Global Goals: Mekfah's journey from Bangkok to LFC mascot
A heart-warming short film featuring Liverpool Football Club and young fan Mekfah – a boy from Bangkok’s inner city slums – has been released as part of the UN Global Goals campaign.
In conjunction with the Reds’ main sponsor and one of Global Goals’ founding partners, Standard Chartered, it tells the moving story of the grade A student with a passion for football who fulfils a dream by travelling to Kuala Lumpur and becoming an official mascot for the Reds’ tour friendly with a Malaysia XI.
Watch it for free by clicking here now.
The Global Goals campaign is aiming to help end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice and tackle climate change by 2030.
On September 25, 2015, 193 world leaders will adopt a series of 17 ambitious targets for sustainable development. The ambition of the Global Goals campaign is to make the goals famous, with the aim of telling seven billion people in seven days.
The film - directed by Ananda Everingham, a famous actor in Thailand - is part of the initiative and the themes explored demonstrate how important the aims of the Global Goals are to the people on the ground most affected by them.
Liverpool captain, Jordan Henderson, said: “Mekfah is a great kid and his passion is clearly football. As we stood waiting to go on to the pitch in Kuala Lumpur I could tell how excited he was to be there.
“It was an honour to share that experience with Mekfah and with the help of the Global Goals, more kids around the world will be able to pursue their passion.”
Actor and director, Ananda Everingham, said: “I feel very passionately about this film. Meeting Mekfah took me on an unexpected journey and has probably changed my outlook on life.
“These Global Goals are important because they represent a plan. A plan that, if met by all world leaders, will ensure everyone - whoever they are and wherever they're from - can lead better lives unhindered by the shackles of poverty.”
The film looks specifically at Goal 1: Zero Poverty and that whatever your dreams may be, poverty should not be an obstacle. It also shows the important role that football plays as a beacon of hope to many communities around the world.
The voice over is by Mekfah himself, in Thai, with English subtitles.
Sanjeeb Chaudhuri, group head of brand and chief marketing officer at Standard Chartered, said: “We are extremely proud to be a founding partner of Project Everyone in support of the Global Goals campaign, and it was wonderful for us to have played a role in this powerful film.”
For more information on the Global Goals, visit www.globalgoals.org.