Inter Campus Venezuela

Context

Since 2014 Venezuela has been experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis. Caritas estimates that there are approximately 380,000 malnourished children in the country and one in three children is suffering irreversible physical and mental damage.

Average pensions are around just $6 a month and people have virtually no purchasing power. Most of the time, however, it is not a question of how much things cost, because the supermarkets are empty. Owing to the scarcity of necessities, many citizens are forced to consume pet food. At the same time, there is a lack of basic medicines and sanitary conditions are disastrous.

This economic and social crisis is linked to the acute political crisis that the country has been facing since March 2017, which has given rise to insecurity, violence and corruption.

Project content

Inter Futura S.r.l. was set up in 1997 to manage Inter Campus, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme of FC Internazionale Milano. Inter Campus offers support to needy and often forgotten causes with the aim of making a difference through sport and other long-term projects. It promotes local initiatives, coaching children together with local trainers and encourages the involvement of families.

Inter Campus Venezuela was established in 2010 in collaboration with the Fundación Magallanes as a way of supporting sports and educational activities for children living in deprived areas who are at risk of criminal involvement. The project also provides sports and educational training for three local instructors, two men and one woman. The project focuses on the suburbs of Caracas within the Sucre municipality, one of the largest and poorest in the whole of South America. Petare, a huge favela which, sadly, is well known for being a dangerous and extremely challenging place to live, hosts Inter Campus in the San Isidro neighbourhood. One hundred children train here at least twice a week, which keeps them away from negative influences.

Inter Campus promotes children’s rights and supports the Right to Play initiative. It contributes to the development of local communities, supporting educational, social and sanitary protection programmes carried out by local partners. Moreover, Inter Campus promotes social integration among different ethnic groups and cultures.

Objectives

The project’s objective is to help socially deprived children combat the problems they encounter in their everyday lives. This may be violence, poor sanitary conditions or nutritional deficiencies affecting physical development. Working on and off the pitch, with a good partnership network and strong support from the local partner, Inter Campus hopes to alleviate these terrible conditions and create a virtuous circle from which future generations can benefit.

Inter Campus Venezuela also pledges to respect the ten fundamental values and principles set out in the UN Global Compact and to promote sustainable solutions while carrying out the project.

The project aims to:

• promote children’s right to play by organising regular training sessions and participating alongside other social institutions in tournaments organised by third parties;
• support education through leisure and sports activities;
• support social and sanitary programmes;
• ensure gender equality by encouraging the participation of girls in the project.

The project offers support for:

• 125 participants, aged between 6 and 16;
• children suffering malnutrition, those from violent backgrounds, pregnant teenagers and children abandoned by their families;
• girls (35% of participants).

Project activities

• Two football training sessions a week for every child
• Regular participation in football tournaments
• Warm meal provided after each training session – 250 meals supplied every week
• Nerazzurri (black and blue) equipment provided once a year to create a sense of belonging for the participants
• Creation of girls’ teams
• Awareness-raising campaign for girls aged between 12 and 15 on early pregnancies. Sport is used to build their self-confidence and to encourage them to stay at school.

Expected results

• Access to healthy and good quality food (i.e. protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) is ensured, reducing hunger in the Caracas suburbs.
• A culture of education, curiosity and integration is created, based on sporting values (respect, solidarity, conflict resolution, responsibility, etc.).
• Gender equality is promoted and a new awareness exists of the role girls play within society (i.e. reduction in early pregnancies, prevention of gender-based violence).
• A community is built through the involvement of key people (trainers, cooks, families and partners).
• Institutions are more aware of sport’s relevance and their mutual collaboration is secured.
• SENA research figures on children’s attitudes and disorder prevention are improved (from an affective, emotional, cognitive and social perspective).