Sinkumunchis: the NGO that implemented the first football school in Cuzco
To date, the organization created three schools in the communities and seeks to replicate the project in other regions of the country
By Pierina Chicoma
More than 4,000 meters above sea level, in several communities that speak the Quechua language in Cuzco, the reality of children and young people is divided into schoolwork, work in the fields and, since 2021, a passion that transcends the Andean heights: the soccer.
Sport in their lives became relevant due to the intervention of the NGO Sinkumunchis, which in the midst of the complexity of the pandemic, stood up as a beacon of hope to help develop and improve the capacity of the inhabitants of the Imperial City.
The project is run by cousins Gonzalo and Diego García, who -along with eight other coaches- teach 100% of football classes in the Quechua language, with the aim of empowering the population and rescuing the cultural legacy.
Gonzalo, a professional coach, says that while studying and coaching teams in Barcelona, he learned Catalan; and at this moment he questioned himself about not knowing Quechua. So he studied and learned without foreseeing that later this language would be fundamental in his life.
Years later he arrived at the Chahuaytire Peasant Community, located in the Pisac district, in Cuzco. There he was amazed by the nature of the place and the large football fields that seemed abandoned. Without hesitation, Gonzalo offered to train anyone who wanted to learn.
The community debated the proposal and, although at first a salary was established for him, later they only offered him a house to stay. For Gonzalo that was enough, he was already in love with the place and the people.
At the beginning, 140 people signed up and were willing to join the project, but as time went by, the number decreased. In the second month, only 60 persevered on the path to football. The harvest season, relentless in the demand for labor, marked the lowest point, with only 5 to 10 students training.
With ingenuity and empathy, Sinkumunchis began to design schools that not only taught the secrets of football, but that adapted to the complexities of their participants’ agricultural lives. As a result of persistence, today the schools house more than 1,000 students.
Sinkumunchis managed to create the first three schools where classes are taught in the native language. They are located in the districts of Pisac (which involves the communities of Cuyo Grande, Chahuaytire, Sacaca and Pampallacta), Maras (in the Population Center of Chequerec and directly involves its 5 annexes: Cruzpata, Ccollana Alta, Ccollana Baja, Marcahuasi and Huaypo; and indirectly to the Huatata Population Center, in Chinchero) and Huayllabamba (in which students from Huayoccari, Huycho, Urquillos, Yucay, Urubamba, Arin and Calca, among others, participate).
This is a school model that the organization wants to recreate in other disadvantaged areas of the country, such as Andahuaylas, Áncash. Likewise, they are looking for ways to make the Sinkumunchis project more sustainable over time.
Women have great potential
When Sinkumunchis settled in Cuzco, the ‘Mamachas’ (mountain women) were present with a blunt question: “why couldn’t they join the game?” In an act of immediate inclusion, the organization reaffirmed that the invitation to training was open to everyone, breaking traditional barriers that excluded women from the playing fields.
In a short time, the coaches noticed extraordinary potential in the ‘Mamachas’ during training. His dedication and skill translated into consistent victories in local championships. Optimistic teachers say these women are closer to making the jump to Division I.
Football as a driver of self-esteem
Throughout its existence, Sinkumunchis witnessed a moving transformation, materialized in a shy and hunched child, the result of marginalization and verbal abuse without anyone knowing his name, relegated to being referred to by derogatory nicknames. However, fate brought him a twist when he decided to enroll in the NGO’s classes. In that learning environment, the young man revealed an innate talent that, until then, had remained hidden behind the shadows of exclusion.
Sinkumunchis’ teachers not only dedicated themselves to perfecting their football skills, but also extended their attention to the general well-being of the teenagers. It was a process of both physical and psychological improvement, in which each practice and home encounter on the field became springboards to regain his self-esteem and confidence.
Today, this young man, who was once just a stranger labeled with offensive epithets, is one of the most talented athletes in the community. His story is a moving reminder of how sport, when accompanied by the right guidance and support, can be a powerful tool for personal and social transformation. At Sinkumunchis, victory is not just measured in goals, but in the resilience of those who find their voice and their value in the game.
Did you like the Sinkumunchis project and want to help?
Internally, the NGO has 14 professionals from different areas who support and are organized by committees (sport, education and development). The Sinkumnchis need more volunteers, because as a social movement they saw that it is very productive to bring people together for the purpose.
If you can help, it is important that you know that the boys and girls who train need some implements such as:
- Football boots for men and women
- T-shirts
- Balls
- Sports bras for girls
- Goalkeeper gloves
- Shin guards
