruitful.
Rafał and Mykoła run their sessions at Primary School No. 113, ul. Zemska 16C.
