Spain midfielder Bonmati talks about working with the UN Refugee Agency

Spain midfielder Bonmati talks about working with the UN Refugee Agency

Aitana Bonmati: "Sometimes I think that this world is s***. So many people have to leave their homes without wanting to because of war, and they arrive in places like Spain and Italy with no money, no friends and without speaking the language. Some have lost a wife, a kid or a husband. Honestly, it breaks my heart. We know about Ukraine here in Europe because it’s close to us, but there are so many people struggling in all corners of the world. Women in Afghanistan cannot go to university or even leave their home alone, because they are women. How crazy is that?

Tragedies like this make me realise how privileged I am. Last year I began working with the UN Refugee Agency in Spain, ACNUR. They arrange football training in Barcelona for female refugees to give them a support network here and help them integrate. That’s pretty cool, no? I always ask my teammates for spare boots and clothes that they can have. It’s not going to fix the world, but I already think it has improved quite a few lives. For me, that means a lot."