Location and general information
Access to Sport - 
Environmental protection - 
Gender Equality - 
Healthy lifestyle - 
Personal developmentContext
The 1,200 islands of the Maldives are home to one of the most threatened animal groups in the world: corals! The archipelago depends on the reefs for the ecosystem services they provide through tourism, fisheries and coastal protection. This precious ecosystem is suffering due to sea-level rise, extreme weather events causing beach erosion and potentially population migrations.
In this scenario, it is imperative for upcoming generations, even in remote places, to become environmental ambassadors and ocean guardians and to spearhead initiatives for ocean protection.
There is an opportunity for football to be the gateway to climate action and marine awareness.
Project goals
- Use football as a tool to motivate children to conserve the environment
- Foster children's resilience, lowering their vulnerabilities and increasing their personal resources through football
- Innovate communication strategies on climate change and environmental awareness
- Link sport and practical reef restoration activities to create a new generation of coral guardians
- Create a replicable model for the use of sport as a link between environmental conservation and a healthy lifestyle
Project content
The project combines football training with marine conservation, engaging with trainers and children through educational activities (SDG4) while teaching the principles of a healthy lifestyle (SDG3), environmental protection (SDG13), and active efforts for reef preservation and rehabilitation. Football is a way to engage with a large pool of children, build local capacity, inspire the younger generation, bridge the gap between male and female participation (SDG5), improve physical skills, and take part in active coral reef conservation (SDG14).
Environmental awareness will be promoted by combining educational activities that provide a theory background with the practice of coral restoration. Finally, the ‘train the trainers’ sessions will ensure a long-lasting replicable model to build local capacity of football trainers and restoration practitioners.
The project will be run on Faafu as a collaboration between two experts in their fields:
- The Marine Research and Higher Education Center (MaRHE Center) of the University of Milano-Bicocca
- Inter Campus, the international CSR department of F.C. Inter Milano
The MaRHE Center has been carrying out research and educational activities in the fields of environmental science and marine biology, tourism science, and human geography in the Maldives since 2009.
Since 1997, Inter Campus has entered into collaboration agreements with selected NGOs and institutions throughout the world. Inter Campus supports their social programmes in favour of children in need, using football as an educational tool and as an incentive towards further social objectives, such as inclusion, integration, education, dialogue in divided communities and active participation in society. It offers free technical clinics for adults, restores the right to play for children, and promotes the development of local communities, while respecting their needs and contextual characteristics.
Faafu Atoll, south-west of the country's capital, Male, comprises five islands (Feeali, Bileiydhoo, Magoodhoo, Dharanboodhoo, Nilandhoo). Here, ten local educators will be trained by MaRHE Center and Inter Campus staff in four weekly sessions over two years. Throughout the year, overseen remotely by the organising team, the local trainers will conduct weekly sessions on their own islands, engaging in both football and marine activities, which include coral reef restoration.
The direct project beneficiaries over the two years will be:
- 5 islands
- More than 10 trainers
- 200 teenagers and pre-teens aged 10–14 (40 per island), 25% of which are girls
Partner
