Using soccer as the motivational force behind his Youth And Leaders Living Actively (YALLA) program, Mark Kabban, 25, a refugee case manager for a not-for-profit organisation based in San Diego, US, was determined to assist the younger refugee generation settle into a foreign land they now call home.
“Soccer is an escape, it's confidence, it's making them feel like they belong, and it's just fun,” says Mr Kabban.
Established in 2009, YALLA, which simply means “Let's Go” in Arabic, provides free tutoring and soccer training to 200 boys and girls from Africa, Asia, and the Middle-East.
Despite soccer being the main hook, education is a compulsory unit for all members to partake in, with the aim to get the kids into college.
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“Their struggle is just beginning,” says Mr Kabban.
According to the refugee worker, the majority of refugees living in the San Diego region are predominately from Iraq and witnessed the war.
“Their families have sacrificed everything for their kids to have a better life,” Mr Kabban said.
"When they realise that...they become like brothers and sisters."
Mr Kabban believes no child should be deprived of their childhood. “It's something they deserve,” he stressed.
