3 minute read
Keeping Families Together
ALPHONSO DAVIES
HARNESSING THE POWER OF SPORT
In honour of World Refugee Day on June 20th, Global Heroes and soccer fan Hermon Desbele chat with UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador Alphonso Davies about making sports history, his family’s experiences as refugees, and how to become a sports star.
At just 20 years old, Alphonso Davies is set to make sports history.
Known for his incredible technique on the field, Davies has already made his mark on the soccer pitch as the youngest senior international debutant and goalscorer for the senior men’s national team.
Now, the Canadian international and FC Bayern Munich player has been appointed as the newest Global Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency— the first footballer and Canadian to do so.
Born in a refugee camp in Ghana to Liberian parents who fled the civil war in their home country, Davies knows first-hand what it means to be a refugee. He also knows that as an athlete, he has the power to inspire a new generation of Canadian soccer fans, like 18-year-old Hermon Desbele.
Hermon and his family fled Eritrea and ended up in western Africa’s Niger before finally getting the opportunity to resettle in Canada. Like Davies, they were refugees welcomed into Canada, a world leader in refugee resettlement, so that they could rebuild their lives in safety.
UNHCR met Hermon in Niger just before he and his family left for Canada and discovered he loves Alphonso Davies. In honour of World Refugee Day, Global Heroes (GH) invited Hermon to contribute questions for this interview so he could hear directly from someone who is a citizen in the country Hermon now calls home.
GH: EARLIER THIS YEAR, YOU BECAME THE FIRST FOOTBALLER AND FIRST CANADIAN TO BE APPOINTED AS A GLOBAL GOODWILL AMBASSADOR FOR UNHCR. CAN YOU TELL US YOUR STORY AND HOW THAT LED TO YOUR WORK WITH UNHCR?
AD: My parents fled Liberia to Ghana to escape war. I was born in a refugee camp there. When I was five years old, my parents got an opportunity that changed our lives: we resettled in Canada. We first arrived in Windsor before moving to Edmonton. I started playing soccer in Edmonton and loved the sport. When I was 14, I was good enough to play at a higher level and moved to Vancouver to join the Whitecaps.
When I became a professional, people heard my story. Some contacted me on social media and told me I was a role model for them. I am proud to share my story and hope to inspire young kids. Just before the pandemic hit, I started working with UNHCR and learning about the work they do for refugees around the world—my own family was helped by UNHCR.
In March 2021, I was announced as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador—it’s one of my proudest achievements!
HERMON: WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO RESETTLE FROM GHANA TO CANADA AND GROW UP IN A COUNTRY AND CULTURE THAT ARE SO DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE YOUR PARENTS GREW UP IN?
AD: I don’t remember much from when we first arrived. When I was young, my parents didn’t talk much about the past. They only I remember starting school when I was about six years old and seeing snow for the first time. One morning I woke up and saw the ground outside was completely white. I went out in just a T-shirt and shorts; it was freezing! School was not super easy for me. I spoke broken English, so I had to learn how to speak Canadian English. But I always felt comfortable playing sports—I played basketball, track and field, but I loved soccer most! Playing sports helped me make friends easily. You don’t have to be a star athlete. Just following sports can help you make friends. Growing up, I watched soccer with my dad. I had lots of fun arguments with the other kids about whether Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo was the better player.
My parents are really happy for me. When I tell them exciting news, like when I got the contract to play with Bayern Munich, my mom smiles a big smile—as big as mine.
