International friendships: Girls from Benin conquer Borgfeld!

International friendships: Girls from Benin conquer Borgfeld!

Borgfeld, Deutschland - On June 27, 2025, the sports facility behind the big things in Bremen becomes the scene of a special event: SC Borgfeld receives 18 aspiring footballers from Benin, which belong to the Football Academy Kabongo-Parakou. This group takes part in the Borgfelder Karl-Schmidt-Cup for the first time, a tournament that not only promotes sporting exchange, but also expands the horizon of those involved. According to the Weser-Kurier , this exchange is based on the belief that real encounters can create new perspectives.

in Benin, one of the poorest countries worldwide, many girls often only have limited life perspectives. Many are forced to work early instead of going to school. The program in Borgfeld aims to offer the girls from Kabongo new opportunities. It is a mixture of education, sport and the structure of friendships that should enrich the exchange beyond the lived reality. Thomas Kaessler, the club boss and managing director of the Bremen State Sports Association, emphasizes how important direct encounters are for the awareness of the Borgfeld adolescents and that this experience not only enriches the girls from Benin, but also the local adolescents.

a special birthday

A highlight of the week takes place on June 27, when the two twins Sikiratou and Mounirathou Issifou, both of whom play in the national state selection of Benin, celebrate their 17th birthday in Borgfeld. While Mounirathou is aiming for an apprenticeship as a mechatronic engineer, Sikiratou plans to graduate and continue her career in football. These life paths illustrate the different possibilities that the girls are opened through the exchange and the academy.

Katrin Meyer, the organizer of the exchange, founded a girls' football team in Benin in 2018. An academy developed from this commitment, which today houses 43 girls and young women and enables them to be educated as well as sporting activities. Every year Meyer collects more than 100,000 euros in donations for the academy. The main sponsor is Jens Warneke Export GmbH from Bremen, which makes a significant contribution through its support. Despite their challenging living conditions, the girls in Benin are remarkably happy and satisfied - a symbol of hope and strength.

a comprehensive exchange

The exchange between Borgfeld and Benin has been promoted for over seven years, and the initiative not only encounters enthusiasm in Bremen, but is also part of the more comprehensive commitment of the German-African Youth Work (DAJW). This supports young people from Germany and Africa in order to work together on sustainable development projects. Projects such as "Teams Up!" And "Team Works!" Promote the exchange of youth groups and specialists, with the aim of developing and learning ideas together in order to make global coexistence more fairly. Exactly such approaches can also be expressed in cooperation with SC Borgfeld, where sport serves as a bridge between cultures and new friendships are created.

Overall, the Borgfelder Karl-Schmidt-Cup not only shows the sporting ambition, but also the opportunity to overcome cultural barriers and to raise awareness of global relationships. The commitment of the Borgfelder is an impressive example of how community action can contribute to strengthening an international community.

Further information on the promotion and support of international youth exchange projects can be found on the website of the bjr .