BIG INTERVIEW
Newcastle United winger Christian Atsu tells us about his ‘other’ family
CHRISTIAN Atsu breaks into a grin when I ask if he has any brothers or sisters in Ada Foah, the Accra suburb he left at the age of 17.
“You really want to know?” laughs Newcastle’s on-loan Chelsea winger. “Well, I come from a very big family. I have six brothers and four sisters. So, with my two parents there were 13 of us. We had very little, but we were happy.”
Family is important to Atsu. It is now seven years since he arrived at Porto as a wide-eyed teenager, but he returns home to Ghana every international break.
“I also speak with them every week,” he says. “I will never forget my family and my friends. It takes a lot of hard work and the grace of God to reach this level, but I couldn’t have done it without their support.”
Which is why, amid the home cooking and reunions, Atsu always makes sure to visit another place close to his heart.
Becky’s Home is an orphanage in Senya Beraku, a small town 60km down the coast from Ghana’s capital city, Accra.
Founded in 2012, the foundation rescues orphaned children from the clutches of traffickers, who would otherwise sell them as slaves to work on farms and fishing boats. Once safely within its walls, they are provided with food, clothes and an education.
Atsu is an ambassador for Arms Around The Child, a charity devoted to raising awareness of the 48 million orphans living in sub-Saharan Africa.
Yet, speaking to him among hordes of adoring schoolchildren at a half-term academy day in Gosforth, it is clear his involvement is no chore.
“I have always wanted to inspire others,” explains the 24year-old, whose last visit to Becky’s took in everything from delivering toilet rolls, food and books to helping young students learn to read.
Adversity
“Every time I am in Ghana, I go to the orphanage to see how things are going. They are always really excited to see me.
“There are a lot of people living in Ghana in extreme adversity and I want to bring them some happiness.
“I want to give these children hope of a brighter future because that is what my parents gave to me.
“My childhood was difficult. Life in Africa is not easy. We had very little money, very little food. For everyone in Ghana, every day is a struggle. But I had my parents around. You can imagine how much harder it would be if you were alone.
“Too many people have neglected these children. Too many people pushed them away. That is why I do this. I want to give these children food, an education. Most of all, I want to make them smile.”
For Atsu, the easiest way to do that is with a ball.
Becky’s Home has a football team and, to that end, the kids at Gosforth – after they’ve finished clamouring for an autograph – have donated Newcastle kit to the cause.
“You see today what it means to children when a footballer is