On behalf of the STCP Sport and Culture Program, we would like to congratulate one of our favorites, Sylla Issiaga, for receiving his formal recognition as an unaccompanied minor (MNA) by the French state. This has been bittersweet news for all of us at STCP, as with this designation, Sylla was required to relocate to Strasbourg earlier this month. We miss him dearly.
A little on Sylla, he befriended program manager Nate at one of our Saturday food distributions, then at our Wednesday distributions at Parc Belleville. Sylla helped coordinate our first Sunday football session, and was a weekly attendee ever since. He attended numerous extracurricular events with STCP, and always brought his radiating positivity to each and every experience. He expressed to our team from day one his desire to pursue electrician studies at the high school level, and now will begin that pursuit come the fall. We have known him to be dedicated to learning since day one, spending a portion of each day learning in the Centre Pompidou Library and building his CV with our team.
We are happy to say our team has been checking in on Sylla regularly since his departure. He has settled in very well at a home for teenage boys, making two new friends already. He finally has a bed of his own with regular meals, a night and day change from sleeping on the street, dependent on the tireless work of associations for his every next meal. We are happy to know Sylla even receive a personal care package with football, boots, and introduction to becoming an electrician books (in French!).
We look forward to helping young men like Sylla, through the Sport and Culture program, on their journeys to secure a better life here in France.
