{"id":1243,"date":"2026-05-07T10:45:35","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=1243"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:45:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:45:35","slug":"amputee-football-players-in-rwanda-find-healing-and-a-sense-of-community-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=1243","title":{"rendered":"Amputee football players in Rwanda find healing and a sense of community"},"content":{"rendered":"

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI and IGNATIUS SSUUNA<\/strong><\/p>\n

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) \u2014 The players struck their crutches against each other as they chased a soccer ball, as well as a larger dream of competing at the global level. Children shrieked in joy as they watched a goalie dive to block an attempt with her remaining hand.<\/p>

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Amputee football, a seven-a-side version of the game in which players roam the field on crutches and goalkeepers have one arm, has grown steadily in Rwanda over the past decade. Players say they have found a community on the field after embracing a sport some never imagined they could play. For many, it offers not only physical rehabilitation but also a sense of belonging.<\/p>\n

In the capital Kigali, amputees play to foster healing and social cohesion after traumas that include the country\u2019s darkest period: the 1994 genocide, in which about 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred by the majority Hutu population over a 100-day period.<\/p>\n

Nyiraneza Solange was born two years after the genocide and lost her leg at the age of 5 after falling and developing an infection. She said the resilience shown by people who lost limbs during the genocide attracted her to amputee football.<\/p>\n

She was encouraged by the former coach of the country\u2019s first amputee football team, who told her she could use her crutches to play. She quickly left any fear behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t even think about I don\u2019t have a leg,\u201d said Solange, explaining that she feels free while playing and has overcome the stigma that accompanies being an amputee.<\/p>\n

Rwanda is estimated to have more than 3,000 lower-limb amputees. Some are victims of the genocide. Others are survivors of road accidents or illness.<\/p>

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Louise Kwizera, the vice president of the Rwanda Amputee Football Federation, said the sport enables players to learn to trust again, building unity in a society that \u201cwas once divided.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn communities affected by conflict or trauma, the playing field becomes a place of peace. People who may have different pasts come together as teammates,\u201d Kwizera told The Associated Press.<\/p>

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