Pascal Zabayo chased his biggest dreams when he moved to New Hampshire in 2016.

He had always played soccer, but when he arrived here from Uganda at age 17, he was told that he was too old to join many soccer clubs and academies. He said he prayed to God, vowing to “create something that ensures it’s never too late for another kid chasing their dreams.”

Nine years later, he has his sights set on creating a soccer team in his home country, Bucks United Football Club, with the help of Project S.T.O.R.Y.

This Saturday, May 31, Zabayo will hold a fundraiser for the project at the Mill Brook School from 1 to 3 p.m. where he’ll present his plans for the program’s future and hold a silent auction of his own art.

Over 200 kids showed up to his team’s first tryouts in Uganda, and although he can’t train them all yet, he will continue growing his soccer program. Zabayo’s main goal is to secure a full-time field for the team; at the moment, players are still moving between dirt fields at local schools.

“All the people I came up to the United States with, all my friends, they have gotten jobs, they have wives. What they are forgetting is where they came from back home,” he explained. “So when there was an opportunity at Concord High School, I was jumping on that. But then I said, ‘But at home, who is going to be looking at those guys?’”

Zabayo still remembers what it was like living as a refugee in Uganda and the hardships many still face there. He said many children are still forced to work and many teenage girls become mothers, preventing them from receiving a full and adequate education.

Since graduating from Concord High School, he studied graphic design at Plymouth State University and eventually returned to the school for a stint as a student teacher. He’s coached with Seacoast United F.C. and Samba X Player Development, and he is currently the assistant coach for Concord High’s boys soccer team. He makes a point of mentoring New American players, with whom he identifies.

His journey, from graphic design to coaching to mentorship, has all been to give back to the community that helped him pursue his goals. Now, he wants to do the same in Uganda, for kids like himself.

When he first returned to Uganda in January, he brought together a cohort of his friends and contacts in the area to get the ball rolling. Zabayo said that one day, he hopes some of the young athletes on the team can find opportunities to play soccer in the United States, whether it be at a prep school, a university or even to try out at a professional club. His hope is that the team can provide better athletic and educational opportunities for kids that he did not have when he was there.

“The long-term goal is to make sure we set them up. When we break the cycle of them just playing in Uganda, we want to make sure we pick them up here so they have something to chase,” he added.

His friends proposed an online donations page, but that felt cheap to him.

Instead, Zabayo will be auctioning off his own art to give his supporters a token of his appreciation. The project will also be accepting donated jerseys, cleats, soccer balls and anything else people are willing to give.

Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com