New futures through sport

Location and general information

Context

Whether they live in the city or in rural provinces, children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Vietnam are extremely vulnerable to abuse and trafficking.

The streets of Hanoi are home to many children from other poor provinces who have made their way to the capital city in search of work or to run away from domestic problems, such as violence, alcohol and drug abuse or extreme poverty and neglect. On the streets, the children are at high risk of abuse in the form of labour or sex.

In the far north-west of Vietnam sits Dien Bien province, the poorest in the country. Both rampant poverty and the proximity to China and Laos through mountainous borders that are extremely difficult to control have turned Dien Bien into a human trafficking hotspot. Further south, in central Vietnam, is Thua Thien Hue province, where poverty is also prevalent. There, as in Dien Bien, natural disasters like drought or typhoons happen often and hit hard. In these rural areas, the levels of child labour and trafficking are particularly high.

Project content

The Blue Dragon project uses sport as a catalyst for positive change, both in the city and in these two impoverished provinces. The project not only targets street children but also those with disabilities or from very poor backgrounds. We use football and other sporting activities to educate and empower the children, so that they become confident leaders of their own lives.

In Hanoi, we organize a range of sporting activities for children and teenagers, but it all started with football. The football team includes street children; children living in our shelters; and children and teenagers living in the community from poor and dysfunctional families. In addition to football, we encourage children to join other sports such as basketball and skateboarding, and other activities including drama, hip hop dance, and gym.

In Thua Thien Hue and Dien Bien provinces, Blue Dragon organises sports and youth development activities primarily in collaboration with schools and boarding schools. By improving community sport and recreational opportunities for children and youth in local communities, we not only improve the children’s health and skills, but help to break the cycle of leaving home and early labour.

In all provinces, Blue Dragon also leads workshops to teach children essential work skills, such as communication and teamwork, and workshops to educate children, parents and communities about the dangers of child labour and human trafficking.

Objectives

The project uses sport as a catalyst for positive change towards new futures for at-risk children living in Vietnam; and to ensure that all Blue Dragon children are confident leaders of their own lives.

Specific objectives

• Enable at-risk children to access sporting and recreational activities
• Help all children to develop key life skills, including teamwork, conflict management and communication, time management, commitment, confidence and leadership.

Project activities