Living with both parents in Arusha, a region marked by significant poverty, nine-year-old Jonathan represents the resilient spirit of children growing up in one of Tanzania’s most economically stressed urban areas. Arusha, despite being one of the more developed cities in Tanzania, struggles with high poverty levels. As of 2012, 54% of people in urban areas of Northern Tanzania lived below the $3.10 per day poverty line. Jonathan’s world is colored by his passion for football (soccer) (soccer), a sport deeply ingrained in Tanzanian culture. Like many children in the region, he dreams of becoming a football (soccer)er, reflecting the sport’s popularity and potential as a pathway to opportunity. His favorite color is black and he loves rice and beans. The context of his upbringing is significant. For children like Jonathan, football (soccer) offers not just entertainment, but hope – a potential route to social and economic mobility in a challenging environment.