Meet Deyna: A Leader, Advocate, and Sister.
From the football fields of La Paz to leading workshops on children’s rights, Deyna has always been more than just a player — she’s a changemaker.
Deyna’s story began in Bolivia, where as a young girl she joined a local football school — and found herself the only girl on the pitch. Facing exclusion and discrimination, she nearly gave up. But her mother’s words — “Don’t stop because I know that you are strong” — stayed with her. That strength would go on to define her path.
In 2018, Deyna represented Bolivia at the Street Child World Cup in Moscow. As team captain, she showed the world what leadership, determination, and solidarity look like. Her message didn’t stop at the final whistle: after the tournament, she helped deliver a petition to the Bolivian government demanding rights for children in street situations — including access to education, healthcare, and identity.
Deyna’s commitment to change led her to develop and implement her own community project in 2024 — “Learn Without Violence”. Through a combination of football and values-based education, she worked with 24 children aged 10–13 in one of La Paz’s most vulnerable neighbourhoods. Each session combined theory, play, and practical skills, helping young people build empathy, respect, and awareness of their rights. Deyna was not just a facilitator — she was their coach, their role model, and their “teacher.”
One parent said it best during the closing celebration: “Thank you for your support and dedication to our children.”
A university student studying Education Sciences, Deyna balances her studies with her deep passion for football and social justice. She dreams of founding a football school in her community and one day opening an organisation to help others — especially children — discover their voice and power.
Her vision for the future? “To be the voice of those who are not heard. To help change lives. And to be an example for my younger siblings and others like me.”
Deyna’s story is one of resilience, love, and belief in a better world — driven not by material wealth, but by values: family, justice, and care.
She is not only a Young Leader. She is a sister, a student, an activist, and a light for her community.
