On Sunday morning, Hanna Nemeth, Reena Wichmann, Maria Penner, Saskia Matheis, Lina Hausicke and goalkeeper coach Hendrik Lemke held a training session together with children from the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. The Vietnam-based foundation is committed to helping children and young people off the streets, protecting them from human trafficking and supporting them in leading self-determined lives.
The power of football quickly helped break the ice and both sides had great fun playing together. “Once we’d warmed up with them, it was really cool,” said Wichmann. Captain Hausicke added: “It was truly wonderful to see how happy the children were about our visit. While playing football, they were able to forget their problems for a moment. It was a special experience for everyone.”
At the beginning of the visit, staff members from the Blue Dragon Foundation gave a detailed briefing. Hungarian international Hanna Nemeth was particularly moved by what she heard: “I was surprised to learn that they have so many full-time employees who care for over 30,000 children, many of whom either face serious problems at home or don’t even have one.”
Blue Dragon especially focuses on finding children who sleep on the streets at night, providing them with food, shelter and access to education. Although Werder’s women’s side couldn’t solve the underlying problems these children face, the day still held great meaning. Goalkeeper coach Hendrik Lemke gave away his gloves alongside other gifts. The glowing eyes of the children and the final autograph and Q&A session rounded off an unforgettable day. “One of the staff members told us that we can’t even imagine how much today meant to the children,” revealed Wichmann.
