Projects Archive - Page 25 of 28

Socio-sports school for street children

Location and general information

Context

The legacy of decades of war in Afghanistan is a nationwide breakdown of social and economic structures. Poverty is the main determinant of child labour. Many families have no choice but to send their children out to work. Street work is the most common among children: they sell items such as cigarettes and newspapers all day long, exposed to harsh conditions and under threat of abuse.
Action for Development has decided to tackle the issue of street children by launching an innovative project in the streets of Kabul that combines football with educational and nutritional services. The socio-sports school for street children will have a positive impact on marginalised youth wherever it is applied. Afghanistan’s context makes it a particularly good target for this project, not only because of the rapidly growing interest in football and the sport’s impact on the country generally, but also the positive effect it will have on girls in particular.

Back-to-school activities
Children over the age of six who have the potential to be reintegrated into the formal school system will be identified. This will be done in collaboration with local authorities, schools and parents.

Awareness campaigns
Meeting with families of children attending the school for awareness training. Mothers will be taught about topics such as children’s hygiene, disease and the dangers of drugs and prostitution. Special emphasis is placed on young girls’ issues as they are often the most vulnerable of street children.

Local development
Identifying children willing to take part i

n the project. As many as 120 children have already been enrolled but more children are to be given the opportunity to do so. Children need to be committed to attend the training sessions. Priority is given to orphans and children who have a disabled parent, and 50% of the participants must be girls.
Those children in need of medical assistance will be sent to the general health centre where they will be provided with free healthcare.
Sports activities will be run by coaches at fixed times during the week. Groups are formed according to age and where necessary by gender, and each group will have two sessions each week. The school’s tutoring activities will be held before or after the sports activities. All activities will be conducted in Dari and in Pashto, the main languages in Afghanistan. Attendance of the tutoring activities will be flexible to allow the children to keep working as this is still their only means of survival.

Objectives

The overall objective of this project is to provide the street children of Kabul’s district 11 with an opportunity to gain a basic education and learn to read and write.
Find a suitable location where the children typically work to avoid long commutes on foot.
Have suitable facilities for the socio-sports school that is easily accessible to children, close to the road, near the Ghazi high school (15-minute walk), and has a football pitch that could be used for playing football and training.
To develop social abilities through sport and football especially and help them integrate into normal school programmes.

Expected results

Train coaches to promote knowledge transfer and empower the local population
Provide 400 street children with extra nutrition and access to primary medical care
Reduce the number of illiterate street children
Work with 300 families to reintegrate some of the street children into the formal school system
Teach 300 families about the risks of street work, the importance of education, and hygiene and sanitation to reduce risks of disease

Partners

Global Peaces Games

Location and general information

Context

The Peace Village is a hostel run by a non-governmental organisation in the small Belgian village of Messines. Every year, the hostel plays host approximately 20,000 children from all over the world, they benefit from the educational material, sports and the tranquil historic environment. The money that the Peace Village makes from its activities is reinvested in projects promoting peace.

Project content

The Children’s Football Alliance is a coalition of agencies and organisations which uses football to safeguard and further the rights of children. In 2014, inspired by the Christmas Truces during the First World War, the Peace Village and the Children’s Football Alliance worked together to organise various programmes and events marking the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War. In memory of the Allied and German soldiers who laid down their weapons at Christmas and came together to play football, this project seeks to promote peace around the world. Against the background of the major issues stemming from today’s mass migration, this programme seeks to encourage diversity and social integration through two weeks of sporting and educational activities in the context of the 2018 and 2019 Global Peace Games.

Objectives

This project seeks to bring together children from all walks of life, regardless of their ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to participate in various programmes focusing on the development of interpersonal and intercultural skills, as well as key life skills. With many children today lacking hope and compassion, this project seeks to foster a shared identity through football and sport in general. By establishing a positive environment in which play, sport and history are intertwined, this project encourages young participants to express their feelings and opinions with confidence and respect, especially as regards issues relating to current conflicts.

This project uses football – and sport in general – as a platform for the training of ambassadors, especially in the areas of conflict resolution and the promotion of peace. The ultimate aim is for participants to return to their own communities and pass on the skills and knowledge they have acquired.

Expected results

Two weeks of events will take place in 2018 and 2019 based around the International Day of Peace, which is celebrated on 21 September each year.
A total of 6000 children will benefit from this project.
A total of 120 ambassadors will be trained.
Each sporting activity will feature mixed groups and involve children with and without disabilities.
All Global Peace Games participants will help form The International Children’s Football Alliance.

Partners

www.childrensfootballalliance.com

https://www.peacevillage.be/

http://www.endas.it/htm/ita/home.html

https://www.groepintro.be/nl/

Creciendo con el Balón(Football for Growth)

Location and general information

Context

George Monbiot, British writer and political activist, once stated that “a community not built around children is no community at all. A place that functions socially is one in which they are drawn to play outdoors”.
Ciudadela Sucre is a community located in the hills to the south of Soacha in Bogota’s metropolitan area. Its population of more than 63,500 has seen major growth over the past few years, especially during the 1990s, with 48 families on average arriving every day, displaced by the violence and lack of opportunities in other regions of Colombia. As a result of this rapid expansion, the local population suffers from limited access to education, a lack of public services and, ultimately, a shortage of safe spaces for local children and teenagers to play in. Without these spaces, they resort to playing in rubbish dumps or between cars in busy streets.

Project content

Football for Growth is a joint project launched by the Tiempo de Juego Foundation and Love.fútbol, two non-profit organisations that focus on fundamentally different, but complementary social missions in the sport for development sector.
Tiempo de Juego uses football to promote values and formal education in several cities in Colombia, providing a range of programmes and activities aimed at enhancing participants’ personal and professional development. Love.fútbol partners with communities to plan, create, manage and ultimately redefine safe and accessible football pitches wherever children have nowhere to play.

The programme will last 17 months and activities will be divided between two axes:

Free time activities: a wide range of sports and cultural activities for the positive use of free time will be coordinated by Tiempo de Juego on the new pitch, reinforcing the connection between local schools, children, teenagers and families. Tiempo de Juego expects to attract 600 participants aged 5–20 years old to these regular activities.
Leadership school: Using the Football3 methodology, Tiempo de Juego aims to foster a positive change in the community through capacity-building for 14 youth leaders and monitors. Training sessions will be held weekly and each month there will be a focus on a different life skill. Recreational exercises will be combined with field trips and workshops, ensuring that the youngsters understand from experience what each skill entails and the implications it can have in their lives. Ultimately, the leaders and monitors from the leadership school are responsible for coordinating the leisure activities among the wider community, strengthening their leadership skills while replicating the knowledge acquired in the school.

Objectives

Objective: Promote active and positive lifestyles among youngsters in the metropolitan area of Bogota by providing access to sport

Specific objective 1.Build the first open, safe and inclusive sport venue in Ciudadela Sucre
Specific objective 2. Promote the development of life skills among children and teenagers in Ciudadela Sucre by means of leisure activities

Venue: the project will involve different groups in the community – local government, parents, NGOs, teachers, sports, cultural and religious groups, local businesses and other youth advocates – to develop the first open, safe and inclusive sports venue in Ciudadela Sucre: a 75 x 45m synthetic turf football pitch.
Engagement: the partners will conduct an asset-mapping study to identify the leaders, talents and local know-how that exist in the community, then bring them together in a planning committee.
Construction: the partners will provide materials, technical and safety conditions, while local volunteers will be involved in building. On average, a community-driven project requires 2,000 hours of volunteer work.
Post-project phase: Love.fútbol will facilitate the transition from the planning committee to a far-reaching neighbours network that will maintain the facility.The ultimate goal for this space is that participants should be able to maintain both the physical facility and its ethos by means of a shared sense of ownership, responsibility and leadership.

Expected results

Construction of a 75 x 45m synthetic turf football pitch (from March to May 2018).
Inauguration day with a football festival (May 2018).
Creation of neighbours network for maintenance and planning activities.
Regular facilities for 600 participants aged between 5 and 20 years old.
Tiempo de Juego programming development of sports activities and training of 14 community leaders (June 2018 – May 2019).

Partners

Football for Respect!

Location and general information

Context

Hungary has been reluctant to keep its border open to the influx of refugees since 2015. This difficult situation is a major obstacle to the integration of these people and in particular refugee children.
This project targets:

underprivileged children and teenagers, e.g. those living in the slums of Budapest and the most deprived north-eastern region of Hungary together with their families
children and teenagers living in institutions
refugees and asylum-seeking children and teenagers

Project content

Regular football training: Regular exercise improves physical and mental health and overall well-being. Team sports help children enlarge their social network and gain a sense of belonging, which is very important to their mental health. The success they lack in other areas of life can be found in football, boosting their self-confidence.

Continuous social support: Social workers are present at each training session and football activity. Through this contact the participants can receive support services for housing, employment, education, healthcare, mental health and administrative issues. Close cooperation with teachers provides support for the children’s education.

Girls’ club: This club will provide special support for girl players. Experience shows that they face different challenges from boys and lack sufficient support on account of their underprivileged background. Experts will hold ten monthly sessions on specific issues, such as prevention of early pregnancy, drug prevention, knowing your rights, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and human trafficking.

Employability programme: Tailored support is provided, such as individual job coaching and weekly English classes to improve employability. International tournaments are great opportunities for players to practice their English in real-life situations and that increases their motivation to learn.

Young leader scholarship programme: Experience shows that special emphasis needs to be put on supporting young leaders who have been taking part in the football programme for a long time. Throughout the project, ten young leaders will be selected to take part in the scholarship programme. Their task will be to organise football activities, while they will also take part in the employability programme and receive a monthly allowance to cover their accommodation and living expenses, which will enable them to study without needing to work full-time. Young leaders play a key role in the sustainability of the project, as they will be able to hold training sessions and organise football events independently.

Fair Play Football roadshows: Special emphasis is placed on marginalised participants, especially refugees, playing football with other social groups. Peace-building and social inclusion of underprivileged groups are fostered by six Fair Play Football roadshow events, at which teams from different backgrounds play each other using football3 rules that teach players respect, improve their tolerance, help them articulate their interests, and negotiate with others. They learn how to manage their anger and their communication skills improve. Playing against others helps challenge stereotypes and reduces social exclusion.

Summer football camp: A summer football camp will be organised in a remote village called Hejce in north-eastern Hungary. A total of 40 children, 5 staff members and 5–8 volunteers will take part in the five-day camp that will give the underprivileged children a holiday. Besides various sporting activities, the camp is a great opportunity to make new friends, enhance their social inclusion and improve their Hungarian.

International tournaments: Taking part in an international tournament boosts motivation that can then be invested in studying: learning English, starting or re-starting education, setting new goals in life.

Monitoring and evaluation study: The Oltalom Social Network (OSN) database records data on all participants (training attendance, physical state, school results, training activities, any needs or issues, training memo, etc.). The OSN is a client-centered system to monitor the work done, achieve greater transparency, and improve the quality of the work.

Objectives

Regular training and tournaments provide a prejudice-free experience for refugees and local youngsters where they can get to know each other by playing football together.
The knowledge of Hungarian and customs improves through social contacts with locals.
Tournaments provide great opportunities to make new friends and improve language knowledge.
Regular sport contributes to the well-being of refugees suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder syndrome.
New qualifications, good knowledge of English and positive experiences give young people more self-confidence and the opportunity to escape from their current situation.

Expected results

Regular football training in six locations. (three pitches in Budapest, and one each at the correctional institution for girls, the home for unaccompanied minors in Fót, and a local school in Abaújkér)
Special support for girls with ten monthly theme sessions to help them face various challenges
Support ten specially trained young leaders by means of a scholarship programme
rganise six Fair Play Football roadshows bringing various social groups together to play football, challenge stereotypes and reduce social exclusion.
40 children invited to a summer camp.

Partners

FIFA Football for Hope, Fédération hongroise de football, Oltalom Charity Society, streetfootballworld, Homeless World Cup

Sport for protection and social inclusion in Egypt

Location and general information

Context

By January 2017, Egypt had taken in over 191,000 UNHCR-registered refugees and asylum-seekers, 40% of whom are children. Of these children, 60% are Syrians, 17% Sudanese and 6% Ethiopians. The remainder are from Iraq, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. In 2016 the total population of concern was 50% higher than in 2015. Together with workers from other regions such as Asia and clandestine immigrants, the International Organisation for Migration estimates that the overall number of refugees and migrants in the country is probably as high as one million.

A difficult socio-economic environment, increasing living costs, discrimination and language barriers all make it difficult for refugees to integrate. Their physical safety is also cause for concern.

Limited livelihoods and a loss of hope of returning home have contributed to an increase in the number of refugees attempting to reach Europe. At the same time, the child-protection situation is alarming. In addition to the physical and psychological suffering experienced by refugee and migrant children, they are subject to gender-based violence, violence in schools and child labour, and many drop out of school. The lack of educational opportunities contributes to a sense of hopelessness and isolation.

Project Content

Target population

1,500 young people (between the ages of 15 and 22) regardless of nationality, gender and refugee status, migrants and host communities. This makes an average of 150 youngsters per location, with special attention to girls (50%) and children with disabilities (when appropriate support is available).
70 coaches (men and women) – 20 professionals and 50 young leaders / parents – 7 per location
750 carers
2,000 local community members – 200 per site

Project location

Terre des Hommes will run this project at ten sites within the governorates of Greater Cairo and Damietta:

in the seven existing family centres
in mobile units – youth centres, public spaces, community schools

In its sport for protection and social inclusion programme, Terre des Hommes focuses on community support for refugees and migrants, children and young people, as well as vulnerable Egyptian communities. Sport, and football in particular, plays an important role in healing and helps people cope with physical health issues as well as social, psychological and developmental needs, especially young people who suffer stress and anxiety as a result of their displacement.

The programmes provide a safe, structured and friendly environment for children to share their emotions, strengthen social cohesion, and reinforce educational messages. Girls and young women have the opportunity to take part in sports activities from which they were previously excluded. Recently, activities have been extended to parents, to free them from their daily routine and strengthen family relationships.

Objectives

Design a training programme for coaches, including not only technical football skills but also soft skills such as intercultural competence, leadership, conflict resolution, team-building and communication.
Organise weekly sports sessions for boys and girls in a safe and child-friendly environment. Once or twice a week per location.
Continue to provide weekly psychological activities. The combination of artistic and sports activities has proved to be worthwhile in terms of the impact on the psychosocial wellbeing of children and teenagers. Six days a week.
Provide teenagers with life skills and the knowledge they need to adapt to Egyptian society. Three days a week.
Provide intergenerational sports activities.
Organise cultural and sport events. Once a month.
Organise football tournaments. Every six months.
Create awareness of child protection, social inclusion and social cohesion during the weekly sessions and campaign during sporting events.
Use social media for local communication, featuring short videos and success stories.

Expected results

Refugees and migrant children and teenagers become active community agents to improve their wellbeing and their social inclusion
Sustainable sport together with psychosocial and life-skill activities increase social inclusion and community-based protection for vulnerable children and teenagers
By the end of the project, 70 local coaches, professionals and youth leaders will have enhanced their technical and leadership skills so that they can help youngsters to act as agents of change in their refugee, migrant and host communities
Through social sport activities, 1,500 young people have improved their psychosocial wellbeing (self-esteem, self-confidence) and peer support, allowing them to be more confident when interacting with peers
1,500 youngsters and 2,750 parents and locals are mobilised to take part in activities that promote community and social cohesion, including gender and disability

Partners

Football for Development in the Czech Republic

Location and general information

Context

INEX is a non-governmental not-for-profit organisation founded in 1991 that supports international work and intercultural education. One of its flagship projects, Football for Development, engages young people in the Czech Republic by means of football-based informal educational activities. The project is run in various urban environments in the Czech Republic (Prague, Usti nad Labem region, Pilsen region, Ostrava region, Karlovy Vary region), where INEX partners with low-threshold clubs, social services, youth clubs, leisure centres, orphanages and youth detention centres. The target group comprises children and teenagers who are at risk of social exclusion or discrimination due to their ethnic background or where they live. Thanks to the work of these organisations, the children and teenagers enjoy a safe space for social interaction and personal development.

The aim is to provide a way for these youngsters to re-engage with society and develop skills they need to be active and responsible citizens. Experience shows that regular planned sporting activities are effective. Football is a comprehensive learning and preventive tool using rules and options to resolve conflicts without violence.

Project content

Because sport, and football in particular, is very popular among young people, it plays an active role in combating discrimination, intolerance, racism, xenophobia and violence. The Football3 methodology*, based on the principle of fair play, inclusion and mutual respect, is used to instil important social values, such as teamwork, discussion, and mutual understanding. It also develops the ability to create rules.

Objectives

The foundation’s support will enable a national network of Football3 leagues to be set up and extend the regional implementation of Football3 methodology into the everyday work of Football for Development’s partner organisations with their target groups. Each league will feature matchdays where groups from different organisations and backgrounds will play together in a spirit of respect and fair play.

4 matchdays in each of the four regions (these will count towards the total points at the end of the respective league competition)
1-day training in the use of Football3 methodology and to endorse the role of mediator
1 workshop per region before the league starts to prepare the participants for the special football format
2 national coordination meetings to arrange the schedule, participation criteria and guidelines and the evaluation process
1 national final matchday to be held in one of the regions and organised as a public event. Two teams from each region will qualify for the finals.

Expected results

Lay the foundation for regular Football3 league matches.
Create a sustainable and independent network of Football3 leagues throughout the Czech Republic.
Focus on educating youngsters in targeted communities and encourage their continued involvement in the activities after reaching adulthood.
These individuals will work as role models in their communities to share and multiply the ideas and principles of the project.

* Football3 methodology is used by the streetfootballworld network. It harnesses the educational potential of street football by ensuring that dialogue and fair play are integral to the game. Its overall objective is to promote life skills and empower young people to become leaders. The emphasis is on resolving conflict through dialogue.

Partners

Game Changers

Location and general information

Context

Young adults (16–24 year-olds) in London are better educated on leaving school than ever before. The proportion of 19 year-olds with qualifications has improved significantly in inner-city London, overtaking the English national average. Nevertheless, they are more likely to be unemployed and, even when in work, young adults are very likely to be low paid. Nearly 11% of 16–24 year-olds in London were unemployed in 2014, more than twice the level for 25–64 year-olds, while 77% of 16–20 year-olds and 41% of 21–24 year-olds are low paid. (Source: London’s Poverty Profile website)

At the same time, there are more than 1,450 football clubs with over 3,300 teams across the city. (Source: London Football Association website)

Kick It Out is primarily a campaigning organisation that enables, facilitates and works with the football authorities, professional clubs, players, fans and communities to tackle all forms of discrimination in football. It offers a wide range of educational activities to help pupils and college or university students understand about equality and inclusion within football and across society.

This project targets young adults who are looking for professional opportunities in the football industry. Sustainability is key to its success in providing a new pathway into football leadership and governance for communities that are under-represented in the game.

Project content

Training and development days

At the core of the programme will be eight full-day training sessions on the themes of empowerment, leadership, football governance, project planning, business, coaching, commercial/public affairs and law.

Kick It Out, in partnership with the Premier League, will source expert trainers from the football business, teaching staff from the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) – a higher education institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees along with executive education in the football business, sport and events industries – and BPP University Business School, and experienced educators from outside the sector.

The programme will start with four full-day training sessions on the core learning themes of empowerment (Premier League trainers), leadership (Premier League trainers), football governance (FA trainers), and project planning (Mitre Group trainers). Participants will be expected to attend at least three of the four sessions and will be tested in these areas at the start and end of the project in order to measure how much they have learned.

In between these sessions, the participants will be given additional reading tasks, group discussion questions and other assignments based on the themes covered.

Raise Your Game (RYG) events

Participants will receive priority access to Raise Your Game career events throughout the year.

Raise Your Game is a unique Kick It Out programme that provides opportunities for people who aspire to work in the football industry, and is currently supported by the Premier League. Since its inception in 2012, the programme has helped numerous individuals find career pathways in roles such as coaching, media and communications, player engagement, physiotherapy, refereeing and sports science.

Equality and diversity in football awareness course

Kick It Out is working with Southampton Solent University to offer this unique course aimed at educating future leaders of football and increasing awareness of Kick It Out’s work in all sectors of the game. This course is designed for people who will lead the football industry to greater equality and inclusion.

Mentoring

Mentors will be sourced at the beginning of the project and introduced to participants after their induction. They will deliver a minimum of three coaching sessions to facilitate development at each stage of the programme. They will also support the participants at the end of the project by guiding them as they develop their action plans for the following six months.

The project will also include a scheme in which current members of the Game Changers programme will be able to pass on what they have learned. This peer-to-peer learning can be invaluable as it enables young people to learn directly from recent programme .

Objectives

Providing a new pathway into football leadership and governance for communities underrepresented in the game.
Create a tailor-made learning curriculum to promote the values of Kick It Out, such as the benefits of equality, inclusion, diversity policies and practices in football.
Create pathway opportunities for young adults with a good education and looking for job opportunities in the sports industry.
Develop broader awareness and acceptance of Kick It Out’s activities and its enabling and facilitating roles as a contributory force for good in football.

Project Activities

Pathways can be defined as opportunities available to leaders wishing to progress to senior positions, including .

During the project, Kick It Out will work to identify pathways for participants. Mentors will help each participant to access one of the following opportunities within six months of the project ending:

Boards pathway
County FA youth councils
Grassroots club youth councils
Professional club youth councils
Internships or work experience within the football industry
Leadership roles at grassroots or community level
Community leadership programmes run by professional football clubs, Premier League Communities and EFL Trust

Expected results

Key football stakeholders will be encouraged to address the issue of under-representation of women, disabled people and individuals from BAME and LGBT communities in leadership and governance positions in football.
A new pathway into football leadership and governance will be provided for communities under-represented in the game.
Learning and development opportunities will be offered to young leaders from communities under-represented in the game.

Partner

From Sport to Work

Location and general information

Context

From sport to work project
Sport dans la Ville works with 5,500 young people aged between 7 and 22 who live in disadvantaged areas of Lyon, Grenoble, Chambéry, Saint-Etienne, Lille and Ile-de-France.
The young participants live in areas targeted for urban regeneration, where access to training and employment is very limited. The average unemployment rate for 16 to 25-year olds in the areas in which Sport dans la Ville operates is 45%.
Young participants in the sports programmes run by Sport dans la Ville are able to join the Job dans la Ville programme from the age of 15. In 2017, the programme will help around 950 socially disadvantaged young people aged between 15 and 22 to find training and employment opportunities.

Project content

The Job dans la Ville programme uses five practical measures to help each young person obtain a qualification and long-term employment (work-study contract or permanent contract):

Individual training and employment support from a professional development coach, a permanent employee of Sport dans la Ville.
Visits to companies and training providers, partners of Sport dans la Ville.
Training and preparation for the world of work, in particular the rules of the workplace and job interview procedures.
Mentoring by company employees, who share their experience of work and support the young people with their professional integration.
Company placements in France and abroad, enabling each young person to gain initial work experience (internships, work-study contracts, fixed-term contracts, permanent contracts).

The Job dans la Ville programme aims to have an immediate impact on the young people by offering social and professional integration activities in the districts where they live, thus developing close relationships with the young people and their parents. By working with children in its centres from the age of six, Sport dans la Ville provides young people with long-term, continuous support (lasting an average of 10 to 12 years).

All year round, the programme offers:

workshops and company visits during school holidays;
programme presentation ceremonies in January and June;
‘Foot & Job’ events, where young job-seekers can meet company employees on the sports pitch and talk about their jobs;
employment forums, where young Job dans la Ville participants can meet our partner companies who are looking for new recruits (internships, work-study contracts, fixed-term contracts, permanent contracts).

Objectives

to increase the number of participants in the Job dans la Ville programme by opening ten new sports centres in three regions: Rhône-Alpes, Ile-de-France and Hauts-de-France. These new centres will be able to accommodate more young people in the Job dans la Ville programme (1,100 in 2018);
to increase the involvement of young people at the existing Sport dans la Ville sports centres.

Expected results

In 2017 and 2018, to continue the structuring and development of our programme at national level.
To strengthen our team of partners, whose objective is to ensure the financial sustainability of the Job dans la Ville programme and of the improvements we intend to make to the programme.

Partner

Youth advisory centres (‘missions locales’) and CIO (‘centres d’information et d’orientation’).
Second-chance schools, vocational schools, apprentice training centres, adult vocational training centres, universities and higher education establishments
Local and state authorities
120 private companies

Cruyff Courts in the Dutch Caribbean

Location and general information

Context

Many people live in poverty on the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saint Martin. The recent damage caused by Hurricane Irma, aggravated the local economy and the quality of life.

The project’s target groups live in residential areas just above the poverty line: work does not provide a living income. The quality of education has improved in recent years, but still not to a level that allows adults to live independent lives. Poverty in the Caribbean gives rise to health problems, including obesity, and sometimes leads to child abuse. For many children it is impossible to obtain a proper education, join a sports club and practise safely. This has serious consequences for the children’s health and personal development.

The Cruyff Foundation has been running its Cruyff Courts project since 2005 on Aruba and Bonaire, and 2006 on Sint Eustatius and Saint Martin. The project provides a safe place where children can play, socialise, make friends, and develop their own talent. These are valuable experiences that they carry with them as they develop physically and mentally, and as they move into adult society.

The project was set up in cooperation with the Dutch ministry of health, welfare and sports and is run in cooperation with local sports organisations.

Cruyff Courts have provided thousands of children with a safe public place to play football or other sports in the heart of their community. Cruyff Courts have been used extensively by children and teenagers in this region over the past decade, but schools, sports clubs and other residents have also benefitted from the project. We ran capacity training programmes for coaches in Bonaire, Aruba and Sint Eustatius in 2011.

Project content

Many children live in poverty and have no opportunity to practise sport or take part in activities that help them develop emotionally and socially. Sport is a universal language, regardless of a child’s background, culture, religion or ability. Through sport and play, children become fitter, learn to interact, and develop mentally and physically. We therefore encourage them to take part in the activities at the Cruyff Courts.

A Cruyff Court is a modern interpretation of the traditional playing field that used to be found in many districts and communities before urbanisation. It is the place where children learn respect, health, integration, development and inclusion. Every week thousands of children are active on Cruyff Courts around the world, where they find a safe place to practise sport outdoors.

The pitches on these four Caribbean islands have suffered a lot after 11–12 years of heavy use and need to be refurbished to remain safe places. In the meantime, Hurricane Irma destroyed the Cruyff Court on Saint Martin and damaged the one on Sint Eustatius. So, these two pitches will be replaced with the Cruyff Court Field in a Box concept instead of being refurbished. This is the same principle as the UEFA Field in a Box project, i.e. a specially designed, enclosed artificial pitch, as recently launched by the UEFA Foundation for Children in Madrid and Poland. These pitches are a sustainable, durable and efficient solution.

To ensure the sustainability of this project, a new programme, Heroes of the Cruyff Courts, has been launched. The goal is to turn young people into role models for their neighbourhood and have them involved with the community and the Cruyff Court in the longer term. Events are organised to give young people the opportunity to discover and develop their talents while also being challenged to try something new. The project trains Cruyff Foundation coaches who then oversee youngsters while they organise a sports event for children in the community.

Planning:

Summer 2018: Local coaches start training to become Cruyff Foundation coaches
Summer 2018: Refurbishment of Cruyff Courts on Aruba and Bonaire
Summer 2018/autumn 2018: Cruyff Court Field in a Box installed on Sint Eustatius and Saint Martin
Late 2018/early 2019: Inauguration of the new Cruyff Courts with the active participation of young people through the Heroes of the Cruff Courts programme
2018–2028: Projects and activities run by locals (10-year contract) and continually monitored and evaluated by the Johan Cruyff Foundation

Objectives

Cruyff Courts will provide at least six hours of sports activities a week for local children
Recruit new youngsters to take part in the Heroes of Cruyff Courts programme: learning to coach and organise sports activities and events, while also learning some basic business skills. Everyone who successfully completes the programme becomes a certified coach.
250–500 children attending, playing and enjoying sports activities on the different Cruyff Courts
1 Cruyff Foundation Coaching Course
4 Cruyff Courts inauguration events
4 events organised by 30 heroes/young people in 2019
15 new certified coaches

Expected results

We aim to inspire more children to practise sport and play at Cruyff Courts every day.
We expect to encourage more schools and local organisations to be active in sport.
We believe that once children discover the joy of sport, they will continue to be active for the rest of their lives:

Regular physical activities from a young age provides a long-term advantage in motor-skill development
Sport and play have a positif impact on concentration and improve academic performance at school
Children who engage in regular physical activity have a much lower incidence of psychosocial and behavioural problems

About the Cruyff Foundation

The Johan Cruyff Foundation is an international non-profit organisation that aims to improve the intellectual/mental/emotional and physical well-being of children and teenagers by:

Standing up for the interests of children and young people who have fewer opportunities in life
Offering and encouraging sport and exercise activities by facilitating Schoolyard14 and (special) Cruyff Courts
Financially supporting other projects and organisations with the same objective
Encouraging sport in conjunction with education and healthcare
Stimulating cooperation between various similar organisations in the Netherlands and abroad
Stimulating integration between the various sectors of the population
In addition to Cruyff Courts and Schoolyard14 special attention is paid to disabled children

The Cruyff Foundation works with sport assocations and clubs, the foundations run other leading athletes, local, provincial and national governments, schools, institutions, rehabilitation centres and professional football organisations.

Partners

A ball for all children, a goal for inclusion

Location and general information

Context

Visual impairment often raises questions or creates fear, especially fear of people who are different. Unfortunately, partially sighted or blind people are stigmatised and often seen or defined primarily as disabled rather than perceived as fully-fledged human beings. This attitude emphasises their exclusion and hinders their integration and inclusion in society, including that of the younger generations. Visually impaired children are often the target of taunts and thoughtless comments in schools. In Greece, schools’ lack of understanding or awareness is a barrier for inclusion.

Project content

Orama Neon Youthorama is a non-governmental organisation that has been operational since 2003. Following its international ‘Everybody Wins’ campaign, which promoted the Olympic and Paralympic values by using specially adapted footballs for the visually impaired, the organisation is now planning to launch the ‘A ball for all children, a goal for inclusion’ project. The project aims to inform and support schools, NGOs and the public sector organisations in order to create an inclusive society in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes. To this end, adapted balls that contain bells and feature the UEFA Foundation for Children logo will be distributed to the participants. These balls will play a key role in the project, in which the participants will play blind football, a sport that is truly inclusive. Every team must contain a mix of sighted and blind players, who must all demonstrate mutual understanding, trust and support as they work together as a team. Blind football also helps to promote a strong message of integration and social cohesion. By raising awareness, the project aims to change how visually impaired people are perceived. They should not be defined by their disability, but treated as fully-fledged players and people.

Objectives

To create a more inclusive society at local and international levels
To promote healthy lifestyles by improving access to sport for everyone

Expected results

To impact 1,000 schoolchildren through awareness workshops in 15 schools
To provide 500 balls to the project participants
To support visually impaired child refugees in refugee camps by giving them specially adapted footballs
To work in schools with a high number of blind and visually impaired children
To produce a promotional video in order to raise awareness of inclusion activities

Partners

Football With No Limits

Location and general information

Context

Cañada Real – a 16km long, 75m wide shanty town on the outskirts of Madrid – is one of the poorest areas in Spain. It is also the largest shanty town in Europe and is commonly referred to as the ‘slum of shame’. It is home to 30,000 people living in insanitary conditions, including large numbers of Moroccan and Roma families. This illegal settlement is also home to numerous drug dealers, who supply the local population. The general insecurity of life in Cañada Real is compounded by the negative impact on children’s education, with academic failure and drop-out rates 40% higher than the national average.

Project content

Against the background of the sometimes strained relations between the various communities that live together in Cañada Real, this programme organised by Red Deporte y Cooperación uses the power of football and the football3 methodology to foster dialogue with a view to resolving conflict. The programme also involves a concerted effort to get more girls playing football. By establishing mixed teams comprising players from various different communities, the organisers seek to remove the barriers and prejudices that divide the people living in Cañada Real. Moreover, in order to maximise the impact on the lives of the programme’s beneficiaries, Red Deporte y Cooperación also supplements its recreational sporting activities with educational workshops aimed at helping children to return to school or find work.

Objectives

Foster harmonious relations between the various communities living together in Cañada Real
Get more girls playing football
Boost beneficiaries’ self-confidence
Encourage children to obtain an education and/or provide them with the tools they need in order to find work.

Expected results

Organisation of 150 training sessions
Hosting of three football festivals for 1,500 children from Cañada Real
Organisation of 30 educational workshops on the subject of education, health and employability
Fostering of communication and cultural exchange through the organisation of tournaments in Cañada Real and elsewhere in Spain
Training of ten coaches, ten referees and three coordinators so they can run the Cañada CF football club

Partners

Allez les Filles!

Location and general information

Context

Mantes-la-Jolie is one of the four areas of the Yvelines department selected as part of the national urban regeneration programme. It is the third largest town in Yvelines and has a relatively young population. Average household income is €15,196 per year, although there are wide variations between districts. The rate of unemployment is more than twice the national average and is especially high among young people, in particular women, in the 15 to 24 age bracket. The town has one of the highest school dropout rates in Ile-de-France and a large proportion of current 15- to 24-year olds left school without any academic qualifications.

The Paris Saint-Germain Foundation is planning to work mainly in the Val Fourré district, an urban area in particular need of regeneration, by stepping up its efforts to develop women’s sport. In 2012 , for example, the Allez les Filles programme was created for girls who had no opportunities to play sport on account of their social or family background.

Project content

Designed specifically for girls aged between 8 and 12, Allez les Filles is a tailor-made, long-term programme comprising 15 sports and cultural education sessions and a holiday week.

Each Allez les Filles group is composed of 25 girls who are given the chance to learn and try out various sports, including football, handball, basketball, dance, combat sports, blind football and high-rope climbing, as well as cultural activities such as street art or museum visits.

Members of the Paris Saint-Germain women’s team, who are closely involved in the programme, act as mentors to the girls. During the season, the girls have the opportunity to talk to them and to attend training sessions and matches.

Objectives

The programme’s objectives are to:

encourage girls in the most deprived areas of Ile-de-France to play sport;
show them the wide range of sports that they could play;
help them to become more self-confident and share values linked to sport, such as team spirit, taking responsibility, respect for rules and other people, and hard work;
foster their social integration through sport.

At the end of the year, the girls are encouraged to continue with one activity. The hope is that they will choose a sport and join a club, with the Foundation covering the cost of their registration fee.

Expected results

With France set to host the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2018 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, the foundation is keen to expand the Allez les Filles programme by enabling more girls to take part.

Thanks to the support of the UEFA Foundation for Children, an additional 25 girls from the socially deprived French town of Mantes-la-Jolie in Yvelines will be able to participate in the programme.

Partner

Tackling youth unemployment

Location and general information

CONTEXT

In March 2017, 3.883 million young people aged under 25 were unemployed in the 28 EU member states. The situation is especially worrying in France, where almost one in four young people were unemployed (Eurostats, May 2017). Although the situation is less alarming in the United Kingdom, which has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, job insecurity in particular means that even young people who are employed find themselves in a precarious situation.

A lack of support for young job-seekers, inadequate qualifications and economic recession are all factors that prevent young people finding work.

PROJECT CONTENT

This two-year pilot project organised by the UEFA Foundation for Children, car manufacturer Nissan (Nissan Europe) and the streetfootballworld global network is designed to support Sport dans la Ville (France) and Street League (United Kingdom), two organisations that share the common goal of using the power of sport to help young people find employment. Hard work, discipline and respect for the rules are all values that sport can teach young people. Alongside sports activities, the project organises workshops that enable young people to develop their employability skills. As well as increasing their self-confidence and helping them to acquire key skills, the project gives young people the chance to participate in work placements and work-study programmes, to find employment with a well-known company and to take part in activities run by the Nissan Skills Foundation (which focuses on youth skills development).

OBJECTIVES

To reduce youth unemployment in France and the United Kingdom
To promote the social and professional integration of young people from disadvantaged areas by giving them access to training, employment and sports activities
To promote the benefits and values of sport as an instrument of social change

EXPECTED RESULTS

Lower school drop-out rate, higher employment and better training among young people aged between 15 and 24 in France and the United Kingdom.

PARTNERS

Extra Time – Tackling the ‘Dead Zone’

Location and general information

Context

Jocotenango is an area of Guatemala that suffers from grinding poverty, gang crime, drug/alcohol abuse and domestic/sexual violence. Education for the Children (EFTC) runs a School of Hope in the area which is attended by more than 650 children. It also operates a successful four-point integrated plan helping people to escape poverty, which combines education, nutrition, health care and social support.

EFTC’s Extra Time project aims to tackle the issue of the ‘dead zone’ – the period between school ending and parents returning from work (which is often late in the evening). EFTC plans to use sport as a solution to this problem, seeking to combat the lifelong implications of children falling into gang crime, substance abuse and anti-social behaviour at a young age. In view of the fact that Guatemala has a three-month rainy season, EFTC will build an all-weather pitch with a roof and a drainage system to allow children to use the site all year round. This new facility will also be used for various community projects, such as workshops for children and parents, medical check‑ups and an empowerment project for local girls. For the School of Hope, sport is much more than just a game – it is a game changer.

Project content

Sport as a solution to the ‘dead zone’

The Extra Time project will use access to sport as a solution to the problem of the ‘dead zone’. The organisation of after-school sports clubs and community workshops will provide significant opportunities for personal development and the protection of children’s rights.

Access to life skills through sport

Football clubs – and sports clubs in general – will not only serve as an alternative activity; they will also play a pivotal role in children’s development.

Bridging gaps

The Extra Time project will also organise tournaments with a view to bridging gaps between local communities.

A school of football fans

At present, the School of Hope is full of football fans with no real way of enjoying the game. EFTC aims to harness their passion for football and use it to tackle the issue of the ‘dead zone’, helping them to achieve long-term success by escaping poverty.

Objectives

To tackle the ‘dead zone’ and give children living in poverty an alternative to hanging around on the streets after school
To offer positive alternative activities, steering children away from crime, alcohol/drug abuse and unprotected/underage sex
To increase participation in sport among children with no current access to facilities, coaching or equipment
To empower girls through sport, self-defence classes and workshops
To provide the local community with a safe venue for workshops
To bridge gaps between communities through inter-school football tournaments

Expected results

- 3,000 local people with access to sport and community workshops that are not currently available to them
- Safer, healthier and more academically engaged children
- Children with less time and inclination to engage in gang crime, alcohol/drug abuse or unprotected sex after school
- Children who are well educated on the subjects of sex, sexually transmitted diseases and sexual abuse
- A reduction in the number of children at the School of Hope who are involved in gang crime
- Better future prospects for children as a result of essential life skills taught through sporting activities
- A reduction in the number of cases of substance abuse at the School of Hope
- A reduction in the number of teenage pregnancies at the School of Hope (expected to fall from ten to five by the end of the first year)
- More confident girls who are actively engaged in higher education and making positive choices regarding their future
- Greater engagement in the local community through community workshops
- Better networking with schools in surrounding communities through tournament events
Partners

Field in a box – Mragowo

Location and general information

CONTEXT

Following the successful installation of the first Field in a Box football pitch in Cañada Real, the UEFA Foundation for Children decided to continue its work with FedEx, which financed the construction of a second pitch in the small town of Mragowo in northeast Poland. The global not-for-profit network streetfootballworld helped to identify the location for the pitch and select local charity Mazurskie Stowarzyszenie Inicjatyw Sportowych (MSIS) to maintain the pitch and ensure its sustainable use and positive impact.

PROJECT CONTENT

The UEFA Foundation for Children has been running the Field in a Box project since 2016, the aim being to provide an enclosed, fully functional artificial football pitch to communities in need. The system is environmentally sustainable and quick to install.

OBJECTIVES

By promoting this project, the UEFA Foundation for Children aims to improve the lives of young people and breathe new life into disadvantaged communities. By providing opportunities to play football, the foundation endeavours to promote children’s health and support their personal development, while instilling in them the values of football, such as respect and team spirit.

RESULTS TO DATE AND EXPECTED RESULTS

Organising football training using the football3 method
Maintaining and ensuring sustainable use of the pitch through the recruitment of an activities coordinator by local charity Mazurskie Stowarzyszenie Inicjatyw Sportowych (MSIS)
Facilitating the integration and social cohesion of different people living in Mragowo

PARTNERS

A new start for refugee kids in Lebanon

Location and general information

Context

Since the start of the conflict in Syria in 2011, Lebanon has taken in an increasing number of refugees, with the UNHCR reporting almost 1.1 million Syrian refugees having arrived in the country.

Considering the excessive damage inflicted to housing and other infrastructure inside Syria, many refugees can be expected to remain in Lebanon until reconstruction and political stabilisation in Syria makes their return feasible.

One out of every two of the registered refugee population is under the age of 17 – a risk group acutely exposed to the effects of trauma. Guaranteeing access to education for this target group is a key priority for the Lebanese government, UN agencies and non-governmental aid agencies.

The overall objective of this project is to support the capacity of the Lebanese state to provide assistance to Lebanese host communities and Syrian refugees who suffer from the effects of displacement in the fields of education, trauma mitigation and social cohesion.

Project content

The increasing number of refugee families residing in Lebanon presents significant challenges. Among the needs, a particular concern is to ensure that Syrian refugee children are able to access education while in displacement. This not only serves the purpose of safeguarding a need for continuity in formal education but also for providing a platform that mitigates traumatising stress elements. The volume of the influx of refugees is increasing the pressure on Lebanon’s education system as well as, in general, its society, economy, politics and security.

‘FutbolNet’ is a programme of the FC Barcelona Foundation that uses football as a tool to promote values among young people through an innovative teaching methodology, serving as a catalyst for capacity development, community resilience and social cohesion. It is a very attractive socialisation initiative that offers locally adapted training and content aiming to strengthen local level capacities.

This project proposes to work with child refugees and non-refugees as a way of improving the coexistence between schoolchildren and reducing existing aggressive behaviours. Given the huge increase of refugees who enter the Lebanese public-education system, tensions inevitably affected cohesion in schools. Our proposal aims to train Physical Education teachers to enable spaces to build relationship between refugees and non-refugees as an investment for an improved future coexistence between the population living in Lebanon.

Objective

The overall objective of the project is to support the capacity of the Lebanese public school system to provide assistance to Lebanese host communities and to help refugees cope with the effects of displacement in the fields of education, trauma mitigation and social cohesion.

Project activities

1. Diagnosis and preparation: The FC Barcelona Foundation needed to gain an understanding of the context, target and the venues in which the activities would take place.

2. Content adaptation: An adaptation process between the FC Barcelona Foundation FutbolNet experts and the local partner took place to adapt the FutbolNet methodology to the local reality, culture and society without compromising the basics of the FutbolNet programme.

3. Seminar

a. Coaches seminar: three-day seminar delivered locally by FC Barcelona Foundation official instructors. Included both theoretical and practical sessions.

b. Continuous learning: Periodic visits by FCBF coaches to support the local coaches and prepare special training sessions for the participants.

4. Implementation: The project was implemented in coordination with a number of Lebanese educational and social stakeholders.

5. Monitoring and evaluation.

Expected results

The project benefited 7,907 children, 55% boys and 45% girls, 79% of whom were Lebanese nationals and 21% refugees, mostly from Syria. The project also benefited 85 physical education teachers from 79 Lebanese state from the six regions of the country.

Other results were:
– The Lebanese state school system benefited from the increased competencies of physical education teachers and from the provision of sports equipment to the schools.
– Sports activities mitigated the trauma of refugee children and reduce aggressive behaviour.
– Sports activities benefited Lebanese and refugee children as a mechanism to promote social cohesion, both among refugees and between refugee and host communities in mixed environments.
– The project discouraged school drop-out rates among registered refugee children and encouraged unregistered refugees to attend school.