Location and general information
Access to Sport - 
Employability - 
Gender Equality - 
Healthy lifestyle - 
Personal development - 
Strengthening partnershipsContext
Colombia and Venezuela are experiencing unprecedented economic crises, affecting in particular the most vulnerable: children, women and minorities. Thousands of young people and their families are facing food shortages, resulting in limited physical development and possibly also irreversible mental damage. This economic and social crisis is linked to acute political disorder, giving rise to insecurity, violence and corruption.
Project goals
The objective is to support children’s physical, mental and social health, providing them with cultural elements and a psychological structure to face threats prevalent in their communities.
Two main priorities have been identified:
1. Bridging a nutritional gap affecting children’s development
2. Countering a wave of violence caused by the socio-economic crisis, mainly as a result of drug production, distribution and consumption
Project content
There are three approaches:
1. Teach local coaches how to teach children team values: respect for the coaches, rules and referees; seeing opponents not as enemies but as partners; cooperating with other children; learning to make the most of their time in training and school activities; growing their skills and gaining self-confidence; getting stronger against adversities by learning how to deal with winning and losing; and how to fulfil their dreams by working hard; training even in bad weather; and learning how to overcome stress or aggressive instincts in a positive way.
2. Promote integration among people with different languages, cultures, and religions; reducing violence; gender equality and confidence-building.
3. The mere presence of the Inter brand will attract attention from volunteers, sponsors, local authorities, other social offices or NGOs and inspire them to help.
The project will last 24 months, based on weekly training sessions and periodical weekend matches, and involve 530 vulnerable children from 6 to 13 years old living in 11 different rural and urban contexts in Colombia and Venezuela.
The training will be run by local educators applying an innovative socio-sports methodology according to local needs. Weekly nutritional support will be given, by providing healthy, good-quality food normally not available to these children.
Local partners, the Fundación Crecer Jugando in Colombia and the Fundación Magallanes in Venezuela, will select and run the activities.
Twelve coaches will take part in a working group and learn to use the scientific tools used to asses children’s personality, as well as basic sports-related skills on social, emotional, cognitive issues.
Partners
