Photo: SOS Archives
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"For a long time all I had in my head was football, football, football", says Kompany who is 1.91 metres tall. That has changed: Vincent recently went to his father's homeland, the Democratic Republic of the "For a long time all I had in my head was football, football, football", says Kompany who is 1.91 metres tall. That has changed: Vincent recently went to his father's homeland, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for the first time. What he saw there has changed his life. He was amazed at the beautiful countryside and at how abundant nature was in his father's home country. It could give people peaceful and happy lives.
But Vincent Kompany also came across unimaginable poverty, misery, disease and despair. "It is unbelievable because the country has Lake Kivu in the east. It is even more beautiful than Lake Geneva in Switzerland and its climate is unique, yet the villages around the lake are fading away. It is dreadful to see."
Vincent Kompany has decided to do something to fight against this. That is why he has become an SOS Ambassador. The two SOS Children's Villages (Bukavu and Uvira) are in the east of the country, which is precisely the area that is so beautiful but where the people are so dreadfully poor. Vincent visited both villages. Why SOS Children's Villages? "Many organisations have contacted me. SOS Children's Villages is a respectable organisation that takes care of the essentials. Abandoned children very quickly lose their way in life, fall by the wayside and have to pay for it for the rest of their lives. SOS Children's Villages helps these children so that they do not suffer. SOS Children's Villages is paving the way for these children to have a better future."
Photo: SOS Archives
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"Here, you can achieve so much with just one euro!"
When asked how people can help, Vincent Kompany says: "It really is not hard to help in Africa. Here, you can achieve so much with just one euro!" The Democratic Republic of the Congo is still suffering from decades of ongoing violence. Riots still break out and it is always tedious when everything that has been achieved is destroyed by violence. The country still has a long way to go and Vincent Kompany wants to help it on its way. Although he was born in Belgium, not in Africa, he can identify with his father's home country. He wants one thing: "I want to see the children of the Democratic Republic of the Congo laughing with happiness and joy as soon as possible."