Location and general information
Access to Sport - 
Employability - 
Healthy lifestyle - 
Infrastructure and equipment - 
Personal developmentContext
Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the country’s mining capital. Political instability, corruption and violence are rife, including widespread attacks against civilians, fighting between ethnic factions, sexual violence and murder. The country is also plagued by malnutrition, easily treatable but highly infectious, deadly diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness, the world’s second highest rate of infant mortality and high maternal mortality.
Widely considered an economic resource, families tend to have many children (often more than ten) but lack the resources to support them. Many children are thus abandoned and find themselves living on the street, perpetuating cycles of theft, crime, drugs and violence.
Child brides, young mothers and sexual violence against adolescent girls and young women are commonplace.
Project goals
Educational inclusion: Increase participation in school activities and reduce school dropout rates
Gender equality: Break down gender barriers and develop mutual respect
Educational capacities: Train educators and coaches
Basic skills: Promote awareness of participants' own aptitudes, enhance their relational, emotional, motor and cognitive skills, and help girls in particular to better plan their futures
Health and well-being: Improve the health and well-being of minors through access to clean water, food, sanitation, education, etc.
Sport: Encourage participation in sport, in particular football, especially among girls
Safe spaces: Guarantee access to safe spaces and solutions tailored to the needs of minors
In numbers:
- 36 trained technical and educational staff
- 450 students
- 10 schools involved in workshops
- 40 girls involved in pre-academy activities
- 1,000 street children reached by awareness campaigns
Project content
Launched in January 2023, the KIFUMPA (=a Swahili word meaning ball of rugs) project comprises six activities in four categories.
Awareness campaigns
PROXIMITY/SCOUTING CAMPAIGNS: Five evening visits to neighbourhoods where street girls live, to promote the educational and sporting activities available.
COMMUNITY EVENT: Open access concerts and theatre in an area of the city frequented by street children to break down the cultural barriers and stereotypes surrounding activities typically considered to be “for men”.
Staff training
An introduction to values-based training and the importance of identifying and addressing children’s frailties and educational needs during sports activities, helping coaches to support young players’ holistic growth and teaching educators to promote gender equality, resilience and teamwork.
School workshops
A four-hour educational and recreational workshop for 10 schools, using football and art to promote gender equality, inclusion, teamwork and sport among 10 to 14-year-olds.
Education and sport
SUMMER CAMPS: Three weeks of educational and recreational sports activities at the end of the school year, in June and July 2023, as an introduction to the pre-academy.
PRE-ACADEMY: Educational and football courses from September 2023 (5hrs of language classes, 5hrs of maths, 15hrs of general culture and 5hrs of football each week) on the premises of the Futuka men's academy (pending completion of the Msichana Football Academy).
Partner
