Goal Click: Telling stories through the lens of football

In 2014, Goal Click launched a global search on sportanddev.org. The ambition was to find people from every country in the world who could tell a story that symbolised their country through football – all with just one disposable analogue camera each. Four years later we check in on the progress Goal Click has made and the sport for development organisations that have shared their story.

By giving individuals and organisations all over the world a chance to show what football means to them, Goal Click is on a mission to tell stories that help people understand each other and the world through the lens of football. And the sport for development community has leapt into action.

Goal Click now has photographers in over 80 countries and hosted their first exhibition in 2016. The very first camera came from Pastor Abraham Bangura, coach of the Single Leg Amputee Sports Association (SLASA) football team based in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The stunning photos demonstrate that football is an important way to help those affected by conflict overcome their injuries and re-integrate into society. 

So far Goal Click has already worked with organisations including Spirit of Soccer (Iraq), FHPU (Rwanda), Uni Papua (Indonesia), FundLife (Philippines), Delta Cultura (Cape Verde), L.A.C.E.S. (Liberia), Soccer Without Borders (Nicaragua), Reality Gives (India), PCRM (Romania), SLASA (Sierra Leone), and Sacred Sports Foundation (St. Lucia), and the list is continuously growing.

A key element of the project is the focus on first person storytelling, with all the photos and stories coming directly from the photographer.

“I was trying to showcase that disability is not inability. SLASA is improving the lives of these young lads and also improving the capability of amputees. We are not just teaching them about football, we are also capacitating them.” (Pastor Abraham Bangura, Sierra Leone)

In the photos I tried to show daily life, the things I do every day to help my people in Cape Verde. There are kids with the same story as me. Most of them here at the centre came from a problematic family. We help them to a better future by taking part in our monthly programmes.” (Miliana Moreno, head coach, Delta Cultura, Cape Verde)

“I tried to show that both male and female footballers in St Lucia have what it takes to be the next Lionel Messi and the next Kelly Smith, and the love and respect we show for the sport.” (Skye Gerald, Sacred Sports Foundation, St. Lucia)

Co-Founder Matthew Barrett told sportanddev.org, “One of Goal Click’s aims has always been to support football communities and organisations globally, which are committed to great causes and social development through football. Goal Click has collaborated with many of these organisations, helping them to tell their own incredible stories to the world from their own perspective. And we’re always looking for more. Goal Click is fuelled by a social mission, and our vision is to support our partners further in the future by directing funds back to these organisations.”

• Follow the Goal Click journey on Instagram @goalclick or Twitter @Goal_Click and sign up for regular updates or apply to become a photographer at the Goal Click website