برنامج كولومبوس لكرة القدم للشباب المعرضين للخطر المعلق بسبب نقص التمويل

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Hilltop Tigers soccer program in Columbus, designed to keep children safe and engaged, will cease operations after this week's final games due to insufficient funding. 

The program, run by nonprofit MY Project USA, needs $230,000 to continue operating for one year but has been unable to secure the necessary resources.

MY Project USA founder Zerqa Abid announced the suspension of the soccer league, which serves families on Columbus's west side through various community programs including a food pantry, soup kitchen and academic programming.

"We do not have enough money to run all the programs," Abid said.

The soccer program has grown significantly since its inception in 2018, expanding from 13 participants to approximately 150 children, ages 8-15. The league initially received grant money from Columbus City Council and later secured two years of state funding, but those resources have been exhausted.

Youth program manager and head soccer coach Bashir Ahmed emphasized the program's importance in preventing youth violence and drug use.

"There's a track record where you see a large spike in youth violence, kids doing drugs more often and being in things that they shouldn't be doing, only because they don't have nothing else to do," Ahmed said.

The suspension has raised serious concerns about the welfare of participating children.

"We paused the program one time in winter, and we lost three of our children to drugs and one actually ended [up] in jail,” Abid said.

For many participants, the program provided crucial structure and purpose.

Amina Haji, a 12-year-old player, described how soccer transformed her daily routine.

"I used to be bored at home during free time so I used to be on my device, I used to be addicted to playing video games," Haji said. "Now... like, I feel free because I've barely been outside when I was younger and now this program has been keeping me active."

 Yusuf Yusuf, 10, found inspiration in the program's accessibility. 

"You don't need expensive stuff... You can join the academy team you don't have to be rich, at all, like Cristiano Ronaldo, he was poor, then he turned to rich," he said.

Ahmed stressed the broader community impact, noting that many residents are unaware of the violence these children face daily. 

"Most people aren't aware that so much of the violence happens in these kinds of neighborhoods and these kids experience that every day of their lives," he said.

Despite the current setback, Abid remains optimistic about finding a solution. She continues to apply for grants and hopes to secure funding to resume operations. 

"I am extremely worried what happens to some of them just in two weeks," Abid said.