The power of sport, but perhaps especially football, cannot be overstated. The beautiful game can change lives, give hope, pride and bring people together. The Salone Flying Stars Amputee Football Organisation perfectly epitomises this, with its overriding purpose of finding joy, belonging and stability in the aftermath of Sierra Leone’s Civil War.
The Salone Flying Stars are a beacon of light in the face of adversity. Football is used as a tool to bring people – who have often lost so much – together. The team travels for miles around Sierra Leone to play other amputee teams, building a community of people who are united in their shared trauma, and who refuse to be limited by the perceived restrictions of their bodies.
The organisation goes beyond the pitch too, setting up various initiatives that assist members of their teams in developing both practical and administrative skills to help them gain employment, and lead full, fulfilling lives.Speaking to Jaime Yaya Barry earlier this year, for Dazed’s November 2022 “Beautiful Issue”, team member Samuel Koroma said “I feel special and fortunate – because not everyone will see me stand in front of them and automatically think, ‘He’s a beggar.’ I can’t be defined by my crutches any more.”
Text Louis Merrion
