"I know I can build the future I want”.
Lassina, 18 years old, Mali
For Lassina, every day is about moving forward. Between school, work, football, and building a new life in Greece, there is rarely a moment to stand still.
Football remains his greatest passion. He trains every day, adding his own running sessions whenever he can, and plays as a midfielder for Kronos Athinon, a historic amateur football club in Athens. “My main goal is football. I want to continue playing and also continue going to school, but becoming a professional football player has always been my dream”, he emphasizes.
That ambition began long before he arrived in Greece. Growing up in Mali, Lassina trained at a football academy. But he was eventually forced to flee his country. After a long journey, he arrived in Greece and was initially placed in a refugee camp on the island of Leros. After being transferred to one of The HOME Project's shelters in Athens, life began to look very different. “I liked it immediately”, he recalls. The contrast with the refugee camp in Leros was striking. “Life at the camp was very difficult. Here, everything was different. The food, the care, the people in the shelter. I felt happy and safe”.
In Athens, he found stability, support, and, most importantly, the opportunity to focus on finishing school, building a life in Greece, and pursuing the dream he has carried since childhood. Football quickly became much more than a sport. It gave Lassina a sense of purpose, introduced him to new friendships, and opened a door into the local community. “When I arrived, I didn't know anyone. Now I have many friends because of football”, he says.
His commitment is already beginning to attract attention. After scoring three goals in a friendly match, another coach approached him about joining his team. At the time, however, he was still waiting for his documents and couldn't take the opportunity. Instead, his coach encouraged him to be patient. “He believes I can play at a higher level. That gave me a lot of confidence and motivated me even more”, he admits.
With the support of The HOME Project's legal team, receiving refugee status marked another important milestone. Beyond giving him the certainty that he could remain in Greece, it removed one of the biggest barriers standing between him and the future he has been working toward.
Yet Lassina knows that building a future takes more than talent. Alongside his daily training, he continues his education, is learning Greek, and works part-time at a fast-food restaurant. His schedule is demanding, but he approaches it with quiet determination. “I work, I train, and I stay focused on my goals”, he says.
Outside of football, Lassina enjoys spending time with the other boys at the shelter and embracing every opportunity to discover something new. Horse riding has become one of his favorite ways to relax and unwind, while creative activities such as hip-hop dancing and graffiti workshops introduced him to interests he had never explored before.
What stands out most about Lassina is not simply his ambition, but the enthusiasm with which he embraces every opportunity. One dream, however, has never changed. Ever since he was a child, he has dreamed of playing for Barcelona. Until that day comes, he will keep doing what he has always done: working hard, staying focused, and believing that every training session, every lesson, and every new experience brings him one step closer. “If I keep working hard and learning, I know I can build the future I want”, he says.
Looking back on everything he has experienced since arriving in Greece, one thing stands above all else. “The HOME Project helped me so much. They gave me support, a safe place to stay, and the opportunity to take back my life and make it my own”, he concludes.