How football took a man from the streets of Tanzania to studying at Bristol UWE 

A student in Bristol has explained how football took him off the streets in Tanzania.

Sadock John is in his first year at the University of the West of England (UWE), studying international business. 

His route there was far from straightforward though, with football playing a crucial part in his journey to the West Country. 

Sadock grew up as the second youngest of six boys in a single-parent household in Tanzania.

He’s always felt like the leader for his household though, which meant he took on a lot of responsibility from a young age. 

Sadock said: “When I was 12 or 13, I started to get into the street because my mum was sick so couldn’t always get food for us. 

“I would go out to find anything I could to support her. When I couldn’t get anything I was ashamed. I’d do whatever jobs I could find to get money for my family.

“It was just what you did to survive."

During his time on the streets, Sadock was approached by a community organisation called Cheka Sana Tanzania, who got him playing football. 

He said: “Growing up I was this young person with big dreams, but I found myself in a situation I didn’t want to be in. My dream was to make it in football. 

“Cheka Sana Tanzania took me off the street, and eventually I went with them to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.” 

Street Child United (SCU) is a global charity that helps young people on the streets. 

Sadock said: “They use football as a tool to amplify the voices of young people from all over the world.” 

Every World Cup, SCU holds a tournament in the hosting country. 

Following this experience, Sadock started coaching football in his community by volunteering for the organisation that helped him in the first place. 

A few years later Sadock got to come to the UK for six weeks with SCU for the London International Festival of Theatre. 

During this time he was given £10 a day for food, and rather than spending it all, he saved around half of it to take back to Tanzania. This money then took him to college, to complete a community development diploma. 

He was hired as a social worker, and then years later started to get the itch for new challenges. 

SCU works with UWE, and the opportunity came up for Sadock to come to Bristol to complete an international business degree. 

He said: “I wanted to grow so I can help the young people in my community. 

“They say in life everyone in life has their purpose - mine is supporting other people. It makes me feel so alive.” 

During his spare time at UWE Sadock has been volunteering with Bristol Central Football Academy. 

He said: “For me, coaching football is a passion. It helps me mentally. [The young people] just make you happy and forget your problems. 

“I believe in the power of football - you can make a positive change in young people’s lives. Whenever I’m free I’m coaching football.”

Looking ahead to the future, Sadock has set up Street Stars Foundation in Tanzania with the hope of taking a team of young people off the street, to the 2026 World Cup in America. 

He said: “I’ve played in it, I’ve been a young leader for the project, and now it’s my time to take the team. 

“I’ll be so happy when I make that possible.”