In August 2017, ISF began supporting a football team set up by Magna, one of the first humanitarian organisations in Cambodia to provide antiretroviral therapy (ARV) to children with HIV/AIDS. The team is made up of 28 players, 13 of whom are female. They train every Sunday with ISF’s senior coach Makara.

“These children with HIV/AIDS face regular discrimination and have never had the chance to get involved in sports. Thanks to football, they can now have fun and be part of a community,” Makara said.

“In the first weeks of training, we focused on dribbling and played games with embedded social messages. Soon, we will start working on passing the ball, underlining the importance of teamwork. I love seeing the impact that football has on these children with HIV/AIDS. When they step onto the football field, they forget about their problems and simply have fun and play.”