"Initially, I was alone. You're not alone. Take the opportunities that are around you. You are the talents; you are our future leaders. We want you to make the world a better place."

streetfootballworld Managing Director Jürgen Griesbeck's opening words set the stage for an afternoon of self-discovery and new skills for the delegations of the Football for Hope Festival 2010. After a morning of sports and integration activities, the delegations dispersed to build their skills and make the most of their time on an international stage.

Painting on the pitch
Thirty-two young people joined Brazilian artist Romero Britto to create paintings that express their cultures and their lives. With nearly more cameras than canvases, the delegates were almost as busy giving interviews to media such as Reuters, ESPN, Televisa and Beijing TV as they were painting.

Practice makes perfect
Further down the Team Village, another group of young people were willing guinea pigs for their coaches, who had just finished the theoretical half of a Coerver coaching session and were eagerly awaiting the chance to test out their newfound knowledge. The session, part of the adidas Exchange Programme run in partnership with streetfootballworld and FIFA, trains coaches in grassroots organisations to ensure that their young players benefit as much as possible from their time on the pitch.

Telling a story through a lens
Photos of battered footballs, astonishing corner kicks and family moments lined the walls of two classrooms, where Siyakhona participants received more training in photography. Siyakhona, a programme run by streetfootballworld, Sony and FIFA, brought photography equipment and training to young people from each Festival 2010 delegation in order to help them tell their stories to the world. Some of the participants were interviewed by Siyakhona South Africa trainees, who had themselves received media training including video journalism and production.

The greatest team
Yet more delegates gathered in the Main Hall for a youth forum in which they were encouraged to talk about their own lives and communities and bring their knowledge, skills and passion back home.

"We're growing a new generation right now," said a young person from Team Alex, explaining how being the official host of the Football for Hope Festival is helping Alexandra develop into a safer, prouder, more supportive environment.

Absorbed in the words of her fellow international delegates, a young woman from Dads Against Drugs (England) offered that "the greatest team isn't necessarily the one that wins the most. It can be the one that makes the biggest impact on the community."

Many of the young people present were taken aback to realise through their discussions that many of the challenges they faced, from India to Chile, were similar. And the strength they needed to tackle obstacles came from the same place. "We support people as we are supported in football," stated a young woman from Kenya.

Bringing it back
Whether they'd been painting, training, taking photos or talking, all the young people were excited about returning home to use what they'd learned to help improve their own communities.

To one Zambian delegate, the responsibility of all the young people at the Football for Hope Festival 2010 was clear: "We have to be able to share our opportunities."

This is my country
After a long day, the delegations and staff were in for a treat: cultural performances from 16 of the 32 teams. The programme took the audience to Africa, Asia, South America and Europe with both traditional and modern performances. Whether in their delegation's kit or traditional costume, the young people showed that they were stars both on the stage as well as on the football pitch.

Team Alex opened the evening--after an impromptu dance party--and was cheered on to an encore after their performance of traditional song and dance. Most of the audience was in the aisles clapping and dancing along during the entire evening, spurred on by performances such as a children's game from Uruguay, a choreographed dance routine from an English delegation, soulful song and dance from Rwanda and capoeira from Team Brazil.

While some left via conga line after the last act, many more clambered onstage to continue to dance with their newfound friends.

The final 16 delegations will present their cultures on July 1st, so stay tuned for more!