STORY: DR Congo football star encourages displaced children with sports
DATELINE: Oct. 5, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:34
LOCATION: GOMA, DR Congo
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of displaced children playing football in shelters of Goma with Zola
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Swahili): SHUKURU, Displaced child
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (French): DISTEL ZOLA, DRC football star

STORYLINE:

Distel Zola, a football star from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has been striving to help displaced children in the eastern part of the country to restore hope and smile again through the charm of sports. 
On the outskirts of Goma in the North Kivu province live thousands of displaced children seeking refuge in shelters. Most of them escaped from their hometowns due to clashes between local rebel groups. 
Over the past weeks, Zola has been organizing football matches for children from the shelters, hoping to teach them resilience in the face of a tough situation. 

SOUNDBITE 1 (Swahili): SHUKURU, Displaced child
"We kids at camp sometimes run out of things to do, so I'm really excited to see this game."

In 2021, Zola and his wife launched the Banazola Foundation to give Congolese children from deprived backgrounds a better future.

Through his foundation, the 34-year-old said that he wants to make the displaced children smile again through sports. 
SOUNDBITE 2 (French): DISTEL ZOLA, DRC footballer
"The displaced people live in terrible, very difficult conditions. This is what led us to give them a smile again through football. I think it's a very exceptional experience for these children. In fact, it is our mission to bring back the feeling of childhood for the children."

To step up the efforts, Zola plans to organize a bigger tournament in the future for the displaced children. 
In May 2023, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced that Zola has been named a High-Level Supporter for healthy meals and better nutrition in the DRC.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Goma, DR Congo.
(XHTV)