A young man from Alice Springs who experienced homelessness in most of his life goes to Norway to represent Australia in a week -long street football tournament.
About 450 men and women from 40 countries meet for the 20th anniversary of the Oslo World Cup in Oslo next week to raise awareness and challenge attitudes with regard to homelessness.
The homeless World Cup last year took place in Seoul. (Supplied: Anita Milas))
Lesley Thompson, eighteen, moved from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs when he was about six years old and said he would often walk in the streets or stay with family members because he was not sure for him to sleep at home.
“When I was a child, I saw my family fight, come back drinking, screaming, screaming, doing things,”
He said.
“Sometimes I was going to walk in the middle of the night to my other family camp. They live far ahead of the city.
“I would walk all the way, I would say there overnight, and I would go back to my other camp where I live.”
Mr. Thompson always moves between the houses, the yards and the mattresses of the family members and has no permanent address.
Lesley Thompson says he couldn’t sleep at home because people were fighting. (ABC Alice Springs: Will Green))
Generalized homeless in the NT
According to NT Shelter, the territory has 12 times the national home rate, with 6% of all people in the homeless NT.
Mr. Thompson is one of the more than 2,000 people who experience roaming in the northern territory on a given day.
He said it was difficult to survive.
“Sometimes you have to sleep outside with perhaps one or two blankets, or perhaps without mattresses,” he said.
“Sometimes you have to look for your family, so you can ask them to give you money to buy food, but sometimes they say nothing.”
In the NT, 20% of natives know homelessness, and family and domestic violence is one of the main reasons why people are looking for the support of homeless services.
“ Opportunity of a life ”
Thompson said he started playing football at 10 at the Alice Springs Gap Youth Center.
It was there that he said he was approached to play in the homeless World Cup.
“I played and this guy approached me … He said:” Hey, do you want to play football for abroad? Do you show, play for Australia? “He said.
“He showed me a card and a video of people playing, showed me what the different places look like.”
Lesley Thompson hopes to become a ranger in the future. (ABC Alice Springs: Will Green))
The co-founder of the Big Issue Street Soccer program and the Australian coach “Street Socceroos”, George Halkias, said the tournament was “the opportunity of a life”.
“He is a very special and unique sportsman (event) … He celebrates the power of people to overcome adversity and to show what they can do when they give them an opportunity,” he said.
“It is very special for players who represent their country, because obviously they have made a different trip and life challenges and experiences.
The Australian team of the Sans-Abri World Cup is called “Street Socceroos”. (Supplied: Hillary Wardaugh))
“(The players can) learn new lessons, develop new skills and develop this self -confidence … All these experiences help them grow and develop, and people like Lesley become large models and inspire their peers and other people in their local communities.”
Halkias said that host cities and countries have created a respectful atmosphere to allow people to find out about mental illness, drug addiction, disability and long -term unemployment.
Hope and goal for the future
Mr. Thompson said that after the tournament, he wanted to become a ranger in the center of Australia.
“I like to stay much better in Bush than to be in town … I like nature and I take care of animals,” he said.
Lesley Thompson will draw green and gold to represent Australia. (Supplied: Hillary Wardaugh))
Although finding safe accommodation would probably continue to be a challenge for Mr. Thompson, he said he dreamed of one day having his own house.
“And I don’t want my family to fight there,” he said.
“When they drink, I need them to sleep elsewhere, I don’t want them not to do a mess in my house or fight me … I want to live peacefully.”
Mr. Thompson had a message for other people who experience roaming.
“Don’t give up your life,” he said.
“Do something about your life and do something, you will get somewhere.
“Stop going in a circle, go for it.”
Mr. Thompson wanted to “help other families stop drinking and fighting”.
“Our people don’t need to do so,” he said.
