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SnackVideo's charity football event empowers Indonesian village youth to score life goals

chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-11-15 21:19

As China-Indonesia relations deepen, China's top short video platform Kuaishou — known as SnackVideo in Southeast Asia — has hosted "Snack Village", a football-themed charity event focused on empowering the youth in Indonesian villages with the support of the local government.

As part of SnackVideo's rural development initiative, the event kicked off with goalpost donations and a series of football matches played entirely by local youth on Nov 9 in Cisauk — a village with a population of over 90,000 on the outskirts of Jakarta. Cisauk, like many other rural communities in Indonesia, is home to aspiring young footballers playing their favorite sport in makeshift fields. Among them is 14-year-old Rangga, who was up early to warm up for his first match on the launch day of "Snack Village". Rangga's father, a farmer who regularly uses SnackVideo, enthusiastically rallied his fellow villagers attending the event venue to vote for Rangga as their favorite "Snack Village" champion.

Despite their limited means, Rangga's family has always supported the child's dreams. Rangga, who never complained about lacking expensive sport shoes and jerseys, had led his school football team to multiple victories as a captain in regional competitions—achievements that are reflected in his collection of trophies and certificates.

The father made sure to upload the story of Rangga's football dreams — as well as videos of his training and matches — on SnackVideo, hoping to win his son gifts donated by the social platform, including a football and a jersey. Rangga's journey has touched the hearts of many as his SnackVideo account, jointly managed by his father, continues to gain new followers and encouraging comments.

Nearly half of the Indonesian population lives in rural areas where children often have to create their own joy amid limited entertainment options. Through a recent field research, the SnackVideo team discovered that makeshift wooden goalposts and a wild grassland were the closest these children had to a football center. The idea for a village-based charity football event was then born, representing SnackVideo's strong sense of social responsibility to the people it serves. In response, local village leaders and government officials have given "Snack Village" their full support, seeing it as a golden opportunity to tap into the potential of their underrepresented communities.

"Seeing my son give his all in the field, I feel both happy and proud," Rangga's father said in the Cisauk event, which was filled with excited crowds expressing their support for their chosen champions. "I'm grateful to the villagers for cheering on the kids, and I also want to thank SnackVideo for donating football shoes and training wear. These children are all exceptional and deserve our care. This is an invaluable experience."

Qin Yang (Owen), the Head of Kuaishou in Southeast Asia and Middle East, said the primary aim of the event was to give back to communities that have served as the backbone of not only SnackVideo, but also Indonesia.

"This event is not for profit," he said." Our goal is to bring more joy to the children, spread warmth and love, and make more beautiful villages in Indonesia be seen. Just as our theme for the event says, 'From SnackVideo to Village'."

Owen added, "After years of efforts for the Indonesian market, we now have over 40 million monthly active users in the country, and we have built strong connections with our users, especially with those from rural communities. Through this event, we hope to put our brand value 'Make Everyone Shine and Every Little Dream Comes True,' into action, and continue contributing to rural revitalization in Indonesia. Also, by engaging deeply with rural communities and drawing inspiration from them, we hope to provide even better localized and community-driven content and further enhance SnackVideo's technical services and content ecosystem."

Cisauk District Head Yusuf Fachroji expressed strong support for the event during his opening speech, stating, "As a government representative, I am thrilled and grateful for SnackVideo's efforts in organizing this event, which is consistent with the government's emphasis on rural revitalization, implementing initiatives to reduce poverty and enhance the rural economy."

He went on to say, "This event shines a light on our villages and motivates our youth to dream big—perhaps the next national football star will emerge from here. Your support encourages more people to focus on rural development, promising a brighter future for Indonesian villages." Following the grand opening in Cisauk, the charity football and match live-streaming event launched in four villages near West Java and Banten, with plans to expand "Snack Village" to more regions and inspire more young people to pursue their football dreams.

As a social platform deeply rooted in Indonesian culture, SnackVideo understands that mutual understanding begins with genuine connections. By bridging communities through digital products, SnackVideo enables Rangga's story and that of countless other Indonesian youth to be understood by the world.

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