Using the glimmer of Web3 to illuminate the green dream of children in the Brazilian slums.
On June 14, 2025, at the Arena Brahma soccer field in the Jardim Peri community in northern São Paulo, the InitVerse team, in collaboration with the Brazilian charity A.A Garotos de Ouro, ignited a charity match about courage and hope for 47 young soccer players deeply trapped in local drug and poverty shadows. This is the second time InitVerse has brought the social responsibility of Web3 into reality, following the 'Waterway Classroom' in Benin, and it is also our first time practicing the commitment of 'technology guiding civilized development' in the soccer kingdom of Brazil.
Soccer is the 'road to redemption' for the slums.
The name A.A Garotos de Ouro means 'Golden Boys' in Portuguese. This organization, rooted in one of the largest slums in São Paulo, has woven a safety net with soccer for over a decade — they have rescued children from drug dealer-ridden streets and transformed abandoned spaces into training fields, having nurtured several professional players. When InitVerse local representatives Stefani and Arthur entered this community divided by barbed wire, the coach pointed to the weathered goal and said: "The children here are not playing soccer; they are playing with courage and hope."
The sunlight at 3 PM scorches the artificial turf, but what burns hotter than the temperature is the gaze of the children. We brought 25 brand new jerseys embroidered with the InitVerse logo, 50 delicious meals, and candy gift boxes for Children's Day. When 11-year-old Enzo received his new jersey, he instinctively buried his face in the jersey and took a deep breath, saying, "I really like this new jersey that belongs to me." Previously, he often had to share a worn-out old training shirt with other kids.
We recorded the purest dreams of the children (the following interview content has been organized in Portuguese):
"Who is your favorite football star?"
"Neymar!" 12-year-old Rafael answered quickly, "He, like me, came from the slums, and now he has built soccer schools for 1,000 children."
"What would you like to say to your idol?"
9-year-old Maria clutched a candy box: "I would tell Messi that I hope I can be as great as you, because I also have a soccer dream!"
"What does the dream of becoming a professional player mean to you?"
Captain Thiago pointed to the shanties on the distant hillside: "If I sign with a club, I can move my family away from here, and my sister and I won't have to sleep on the ground anymore."
"Can you describe your community, and what is your day like?"
"I help my mom with work at 5 AM, then have lunch, and in the afternoon, if I can play soccer, that’s the best. We will keep playing until it gets dark; it’s not very safe here at night, and I will go home before dark." Carlos rolled up his soccer socks, revealing a scar running across his calf, "This was from a barbed wire scratch while dodging a gang shootout last year, but the coach told me that Ronaldo also has such a 'champion's medal' on his leg."
From the waterways of Benin to the slums of Brazil, the power of Web3 charity.
Like the 'NFT Charity' from last time at Lake Ganvié in Benin, all of InitVerse's charity actions focus more on the growth of children's spiritual world. Perhaps the children's impoverished backgrounds cannot be changed, but they have dreams and courage to change themselves. What InitVerse does is to help children realize their dreams. We reject tragic narratives; we use candy boxes instead of donation boxes and dilute the slum label with friendly matches. Stefani summarized after the match: "We are just helping these children hold on to the path of soccer, which is filled with courage and dreams."
When the final whistle blew, the children rushed towards the camera holding signs that said 'Web3 sees your dreams', contrasting sharply with the rusty goal in the background and the colorful graffiti of soccer stars on the distant buildings. A coach from A.A Garotos de Ouro told us: "Today a child asked me which club InitVerse is. I told him that this is a Web3 club that believes poor children also deserve great dreams."
Perhaps Web3 cannot level the slums overnight, but when 22 'Golden Boys' run on the field wearing jerseys embroidered with the same logo, the most touching value of blockchain is happening, allowing the invisible to be seen. As Neymar said in a documentary: "Soccer does not provide all the answers, but it gives an opportunity for questions." InitVerse's charity journey is about helping this world hear more 'silenced questions.'
Written at the end
The training footage and interview transcripts of these children will be permanently stored on the INIChain network. We are exploring the 'Soccer Dream NFT' program, which will turn the goal moments of slum teenagers into digital badges. Future sales proceeds may help establish a charity fund.