Africa-Press – Cape verde. The president of the Paulista Sports Initiation School (EID Paul), Neusa Silva, said today that the project, which she has led for 15 years, is driven by the “strength of silent volunteering” and a profound sense of social mission.
In an interview with Inforpress, on the day that the EID Paul team, the current three-time champion of Santo Antão Norte, begins its participation in the national under-17 football championship, the leader explained that being a volunteer at the institution is a “true act of dedication” that goes far beyond sports training.
“In a grassroots project, we are not just training athletes, we are shaping people, instilling values, guiding paths. This requires dedication, a lot of patience and responsibility. There is no financial return, and we don’t expect that return,” she stated.
According to Neusa Silva, EID Paul “is a project that I am very proud of” and that has had a significant impact on the lives of many young people in the municipality, in sporting terms, but also as a space for social transformation, where not only athletes are formed, but citizens as well.
For her, there is “a discreet but essential force” in EID Paul that is developed by the monitors and coaches who dedicate their time, often “with personal sacrifices,” simply out of commitment to the young people and the community.
“It is this work, which I consider silent, done with passion and dedication, that keeps the project alive and making a difference every year, at every moment, and every young person who embraces it will also be embraced by us,” she said.
When asked about her longevity in leadership, President Neusa Silva said that she accepted the challenge out of commitment to the young people of the municipality of Paul to develop a project that has a real impact on the community in various dimensions.
“As a woman, I have been in leadership for approximately 15 years. And it has been a demanding but extremely rewarding challenge.” “Being a woman in this context, especially in sports, brings some additional challenges, but it also brings a unique way of leading with sensitivity, resilience, and determination,” she emphasized.
Neusa Silva admitted that sports have always been a part of her life since she was very young, which has been fundamental in creating opportunities and mobilizing people around the project.
She further added that she assumed the presidency as a way to give back what she learned and received as a sports practitioner, in order to give opportunities to other children and young people.
For Neusa Silva, female leadership also has much to contribute to the development of local, national, and wherever she wants and can be, working with dedication.
“More than proving something, it’s about showing that there is space for everyone,” she argued, lamenting, however, that volunteering is rarely valued as it should be.
Despite the sporting success, the leader of EID Paul pointed out structural challenges that condition the school’s daily life, namely the municipality’s orography. According to her, the geographical dispersion makes it difficult for players to travel daily from areas like Cabo da Ribeira to Fajã de Janela for training.
To On the logistical side, the lack of strong business support in Paul limits the attraction of sponsorships, which ultimately makes the actions developed more expensive.
Despite this, Neusa Silva admitted that they always count on partners who believe in the project and on the support of people and institutions that recognize the value of EID Paul and often “give small contributions, but with great significance”.
EID Paul has been in existence for about 26 years and represents the Northern Region in the national under-17 football championship, which runs from today until April 4th.
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