Everton players Asmir Begovic and Kenza Dali discussed how they have been shaped by their life experiences and faith at an event to highlight how the club and its official charity is supporting refugees and asylum seekers through its All Together Now campaign. Last week’s ‘Everton Welcomes’ event spotlighted programmes and services available through Everton in the Community and other organisations in Merseyside to those who have been displaced or forced to leave their country due to war, persecution, or disaster.
As part of the All Together Now campaign, the event also marked the end of Ramadan and guest speakers Begovic and Dali explained to those in attendance what the month means to them and outlined some of the challenges of fasting as professional footballers. Guests included representatives from Everton, Everton in the Community and Everton Free School, the Everton Fans’ Forum and Evertonians Against Hate group, Liverpool City Council’s refugee and asylum seeker resettlement programme ‘Our Liverpool’, and local refugees.
Begovic’s family fled the Bosnian War when he was four years old, eventually settling in Germany and later Canada. Now 34, the goalkeeper is an ambassador of the UN Refugee Agency and keen to raise awareness of the plight of displaced people around the world.
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He said: “What I went through is a reality of my life. There were some troubled times, difficult times. But there was also light at the end of the tunnel. We can hopefully raise awareness of situations that are going on around the world for many different reasons. The more of these things we do and the more we can make people aware of these situations, the better it will become [for refugees].”
Midfielder Dali was born in France to Algerian parents and saw first-hand the difficulties that met her family as they adjusted to a new country and culture. She left France to join West Ham United in 2019 and has faced her own challenge adapting to a new country and building relationships during a pandemic.
Dali, who joined Everton in July last year, said: “I met some girls who come from the same area as me in Algeria and it’s so good to connect with people like this – we shared phone numbers! I feel it’s important to tell people that we have been through similar things to them, we know what they’re actually living [through], and that it can be really, really hard, especially when you don't speak the language, you are far from your family and your culture, and you need to adapt every day. If Asmir and me can help people by sharing our stories, that can only be good.”
Since 2015, Everton in the Community has run its refugee programme, which includes twice weekly football sessions that bring together refugees and asylum seekers in a social setting. The charity also offers additional support through workshops to develop language, culinary and other key life skills. Additionally, the club has shown its support for those affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and, last month, announced it would promote the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal on the sleeve of its playing shirts until the end of the 2021/22 season.
Club Ambassador Ian Snodin, who attended last week’s event, said: “I think this is another excellent example of the great work we do and how we are welcoming people to our club and our community and giving them some of the support they need. Listening to Asmir and Kenza talk about their journeys and their faith, it was really inspiring, and I am sure a lot of people, especially a lot of the younger people in the room, will have got a lot from tonight.”
Ben Osu, Everton’s senior lead for equity and inclusion, said: “We know that for anyone of any background, moving to a new country or city is a really challenging thing, let alone when you have been forced to do that. As well as welcoming refugees and asylum seekers, this event was about bringing people into a room who may not have had the experience of a refugee or asylum seeker and helping them understand what that experience can be like.
“As a football club, we are aware of our responsibility to help build a sense of community for people who are trying to settle in our city, create new relationships and build a new life.Through our All Together Now campaign, we want to make Everton Football Club a place where everyone, regardless of who they are, where they are from, or how they identify, feels respected and that they belong.
“I would like to thank Asmir and Kenza for their honesty and inspiring thoughts, and also Everton Free School principal Steven Baker for bringing his own expertise on the subject and proving an excellent host of the evening’s Q&A.”
To find out more about Everton in the Community and the programmes and support available, visit evertonfc.com/community
