Djibril: A Kick Off for Connections
Alumni Djibril founded “I Speak Football”, part of The Agency London (produced by Battersea Arts Centre)
Djibril Ayofe founded Universal Language - “I Speak Football” in 2015, an idea coming from his experience of arriving in the UK with English as a second language. Football gave him a way in, as a means to make friends, move around, and integrate quickly, and he built the project to offer that same pathway to others. The idea is to help young migrants and refugees improve their English through football sessions that incorporate language classes, mentoring, and advisory support.
Impact & Scale
What began as a single project has grown into something far larger. Djibril has run more than ten projects to date, reaching over a thousand participants in total. Some projects bring in a hundred people at a time. He has raised an additional £35,000 for the project and developed an AQA accreditation for participants.
The project has built links with the South London Refugee Association, Football Beyond Borders, Amnesty International, Chelsea Football Club Foundation, and the Katherine Lowe Settlement community centre, with further support from the Wandsworth Youth Opportunity Fund. Universal Language has expanded beyond London, establishing the project in Brighton, and took part in the Football Welcomes weekend, travelling to Leicester to enter in a tournament alongside other refugee teams. The team also co-hosted Refugee Week at Battersea Arts Centre, with all proceeds directed back into a Universal Language summer project.
Growth & Direction
The turning point came in 2022, when Djibril met Ben and built a team around the project that enabled the project to grow. The project has since seen significant change, moving towards operating as a sustainable business. The ambition is to have a permanent base where people come in to get mentoring support, train frequently to make friends while improving their English. Djibril is currently completing a university degree in Graphic Design while continuing to run Universal Language.
“The Agency helps you with your project and put you in the right path. And then it’s up to you to move. But I decided to keep in touch with The Agency who will always back me up if something happened to my project.” - Djibril, London Alumni Agent and Founder of “I Speak Football”