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WHEN HE SET OFF ON A TRIP CHIEFLY AIMED AT GAUGING FIRST HAND THE IMPACT OF HIS COMMITMENT TO COMMON GOAL, JAPANESE INTERNATIONAL SHINJI KAGAWA DID NOT IMAGINE WHAT AN ENDURING EFFECT HIS JOURNEY TO TACLOBAN, PHILIPPINES, WOULD ALSO HAVE ON HIM. In Tacloban, Shinji visited FundLife International, a football for good organisation he has teamed up with through Common Goal in a collective effort to ensure that local youth have the right to play, a holistic education and equitable opportunities. Founded in 2014 in response to Typhoon Haiyan that resulted in mass displacement and 7000 casualties across the country, FundLife continues to provide a crucial support system to children and youth suffering from the long- term consequences. FundLife’s programmes, that reach over 30,000 people in Tacloban and Cebu, have enabled these young people to con- tinue pursuing their dreams in the face of adversity. The trip did more than simply leave Shinji satisfied with the organisa- tion’s work in the field. “I had never experienced something similar before,” Shinji confessed. “On a hu- mane level, I felt that this experience was huge, and on a personal level it has given me so much.” The dichotomy between the scarred landscape of Tacloban, where it is estimated that approximately 90% of infrastructure was damaged by Haiyan, and the children’s unabated positivity proved to be especial- ly surprising and invigorating for Shinji: “In visiting the slum areas of Tacloban, I found that many children, in spite of the difficult circumstances, haven’t lost their smile and their joy of life. That really impressed me. I received huge energy from seeing first hand that the children of FundLife are trying to enjoy their life and to keep on smiling.” Shinji added that his en- counter with the children and their inspirational life stories had further convinced him of the value of the personal rapport between players and the organisations they team up with, that is enabled by the Common Goal framework. Beyond gaining a clearer picture of the impact of his personal contri- bution to FundLife, Shinji also took time to reflect on the necessity of a more cohesive effort on a part of the football industry to support similar initiatives: “At the same time, I realised that I can’t do this on my own. In the football industry, I be- lieve that many people feel empathy, and we can create synergies and expand collaborations by forming a collective between players from different countries, getting together and taking action cohesively rather than individually. The more people collaborate, the more children and families who are suffering from pov- erty will benefit from it.” SHINGJI KAGAWA plays for Borussia Dortmund and the Japan National Team. Having joined Common Goal in October 2017, he teamed up with FundLife International, Football for All in Vietnam and Indochina Starfish Foundation to reach the goal of Quality Education in Asia. Launched in reaction to the Typhoon Haiyan in 2014, FundLife has since supported over 30,000 children in Tacloban and Cebu through football-led educational programming. FundLife is focused on building integrated sports and learning centres that focus on soft-skills, preparing children for employment. Football for Life (F4L), FundLife’s flagship programme, was first launched in 2014. Initially a play therapy intervention, F4L has evolved into a community-based holistic educational pro- gramme, which uses football as a powerful engagement tool. 18 19 FOOTBALL FORGOODMAGAZINE | AUGUST 2019 FROM PITCH TO FIELD