Location and general information
Access to Sport - 
Gender Equality - 
Personal developmentContext
The Unis Vers le Sport (UVS) street children’s reception centre was opened in October 2019 in the Senegalese municipality of Gandon. Equipped with sports facilities and employing qualified sports coaches, the centre, which is in a rural location, is surrounded by numerous public schools. For cultural reasons, most girls in the region do not participate in any sports activities, which leads to physical and mental health problems in adulthood.
Project content
The ‘Gazelles of Teranga’ project aims to invite 2,500 schoolgirls from the surrounding rural districts to take part in regular sports activities and fun, educational workshops designed to teach them about the health benefits of regular participation in appropriate sports activities. Their teachers also receive training in sports coaching and first aid so they can continue running these activities after the end of the project.
Objectives
- Participation of around 2,500 schoolgirls in regular sports activities.
- Participation of around 2,500 schoolgirls in workshops designed to raise awareness of issues relating to health, hygiene, diet and sport relevant to the local context.
- Training of teachers in sports coaching and first aid to give them the tools they need to continue running sports activities after the end of the project.
- Distribution of sports clothing as well as sports and first aid equipment to schools in the region.
Project activities
- Each day, 50 girls are taken from nearby schools to the UVS centre by coach.
- Between 08:00 and 10:00, the girls participate in a session comprising gymnastics and fun sports activities.
- They are given a snack between 10:00 and 10:30.
- Between 10:30 and 12:00, the girls attend workshops designed to raise their awareness of issues relating to health, hygiene, diet and sport.
- Meanwhile, from 08:00 until 12:00, teachers receive training in sports coaching and first aid, with 12 sessions spread over a three-month period.
Expected results
- Regular participation in sport becomes the norm for girls in the region.
- The physical and mental health of the 2,500 or so schoolgirls participating in the project is improved.
- The women in the region suffer from fewer health problems resulting from a lack of participation in appropriate sports activities.
- Basic knowledge of issues relating to health, hygiene, diet and sport is acquired.
- The teachers gain the knowledge and skills needed to continue running the sports activities after the project is over.
Partner
