Homeless children handed big dreams at charity football match
Laughter is the last thing you’d expect to hear from the mouths of orphans, homeless children and young victims of broken homes. But the air rang with the giggling of kids under the care of the Baan Nokkamin Foundation during a special football match played in Bangkok this month.
The vulnerable youngsters were at the Likeball-Madyalan Arena for a game against a team from AXA Insurance, which donated stationery, sports equipment and scholarships to the foundation as part of its annual corporate responsibility week. This year AXA is focusing on helping underprivileged children with its “Know You Can” campaign. Last year, over 36,000 AXA Group employees in 42 countries spent 67,000 hours of their time to help local charities and good causes.
“The 2019 CR Week is very special because it reflects our new brand promise, ‘Know You Can’, to help people feel more confident to achieve their goals and realise their dreams. It is a clear and empathetic message that can fuel people’s self-belief so that they are closer to their goals,” said Claude Seigne, CEO of AXA Thailand General Insurance. “Several children here today dream of being professional football players. AXA Group is a principle partner of Liverpool FC. We understand the love, passion and dream of these children who are our future so we organised today’s match.”
Among the Baan Nokkamin Foundation kids joining the fun was 14-year-old Kalyanee “Carrot” Boonma, a seventh-grader at Sukhum Navapan Uppathum School.
“Thank you AXA Insurance for organising this very special football match. I have a lot of fun today playing a striker. I dream of being a national player who can lead Thailand team to the World Cup,” said Carrot.
Her teammate Pawaris “Amway“ Kaewyu, also 14, was just as enthusiastic after managing to score a goal during the game.
“I would love to have more fun activities like this,” said Amway, who hopes to one day become a professional football player.
