It's a special day for Play For Peace, as we celebrate the birthday of our Executive Director, Sarah Gough.
Sarah shares her story of her Play for Peace journey. "Graduating with a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan, I was full of enthusiasm, ready to travel and to change the world. I had several job offers abroad, but the one I chose was with Play for Peace in Guatemala, primarily because my favorite professor recommended it and, well, Guatemala was the closest country and had the most affordable flight for my postgraduate budget. However, choosing Guatemala meant living and working in a country limping away from a 36-year civil war that took the lives of hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children. It meant talking about peace to people who had lived their entire lives in areas at war. And while the Peace Accords had been officially signed, the war wasn't over in people's hearts or minds. Words like extreme poverty, genocide, rape, mass graves, and other atrocities overwhelmed me in my pre-trip reading. But I was determined, committed, and very idealistic.
On my first day in Play for Peace Guatemala, I arrived to find a hot and dusty soccer field crowded with kids running everywhere and teenagers shouting for everyone to get in their circles. It was there that I first saw Josue work with kids. He was about 19, rail thin, and very quiet, but his gentle smile lit up the field. The kids swarmed him, pulling on his arms and legs, pleading for their favorite Play for Peace game to go first. Giggling and laughing, they loved it and loved him. At the time it was hard for me to understand how these children, many of them Mayan, could be laughing. I knew that they had lost fathers, brothers, and cousins to both sides of the war. These Mayan children faced discrimination in the streets and at school. I knew many lived in dirt floor homes, slept five to a bed, and ate tortillas filled only with lemon and salt because there was no meat or cheese to put in them."
Special words from John Guarrine: Dear Sarah, I hope you are having a great birthday. If anyone deserves a great day, it is you. Did you know that your name is an acronym? In my book SARAH stands for Super, Appreciated, Rad (look it up), Astute, and Humble. Just the qualities that make up a phenomenal executive director of Play for Peace. I am better for working with you, Play for Peace is better because of you, and the world is a better place because of PFP, thus the ripple continues. So happy to know you!
Special words from Imroz Shaw: Sarah, It’s been a great pleasure knowing you as a dear friend and a supportive colleague. I admire your helpful and motivating leadership; you are an excellent leader with a generous heart. You lead Play for Peace with inspiration. Happy Birthday!
