No ball, no cleats, no field- just heart and crumbled paper. Childish banter and cheer-filled laughter can be heard throughout the streets as they focus on taking control of a yellow candy box found in place of a soccer ball. A moment of innocence between the eroded and weathered down houses. Visions of exposed rebar and projects that remain unfinished. Somehow, despite what many viewed as incomplete, the children and community remain content and united. A visceral call to action cried out- our community deserves more than this. I felt a quiet promise forming inside of me. If they can create happiness with so little, imagine what we could do with just a little more.

In Sao Jorge, Fogo, Cabo Verde, in a moment of ignorance, I asked the children where their soccer ball was, they responded that they did not have one. For a second time, my ignorance got ahead of me and I thought money would solve this disparity. I headed to the main city to purchase the soccer balls for them to find out there were none available. I couldn’t quite understand how a whole island in Africa did not have one soccer ball for sale.

 When I look back at my youth, I realize how important sports were to me. It was the one area where I had a new chance every time to get both a win mentally and physically. Coming from a place with so little, every small win was an opportunity- for growth, for independence and continued hope. The idea that one day I could be an adult athlete was a dream that felt real with every crossover, jump shot, or win of a game. The court was where I felt no judgement while having the support of my peers. Sports allowed me to forge friendships I have until this day. The children of Cabo Verde deserve the dreams, ideas and possibilities so many of us have had.

 Walter Tavares, a 7’3” Cabo Verdean, didn’t play basketball until he was 17. He didn’t have the means or accessibility to the sport until one day a German tourist visited him while Tavares was working in his grandmother’s shop. Once discovered, he played two seasons in the NBA and currently plays professionally in the Euro league. There are still many Walter Tavares’s with no access to sports. I would love to help give those children the opportunities they may be missing.

 I recently sat on an advisory board that oversaw the proposal and development of a $70 million sports complex, the Field House Plus. The facility is being built in my home city, Dorchester, in partnership with the Martin Richard Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester. Their mission is to provide a multi use facility that the children of Boston can benefit from to follow their dreams. Throughout many conversations and meetings with these organizations, I realized how difficult fundraising can be. They never steered course or stopped the mission at hand, they knew the complex would come to fruition. It made me realize my desire for the need of this court is possible.

 As I thought of the vast lands in my family’s village of Sao Jorge, I am called to build an all sports court to honor accessibility, access and for our Cabo Verdean community. When I called the Mayor of Fogo to share the idea, he was so excited- he immediately offered to donate the machinery, to offset the cost. This gala will assist with materials and labor. And just like that, the Paper Project was born. 

-Piter Brandao

The Paper Project is named in significance of the crumpled paper the boys in the town were playing soccer with. This court will allow Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, Soccer, Hockey, and Wiffleball to be played. In a town with over 100 children, there isn’t a single activity for them to participate in. Who knows, we may have the next greatest player in a sport. Without the opportunity present, we will never know.   Today, I ask you to consider supporting The Paper Project for the future of the children of São Jorge, Fogo.

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Your contribution is more than just a donation. It is a powerful statement of your commitment to creating opportunity, equity, and hope through sports. Thanks to your support, we are one step closer to building a safe, inclusive, and vibrant sports court for youth in Cabo Verde — a space where children can gather, grow, and play without barriers.

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