After the war broke out, Mo (37) had to flee Syria. He leaves everything behind and arrives in 2016 after a fierce journey in the Netherlands. In the asylum center, Mo comes into contact with Sparta Rotterdam and starts working as a volunteer at the Kasteelclub. The sympathetic refugee soon becomes part of the Sparta family and finds his new home. In a video Mo shares his moving story.
Mohamed Abdou has been a lawyer in Syria for years until the war breaks out. He is forced to leave the country and leave his parents, brothers, friends and career behind. Via the asylumcenter, he encounters a call for traffic controllers at Sparta Rotterdam. Mo seizes this opportunity with both hands, because he wants to learn, get in touch with other people and master the Dutch language.
Mo quickly stands out with his sympathetic and cheerful character. The Rotterdam club promotes the volunteer to a place in the kitchen of the players home. Mo starts to shine when he talks about his new job: "I make sure that the players get good food every day. I think that's fantastic."
The power of football
The video is part of a special video series in which weekly attention is paid to the impact that Dutch Eredivisie clubs have on society and what this can mean for an individual and his or her environment. Sparta Rotterdam is the eighth club to be featured. Watch the earlier videos of PSV (Amputation Football), Willem II (Football Memories), PEC Zwolle (PEC kicks ASS), ADO The Hague (G-Storks), FC Twente (Fans for each other), sc Heerenveen (Assisted working) and Feyenoord (Special wishes).
