As a little girl, I dreamt of just one thing: playing football for sold-out stadiums.

That’s why all I did was play football. From sunrise to sunset – I was always with my ball. This made me a bit of an outcast, however it was through sports that I found my voice. It gave me power.

I worked my way up to Jong Oranje, the Dutch national under-18 team, and earned my stripes in street football along the way. Soon I was touring the world as the only female member of Street Legends – famed former football star Edgar Davids’ game-changing street football team. Yet, it was off the pitch that I had my most significant life-changing experience. I travelled to Rio de Janeiro for a TV-program and visited a slum known as a favela. This was a place where people deal with poverty and violence on a daily basis, yet as soon as the ball started to roll all that suddenly vanished as we connected over a shared moment of joy. That is when I truly realized the unique unifying power of street football.

Football is about so much more than scoring goals. It is a means for young people to discover that they themselves are the next generation of role models.

After a knee injury ended my professional football career, I started a new mission and founded Favela Street. A program to help the personal development and growth of young people through the power of street football. Our philosophy: in order to make a positive impact on your community, you must first become the best version of yourself. I want to inspire young people to make a difference and motivate them to shoot for the stars. To help them understand that they matter, so they can free themselves from the image that society projects onto them.

If you tell yourself something often enough, you will start to believe it. Many young people don’t hear it enough that they too can be superheroes.

Nowadays Favela Street is active in the Netherlands, Brazil, Haiti, Curaçao, and Sudan. After years of working with young people from all walks of life – from favelas to high schools and juvenile detention centres – I developed and perfected my own approach and methodology. My method is a science-based approach with measurable results. It aims to tackle the effects of social exclusion with cognitive-behavioural techniques and continuous attention to affirming the belief in one’s own abilities. This is how Favela Street works to empower young people and have a lasting positive influence on their future.

This new approach to development cooperation is clearly making an impact and Favela Street works closely alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I’m a consultant for organizations such as Nike and UEFA, and a sought-after guest speaker both nationally and internationally. In addition, I teach the masterclasses ‘Turn Your Skills Into Value’. The BBC included me in the ‘BBC 100 Women’ in 2017 and received a nomination for ‘World’s Most Innovative Women’, alongside Michelle Obama and peace activist Zahra’ Langhi.

My latest triumph on the pitch? A virtual victory: you can find me as the first female character in FIFA20 – still killing it in packed-out stadiums! My main mission is assisting the next generations to score. The innovative methods of Favela Street combined with my expertise in professional football ensure that I always have what it takes to get people moving. Whether it’s in an underprivileged neighbourhood far from home, or in a corporate office in The Netherlands. With or without a ball at my feet.

WORKING WITH ROCKY

From BERLIN TO NEW YORK, AND FROM PARIS TO LOWLANDS FESTIVAL: I’M ABLE TO INSPIRE BOTH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES WITH MY CAPTIVATING ENTHUSIASM.

Motivation is a central theme; but I also speak about dealing with change and setbacks, stepping out of your comfort zone, gender equality and social entrepreneurship.

More about speaker

AS A FORMER PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER, I HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN – AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT – THE WORLD OF COMPETITIVE SPORTS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, (STREET)FOOTBALL AND WOMEN’S FOOTBALL.

Furthermore, I have spent years working with young people from every corner of the globe in underprivileged neighbourhoods, schools, juvenile detention centres and beyond. As a result, I’m able to offer insightful advice and consultancy services to companies and governmental institutions, including Nike, Ajax, UEFA and various ministries.

More about consultancy

GROWING UP MARGINALIZED HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON YOUR SELF-ESTEEM.

The personal development program of Favela Street not only encourages young people to dream, but it inspires them to become the next generation of role-models. As director of the Favela Street Foundation, I’m the driving force behind our vision and methodology. In addition, I give workshops as a trainer on location.

More about Favela Street

AWARDS

  • Global Thinkers Forum 2020, nominated alongside Michelle Obama, in the category ‘Empowering Young Girls’ and ‘Gender Diversity & Equality’

  • First woman in FIFA20 football videogame.

    The Netherlands writes football history: the first woman in the street football game FIFA20.

  • Winner Joke Smit Encouragement Award 2019.

  • In 2017 the BBC included Rocky in their list of 100 most inspiring and innovative women responsible for tackling some of the biggest problems facing women around the world.

Global Thinkers Forum 2020 nominatie

Eerste vrouw in Fifa20 game

Winnares Joke Smit Aanmoedigingsprijs 2019

BBC 100 Women Challenge

CLIENTS

IN THE MEDIA

  • Sisterhood is a word that is often tossed around, but what does it really mean? What can we do to help other women move forward? Six highly involved women, including Rocky, explain what Sisterhood means to them.

    “I love it when people know how to appreciate the simple things in life.”

  • Fighting to make the world a better place doesn’t come easy. Five extraordinary people improving the world talk about their goals and how they plan to reach them. “I don’t want to get my voice heard; I must make my voice heard.” “As long as I have a football, I’m able to connect with people, whether I speak their language or not. My ball is my Google Translate.”

  • Rocky’s life story revolves around the ball – it’s made people see her for who she really is. A knee injury ended her professional football career and complicated.

  • Street football player Rocky Hehakaija was shaped in the favelas. How did you find your true calling in life? In a series of interviews, the Volkskrant asks people about their sources of inspiration. For Rocky that revelation came during a visit to a slum in Rio.

  • The Netherlands writes football history: the first woman in the street football game FIFA20. The videogame world is no longer dominated by male gamers, and things are changing too in terms of in-game characters as FIFA shows with the Dutch football hero Rocky.

  • RTL Late Night

    The queen of street football, Roxanne ‘Rocky’ Hehakaija, exchanged Amsterdam for the slums of Rio de Janeiro to help girls in the favelas build a brighter future.

  • Tijd voor Max

    Our guest is Rocky Hehakaija, one of the pioneers of the street football movement and one of the playable characters in the new street football version of FIFA20. This makes her the very first female street footballer in the FIFA game.

see all publications

Sisterhood het woord valt om de haverklap, maar wat betekent het eigenlijk? En waar is nog werk aan de winkel? Hoe helpen we andere vrouwen vooruit? Zes betrokken vrouwen aan het woord over zusterschap.

Ik vind het prachtig als mensen het simpele van het leven weten lief te hebben.

Bekijk het volledige artikel in HARPER’S BAZAAR NEDERLAND

Wie goed doet. Ze strijden voor een betere wereld en incasseren al doende soms rake klappen. Vijf wereldverbeteraars over hun doel en de weg daar naar toe. ‘Ik wil mijn stem niet laten horen, ik moet mijn stem laten horen.’

‘Zolang ik die bal maar bij me heb kom ik met mensen in contact, of ik de taal nu spreek of niet. Mijn bal is mijn Google Translate.’

Bekijk het artikel in VOGUE NEDERLAND

Levensverhaal, de bal heeft ervoor gezorgd dat ik werd gezien voor wie ik was. Een knieblessure maakte een einde aan haar profvoetbalcarrière en grote liefde – de bal – maar ja, it ain’t over till it’s over, zoals filmheld en naamgenoot Rocky al zei.

Nu helpt Roxanne ‘Rocky’ Hehakaija (35) kansarme kinderen in een favela in Rio. Met zo mogelijk nog meer succes.

Naar het artikel in JAN MAGAZINE

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Voetbal is veel meer geworden dan zelf scoren. Het is een middel om anderen te laten ontdekken dat ze meer kunnen dan ze zelf denken.

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