The Utah-based project #SheBelongs is sending 22 girls from Utah, half of which are from refugee backgrounds, to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.
On Sunday, the girls, as well as three coaches and 10 volunteers, will embark on a 16-day trip to three continents. They will play exhibition matches in San Francisco, meet with the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs in Tokyo and watch the U.S. women's national team play in the World Cup in New Zealand.
#SheBelongs uses soccer to empower girls, foster belonging and “to create moments of hope and happiness.” Romisha Adhikari said leaving Nepal and moving to the U.S. was difficult, but through #SheBelongs she has made new friends and felt a sense of inclusion.
Adam Miles, the project's founder, hopes the trip to Tokyo will give the non-refugee girls a small glimpse into how hard it was for their refugee teammates to adjust to a new language in a new country.
“I want the non-refugee girls to have that experience of ‘This is Hard. I’m in a foreign country. I just want to get a loaf, I just want something to eat.’ Let alone signing up for schools, signing up for soccer like all these refugee families have gone through,” Miles said.