There is help and then there is HELP.

Danila So Delgado Pinto has been a rising star in women’s handball, as proven at the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, when she was one of the best scorers of the competition, with 43 goals in six matches, finishing eighth in the top goal scorer standings.

But her contribution goes far beyond the one shown on court for the Spain national team, or club side Gloria Bistrița.

In an interview for ihf.info back in December, the Spain left back mentioned her upbringing. And now she wants to give back to the country where her parents were born and raised, Guinea-Bissau.

“Firstly, I was raised in a home where I saw I had a lot of possibilities because of living in Spain. My parents came from Africa and it was not the same situation [as Spain],” she explained about the importance of continuing her education as an adult. “They always taught me that I needed to be an educated person, because the world needs educated people, so I was always passionate about learning stuff and being able to do stuff by myself. 

So Delgado is trying to raise awareness for Associação +Opportunities, a project dedicated to promoting equal opportunities, education, social empowerment, and human rights, intervening in vulnerable contexts, particularly in Guinea-Bissau.

“The two girls who created the association contacted me about a month ago. They asked me if I could be a patron of the project, and I obviously said yes. I've never been to Guinea-Bissau, but I do have a lot of connections there because I have a lot of family there. So I said yes without thinking. Everything happened a bit quickly, but at the moment everything is going well,” says So Delgado.

The initial project is a multi-pronged one, with So Delgado providing some clothes and equipment, while also assisting to raise awareness for a crowdfunding project which will provide refurbishing for a the canteen of the Humberto Braima Sambú school in Bissau. So far, over half of the goal has been reached, including donation from So Delgado herself and her teammates from the Spain national team and Bistrița.

“There is a link, which is a crowdfunding link for money, and then also, well, I'm in charge of the most material part, the clothes and everything else, but what also interests them a lot about me is that I can promote women's sports, and I obviously do it by handball,” adds So Delgado.

 

 

 

 

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“The truth is that I don't think I can only make a change in an entire country, but I think I can, or I am in a moment where I can contribute a grain of sand, and at least give visibility. And well, I think I will explain it later, because I have more videos to upload, but I think it is very important to contribute a little, because if all the contributions add up, in the end it is a very big help.”

There have been other projects supported by the IHF itself which helped shine a light on handball’s power to foster unity, empowerment, and opportunity for women and girls, from grassroots initiatives in Sierra Leone to the global stage.

At every event of the senior IHF World Championship, the IHF has partnered with hummel and HAND - Handball for A New Destiny, a project launched by the organisation FANT, to integrate handball with educational programs focused on rights, equality, and democracy specifically for young girls in Sierra Leone. By combining sporting activities with rights education, HAND aims to empower girls, giving them the courage and resources to build a better future for themselves and their communities.

But for So Delgado, the project providing help in Guinea-Bissau is a heartfelt one, with the help provided offering new opportunities and chances for children to live a better life, in better conditions.

“Obviously, it is very important, and for me, well, in the end I come from an immigrant family, and it is a reality that I have close to me, even though I live in Europe, but yes, it is something that is close to my heart. I think it is a very cool way to continue feeling the connection with the community. In the end, when I am at home, I breathe the atmosphere of Guinea-Bissau, from the doors to the inside, even though I am in Spain. So I think it is a way to maintain the connection and to share with our community,” says So Delgado.

“I grew up in this culture, and with my aunts, my cousins and everyone, we had our own bubble inside of Spain in this case. And for me it is like a big mixture of both cultures, both Spanish and Bissau culture. Since I started school, I had my Spanish bubble, to say it in some kind of way. And then my parents' bubble. So I think we have a very good mixture, and both cultures can mix good together.”

So Delgado is not the only Spain player to help the country where her parents come from. Kaba Gassama, the back’s teammate both in the Spain line-up, as well as at Bistrița, has created a handball camp in Senegal, the country her parents hail from.

And So Delgado insists she will do the same over the next months, as she aims to visit Guinea-Bissau for the first time.

“Next year I will go for sure there. Now with being involved in this project, it is something that I want even more,” concludes the Spain back.