Young Women’s Economic Empowerment in rural DRC

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kalebuka, Democratic Republic of Congo
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 07/31/2027
Cost of the project €239,285
Foundation funding €90,000
Project identifier 2025002068
Partners Georges Malaika Foundation
Categories Employability - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Across the Democratic Republic of Congo, only 16.8% of girls complete secondary school. In rural communities like Kalebuka, that percentage is even lower. This low level of educational attainment has direct consequences: girls and women who do not complete secondary school have twice as many children as those who do, reinforcing cycles of poverty and limiting their life choices. Only 62% of women are active in the labour market, and those who are employed earn an average of 77.3% less than men, while average profits for female entrepreneurs are 66.5% lower than for their male counterparts. These figures reflect restricted access to capital, networks and training.

Project goals

  • Deepen mentorship and post-training support for girls and young women graduating from entrepreneurship and vocational programmes
  • Launch and monitor seed-funded businesses, and help young women to operationalise and sustain income-generating activities
  • Increase the visibility of female role models and strengthen community awareness of female economic leaders
  • Expand women’s access to and inclusion in the economy
  • Strengthen monitoring, evaluation and learning, and establish long-term pathway tracking to monitor educational, employment and business outcomes.
  • Embed learning into programme design

Project content

The project is designed to equip girls and young women with the tools they need to move into employment or entrepreneurship. The core activities cover five areas:

A. Mentorship and post-training support

  • Matching each Entrepreneurship Club graduate with a mentor for six months of structured post-programme support
  • Establishing an Alumni Mentor Circle, preparing Malaika graduates to serve as peer mentors
  • Hosting quarterly Career Insight Talks with professionals from STEM, creative industries and the world of business

B. Seed funding and business coaching

  • Running the annual Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition
  • Awarding seed grants to between six and ten promising business projects
  • Delivering a structured coaching package for each funded business, including monthly check-ins, help to refine business plans and mid-year and end-of-year performance reviews

C. Role model engagement and community visibility

  • Hosting the second annual Entrepreneurship Festival, showcasing student innovation, guest speakers and community stalls
  • Producing five to ten digital case studies to inspire younger students and the wider community

D. Expanding access and inclusion

  • Piloting flexible vocational training specifically designed for young mothers and girls who are not in school
  • Offering childcare support to ensure that mothers can participate
  • Adapting entrepreneurship materials for people with lower levels of literacy to increase accessibility and inclusion

E. Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)

  • Rolling out a graduate tracking system that captures education, employment and business progression every six months
  • Conducting focus groups and interviews with participants and recipients of seed funding
  • Providing annual staff training on data collection and participatory MEL methods
  • Producing mid-year and final reports for the UEFA Foundation, plus an annual Learning Brief documenting progress and insights

Partner

Play for Change: Building respectful communities through sport

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Gaborone and Kweneng districts, Botswana
Start date 01/05/2026
End date 06/30/2026
Cost of the project €136,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2025001231
Partners HOPE Worldwide Botswana
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Gender-based violence is a significant challenge in Botswana, experienced by 67% of women. Young teens lack positive role models and structured opportunities to develop healthy relationship skills. Moreover, traditional gender-based violence prevention focuses on the women and girls, without giving men or women adequate support to challenge harmful gender norms and develop respectful attitudes towards gender equality and children's rights.

Project goals

  • Reduce acceptance of gender-based violence by 30% among 1,100 teenagers aged 10 to 15 (660 boys, 440 girls)
  • Promote gender equality, healthy relationships and positive forms of masculinity and femininity, fostering respect, leadership and protection of children’s rights
  • Build sustainable community-based prevention programmes
  • Strengthen protection of children's rights through bystander intervention training for all participants
  • Create lasting inclusive community partnerships for comprehensive, sustainable youth development

Project content

  • Training 15 coaches to deliver a dual-track sports-based programme that is adapted to the local cultural context and combines sport with gender-specific curricula and child protection: Coaching Boys Into Men and Changing the Game for Girls
  • Weekly two-hour sessions by 15 trained coaches in 20 schools, 2 disability institutions and 10 community clubs for 1,100 teens aged 10 to 15, including children with disabilities
  • Baseline, midway and end-of-programme assessments with all 1,100 participants
  • Joint community showcases, stakeholder engagement events and community dialogue on changing norms and human rights, including children’s rights, women’s rights and disability rights

Partner

Kicking Boundaries

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Limpopo province, South Africa
Start date 01/15/2027
End date 01/15/2027
Cost of the project €85,000
Foundation funding €45,000
Project identifier 2025000428
Partners Uplift Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

South Africa continues to face alarming levels of gender-based violence and homicide. Girls in rural areas are particularly vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and crime. Many are marginalised, lack information about their rights, have little exposure to positive role models and are rarely given safe spaces to express themselves, build confidence or seek support. Girls with disabilities face an additional layer of exclusion, as infrastructure, programmes and attitudes often ignore their needs.

Limpopo is one of the country’s poorest and most rural provinces. Deeply rooted gender norms mean that sport, especially football, is still treated as the preserve of men, while girls are expected to prioritise domestic work and caregiving, missing out on the physical, emotional and social benefits of playing sport.

Project goals

  • Provide regular, structured football activities in rural areas for at least 600 girls aged 11–18, including a minimum of 30% disabled girls
  • Use football as a platform to challenge harmful gender norms and promote gender equality, respect and non-violence in families, schools and communities
  • Reduce girls’ vulnerability to crime and gender-based violence
  • Strengthen leadership, communication, teamwork and resilience among girls
  • Build supportive environments for girls
  • Lay the foundations for the integration of football for girls into existing community structures

Project content

  • Regular mobile football clinics in rural communities, bringing structured football sessions directly to villages with little or no sports infrastructure. Sessions will focus on basic football skills, physical fitness, teamwork and enjoyment. Coaches will ensure that girls of different abilities, including those with disabilities, can participate safely and meaningfully.
  • Local and inter-community football tournaments and events to reinforce commitment, build pride and strengthen social networks among girls from different villages.
  • Gender equality and rights workshops that will deliver age-appropriate information on gender equality, girls’ rights, respect and non-discrimination, using football-based examples and discussions.
  • Anti-crime, safety and self-defence workshops, covering personal safety, basic self-defence techniques, how to recognise risky situations, and where to seek help in cases of violence or abuse. These sessions will be linked to football activities to reinforce messages about standing strong, supporting team-mates and reporting incidents.
  • Leadership development through sport: Football drills and small-sided games will incorporate leadership roles. Girls will practise communication, decision-making and problem-solving on the pitch, and then reflect on how to apply these skills in school, at home and in the community.
  • Inclusion of girls with disabilities: The project will intentionally recruit disabled girls and adapt activities where necessary so that they can participate fully. Coaches will receive basic training in inclusive coaching approaches, and awareness will be raised to reduce stigma and promote acceptance.
  • Community mobilisation and partnerships: The project team will collaborate with schools, local clubs, community-based organisations and the authorities to support recruitment, access to facilities and joint events. Regular meetings and feedback sessions will encourage local buy-in.

Partner

Girls Play for Change: Using sport as a transformative tool for protection, inclusion and empowerment

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Bossaso, Puntland State, Somalia
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €53,794
Foundation funding €43,000
Project identifier 2025000458
Partners Hawa Feminist Coalition
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Bossaso, a rapidly growing city in the state of Puntland, Somalia, hosts over 250,000 internally displaced people (IDP). They have fled conflict, humanitarian crises and the worsening effects of climate change. Most of them live in poor, overcrowded camps with limited access to services. Women and girls face some of the most severe and alarming forms of gender-based violence, including rape, sexual harassment, domestic violence, child abuse, early and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation or cutting.

Somali girls, particularly those from the marginalised IDP community in Bossaso, face significant barriers to participating in sport, which is still widely seen as the preserve of men. This exclusion deprives girls of the benefits that sport offers and reinforces harmful societal norms that silence their voices, limit their visibility and perpetuate gender inequality. The lack of inclusive, girl-centred programmes and safe, supportive opportunities further compounds their marginalisation, stifling their potential and curbing their development.

Project goals

  • Create safe and inclusive access to football for displaced and marginalised girls
  • Strengthen girls’ physical, emotional and mental well-being
  • Promote girls’ confidence, leadership, teamwork and active participation in sport
  • Train and empower 12 young women as community-based sport coaches and peer mentors and establish safe play areas
  • Raise awareness of girls’ rights, menstrual health, prevention of gender-based violence and inclusion of displaced and marginalised girls in sport

Project content

  • Safe, structured football and mentorship sessions for 300 displaced girls across six IDP settlements in Bossaso led by trained female coaches, integrating physical activity with psychosocial support, mental health promotion and rights-based education
  • Training for 12 young women from IDP communities to become football coaches and peer mentors, including modules on gender inclusion, children’s rights and safeguarding
  • Six inclusive, safe play areas within selected IDP camps
  • Four quarterly awareness-raising sessions, in person and online, each reaching 100 participants – including parents, elders and girls – to discuss gender-based violence, child protection, menstrual health and girls’ participation in sport and foster supportive community environments
  • Annual Girls Play for Change festival, bringing together over 150 girls, families and stakeholders to showcase and celebrate girls’ talents, build solidarity and advocate for inclusive sport and the protection of all girls

Partner

Play to Excel

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kayonza district, Rwanda
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 06/30/2027
Cost of the project €88,044
Foundation funding €88,044
Project identifier 2025002245
Partners Right to Play
Categories Access to Sport - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

In rural Rwanda, many children lack opportunities to play sport. Although part of the school curriculum and essential for developing motor skills, building confidence and interacting with others, physical education is limited by a lack of trained coaches and safe play areas. Without supportive environments, children miss out on the benefits of sport and play.

Project goals

Improve access to sports activities in schools and increase children's participation in physical education by:

  • ensuring children in rural settings have access to safe, child-friendly play areas;
  • providing schools in rural settings with age-appropriate sports equipment;
  • training primary school sports facilitators on effective coaching techniques and supporting them so they can organise regular sports activities and use sport to help develop life skills, social cohesion and the inclusive participation of girls in sport;
  • increasing girls’ participation in sports and play, with a target of at least 50% of girls in the target area participating in sports and play-based activities;
  • leveraging Right to Play's existing programmes and relationships with schools and the government in the Kayonza district to establish new sport-for-development partnerships, including with the Rwanda Schools Sports Federation and the Rwanda Football Federation.

Project content

The Play to Excel project will be implemented in five primary schools in Kayonza, a rural district in Rwanda.

Activities include:

  • renovating play areas and football pitches and giving the entire student population aged 6–12 across the five schools improved access to safe, inclusive sports areas and higher-quality, more frequent sports sessions;
  • giving ten sports coaches and teachers in-depth, practical training on inclusive, child-centred and life skills-oriented coaching;
  • distributing age-appropriate and inclusive sports equipment and training materials;
  • organising tournaments.

Partner

Field of Hope

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Bujumbura, Burundi
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 01/31/2027
Cost of the project €61,000
Foundation funding €48,800
Project identifier 2025000021
Partners Bafashebige
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Many children in Burundi live in poverty. Some are displaced or disabled, and many have nowhere safe to play. Girls are especially disadvantaged and the lack of inclusive sports activities makes them even more isolated.

Project goals

  • Offer vulnerable children safe, inclusive access to sport
  • Foster children’s personal development and well-being
  • Promote gender equality and inclusion of disabled children
  • Raise community awareness
  • Help children feel valued, protected and supported, whatever their background

Project content

  • Creation of inclusive sports clubs in 12 rural schools
  • Organisation of mixed community tournaments
  • Training of 30 local educators in sport, gender and inclusion
  • Distribution of suitable equipment
  • Organisation of awareness-raising workshops for families
  • Production of radio programmes in collaboration with local radio stations to promote children’s rights and change people’s attitudes to disability and gender

Partner

She Should Play

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Bangui, Central African Republic
Start date 02/15/2026
End date 02/26/2027
Cost of the project €56,176
Foundation funding €44,940
Project identifier 2025002247
Partners iACT
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

One third of the Central African Republic’s population is displaced due to ongoing conflict. Girls in particular, face deep gender inequities that limit their freedom and opportunities. Cultural norms discourage their participation in sport, football especially, and they have few safe spaces to play, grow or lead. This lack of access undermines their confidence, leadership and sense of belonging.

Project goals

  • Increase the number of girls playing football
  • Support girls’ social and emotional development
  • Change attitudes towards girls playing football
  • Provide safe space for girls to play and have fun

Project content

  • Conduct outreach activities targeting girls, parents, schools and teachers
  • Host after-school football camps three days a week for three schools and in two slums
  • Provide hygiene kits and training on menstruation
  • Conduct workshops for parents and teachers and gender-equality awareness sessions
  • Raise awareness about girls in football through radio talks

Partner

Football and health education in schools

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Goliati village, Malawi
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 06/30/2026
Cost of the project €44,000
Foundation funding €40,000
Project identifier 2025001386
Partners LiiKe – Sports & Development
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

In primary and secondary schools in Malawi, classrooms are overcrowded, sports facilities are lacking and teacher shortages and dropout rates are high. The primary and secondary schools in Goliati, which over 2,500 pupils attend over two shifts, have extremely poor sports facilities.

Project goals

  • Use football and physical education as tools for improving health, education outcomes, gender equality, youth empowerment and community cohesion among pupils in Goliati
  • Improve access to safe, inclusive sports and football facilities
  • Provide training and resources for PE teachers and coaches
  • Educate pupils on health, hygiene and active lifestyles
  • Encourage gender equality and the inclusion of girls and vulnerable children in sport
  • Reduce school dropout rates
  • Strengthen community involvement

Project content

  • Maintain the football and netball fields at the schools
  • Provide the schools with netball and football equipment
  • Train teachers and youth leaders to ensure the ongoing delivery of PE and football activities
  • Establish school sports committees to maintain facilities and manage activities
  • Engage parents and local leaders to build community ownership
  • Collaborate with education authorities to integrate sport into school curriculums
  • Organise local fundraising and sponsorship initiatives such as community tournaments to maintain resources
  • Establish peer-led sports clubs to keep children – especially girls – engaged
  • Work with social and local media to promote the project and share positive publicity

Partner

Amputee Football Junior Camps: Empowering children and youngsters through sport

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico and Kigali, Rwanda
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2027
Cost of the project €151,802
Foundation funding €104,561
Project identifier 2025001278
Partners European Amputee Football Federation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

In Mexico and Rwanda, underdeveloped infrastructure, low public awareness and economic hardship create major obstacles for disabled children, from mobility barriers to social stigma. Those from poor or rural backgrounds are especially marginalised. Their exclusion runs deep and their potential remains untapped for lack of inclusive programmes and support. Sport, especially football – and in our context amputee football – can offer hope, create opportunity and deliver meaningful change.

Project goals

  • Create inclusive football opportunities for disabled children from poor backgrounds
  • Improve physical, social and emotional well-being
  • Build confidence, resilience and identity
  • Develop social skills through team activities
  • Facilitate peer exchange
  • Promote inclusion, especially for disabled girls
  • Train and support local coaches and educators
  • Engage parents and families

Project content

  • Online introductory sessions to present the learning model and support implementation in each country
  • Online pre-camp workshops for coaches and staff, including webinars and live Q&A sessions
  • Two camps – one in Mexico and one in Rwanda – including adapted football training, inclusive games, peer exchange, life skills workshops and parental support
  • Inclusion training for local coaches
  • Camp workshops with partners to promote cultural exchange, foster inclusion, build capacity and empower

Partner

Sports Generation

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €282,844
Foundation funding €95,000
Project identifier 2025001148
Partners Association TIBU Maroc
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

In many African countries, including Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, children grow up with limited access to structured physical activity, health education and safe, inclusive spaces. State schools, particularly in rural, peri-urban and fragile areas, often lack regular programmes promoting well-being, disease prevention and equal opportunities for girls and boys.

At the same time, a significant number of young people face serious challenges in accessing decent employment, especially those no longer in the education system and not already working or being trained for work. This increases vulnerability to social exclusion, irregular migration and long-term poverty. In Libya and other areas affected by instability or natural disasters, children are even more exposed to psychosocial and educational risks.

In these circumstances, sport represents a powerful lever to promote health, inclusion, resilience and community cohesion. Génération Sportive uses sport as a structured educational tool, strengthening local teams by means of a ‘train the trainers’ model and using a ‘solidarity caravan’ to reach the most remote and fragile areas.

Project goals

  • Promote healthy and active lifestyles among children through regular sport and well-being education
  • Foster inclusive, safe and gender-equal school environments
  • Strengthen local capacities by training sports and health activity leaders to serve as community changemakers
  • Support the professional integration of young adults through the recruitment and certification of 31 activity leaders
  • Extend access to sport and educational activities to remote and fragile areas through a mobile ‘solidarity caravan’
  • Build sustainable partnerships with ministries, schools and local associations to ensure long-term impact and ownership

Project content

The project is implemented through a set of complementary and structured activities:

  • Weekly sports-health sessions in 31 schools, ensuring that each child participates in at least one guided physical activity a week
  • Daily well-being support provided by activity leaders, focusing on hygiene, nutrition, emotional health and positive behaviour
  • Inclusive and mixed-gender sports activities promoting equal participation of girls and boys and challenging stereotypes
  • A ‘train the trainers’ system that trains, certifies and supports 31 sports and health activity leaders to become local community leaders
  • Cascading of training so that the activity leaders can transfer their skills to more than 600 youngsters and other members of the local community
  • A solidarity sports caravan that takes sport, education and awareness activities to rural, remote and crisis-affected areas

Partner

Twinning Goals

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Maseru District, Lesotho and North Wales
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 01/31/2028
Cost of the project €411,700
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 202500774
Partners Kick4Life and Wrexham AFC
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Lesotho and Wales have been twinned since 1985. They face similar health challenges that impact children and young people, including challenges relating to mental health, nutrition, healthy living, substance misuse, and sexual and reproductive health.

Project goals

  • Use football to equip 2,350 children and young people across Lesotho and Wales with knowledge and transferable skills so they can protect and promote their health and well-being.
  • Provide eight coaches (four from Kick4Life and four from Wrexham AFC) with opportunities for personal development and cultural exchange, thereby developing values of global citizenship and strengthening ties within the global football community.
  • Achieve a 50:50 gender balance among both participants and coaches.
  • Improve the two organisations’ safeguarding, gender, and monitoring and evaluation practices.

Project content

  • Training coaches to deliver training sessions in their respective countries.
  • Delivering a health education, gender equality and life skills curriculum to young people.
  • Referring young people to external health and protection services when required.
  • Two in-person learning and cultural exchanges (one in each country).
  • An series of online learning exchanges on topics including safeguarding, gender, and monitoring and evaluation.

Partners

Football4Wildlife Girls Club

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kenya, Maasai Mara, Lemek Conservancy
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €64,791
Foundation funding €51,832
Project identifier 2025000729
Partners Water4Wildlife Maasai Mara
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Girls in the rural Maasai Mara ecosystem face limited opportunities to participate in football due to a lack of infrastructure. Football4Wildlife Girls Club provides a safe and empowering space where girls can play football, build confidence, learn about wildlife conservation and take part in well-being activities. The club also offers mentorship from female conservation rangers, creating a unique environment for personal and community growth.

Project goals

  • Make the Girls Club a sustainable model of girl-led community transformation
  • Provide a safe, inclusive space where girls can play football and build their skills, teamwork and confidence
  • Promote wildlife conservation awareness
  • Strengthen community support for girls’ football and female participation in wildlife conservation
  • Empower girls, reinforce their leadership skills and personal development and inspire them to consider careers in conservation

Project content

Phase 2 of the project involves infrastructure components as well as football activities, teaching girls about wildlife conservation, career-focused female mentorship and community engagement.

  • Completion of essential facilities including a septic tank, drainage system, storage room and dugouts
  • Installation of a solar power system and water tank to support sustainable operations
  • Provision of football kits and a projector for use in training and educational sessions
  • Launch event attended by the football coach, female conservation rangers, club members and other members of the community
  • Regular training sessions and friendly matches for girls
  • Football-themed games and structured classes to teach girls about wildlife conservation
  • Interactive sessions delivered by professional female rangers during training and club activities
  • Career talks and mentoring sessions led by female rangers

Partner

Environmental Youth Ball Games and Community Competitions

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Southeast Lowveld, Zimbabwe
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €20,957,01
Foundation funding €16,767
Project identifier 2025001441
Partners African Wildlife Conservation Fund
Categories Access to Sport - Environmental protection - Personal development

Context

Zimbabwe’s young people have borne the brunt of years of economic and political instability. Rural communities, in particular, are marginalised and deprived of educational and extra-curricular activities. This disadvantage is compounded by conflict between humans and the surrounding wildlife and a lack of appreciation for the value of the ecosystem.

These challenges make young people susceptible to environmentally detrimental behaviour such as poaching, deforestation, and overconsumption of natural resources.

Project goals

  1. Engage an at-risk, young demographic in environmentalism and inspire a change of attitude towards wildlife and the conservation sector
  2. Provide a rare opportunity for children and young adults to access sport and the arts
  3. Share proven human-wildlife coexistence strategies with rural communities to support the management of conflict
  4. Share important messaging on the sustainable use of natural resources and build rural resilience to climate challenges

Project content

The following activities will be delivered:

  1. Ten netball and football tournaments

Each tournament takes place over six to eight weeks. The four teams that make the final of each sport compete in front of a large crowd on the morning of the local Community Competition Day.

  1. Ten environmental community competitions

Teams from local schools compete in drama, poetry, model-making, and poster-making, presenting their messages to the community about locally relevant and urgent environmental, climat,e or wildlife needs.

Partner

Sports for Resilience and Empowerment Project (SREP): Primary school construction

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Masindi district, Uganda
Start date 02/15/2025
End date 12/31/2025
Cost of the project €300,000
Foundation funding €170,000
Project identifier 2024000336
Partners Aliguma Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The situation in Masindi district reflects the challenges faced by rural areas in Uganda, where access to quality education is severely limited. Many children attend overcrowded and under-resourced schools with high dropout rates and poor academic performance. In addition, the socio-economic conditions are such that children are often forced to prioritise labour over education, leaving many without the skills and knowledge they need for a better future. 

This project addresses the shortage of adequate infrastructure, trained teachers and teaching materials, breaking the cycle of poverty by investing in the future of the region's children. 

Project goals

  1. Build a modern primary school: establishing a well-equipped and safe teaching facility and an environment that is conducive to learning for children in rural Masindi
  1. Enhance access to quality education: ensuring that children in the region have access to quality education, reducing the barriers associated with inadequate infrastructure and resources
  1. Promote social inclusion: creating opportunities for all children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and with special needs, to get an education and participate fully in their communities
  1. Improve educational outcomes: improving schoolchildren’s academic performance and overall development by providing better learning conditions, teacher training and educational materials
  1. Empower the community: engaging the local community in the development and maintenance of the school, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility 
  1. Support holistic development: integrating sport and extracurricular activities into the school curriculum to promote physical health, teamwork and life skills
  1. Reduce dropout rates: addressing contributing factors and creating a supportive and engaging school environment
  1. Strengthen teacher capacity: providing training and resources for teachers to improve the quality of instruction and support effective learning
  1. Promote gender equality: ensuring that girls have equal access to education and opportunities, contributing to gender equality and empowerment
  1. Foster sustainability: developing strategies to support the school’s long-term sustainability and lasting impact, including community involvement and partnerships

Project content

  • Planning and construction of a primary school in the Masindi district of Uganda
  • Teacher training and curriculum development
  • Provision of teaching materials and other resources
  • Community engagement and outreach

Partners

She Should Play

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Bangui, Central African Republic
Start date 02/01/2025
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €14,733
Foundation funding €14,733
Project identifier 2024001462
Partners iACT
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Nearly one third of the Central African Republic’s population has been displaced by violence, and even those not displaced have been affected by the ongoing conflict. Women and girls continue to face gender inequity and disempowerment, including in sport. For example, they have very few opportunities to play football, because it is still considered a male sport. The impact of this exclusion reverberates through girls’ lives, affecting how they see themselves in the world. 

Project goals

  • Increase the number of girls playing organised football in Bangui 
  • Break down barriers that block girls’ access to football 
  • Change perceptions around girls in football 

Project content

  • Football camp run by the Refugees United Football Academy for girls aged 8 to 17  
  • Workshops with parents and teachers 
  • Hiring female coaches 
  • Providing equipment and hygiene products for participants 
  • Closing exhibition match and community celebration 

Partners

ADEC – promoting children’s education and personal development through sport

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Calheta, Santiago (Cape Verde)
Start date 05/05/2020
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €108,510
Foundation funding €30,000
Project identifier 2024000879
Partners Cabo Verde Stiftung für Bildung (Foundation for Education)
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

In Cape Verde, in particular the Calheta region on the island of Santiago, young people face high levels of poverty and limited opportunities.  Many children live in precarious conditions without access to adequate education or academic support. Families lack resources, which limits their children’s access to academic support, sport and leisure activities. These inequalities hinder the personal and professional development of young people, who have no chance of a sustainable future. This affects girls and young women in particular. 

The ADEC project (Academía do Desporto, Educação e Cultura – the Academy of Sports, Education and Culture) aims to reduce these inequalities by meeting the educational and social needs of a community that has too often been marginalised, and by offering girls in particular support so as to promote equal opportunities. 

Project goals

The Cabo Verde Foundation for Education supports several educational projects so as to improve the future prospects of children and young people in Cape Verde. It also aims to empower girls and promote equal opportunities.  

ADEC combines education and sport to break the cycle of poverty and to offer new opportunities to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly girls and young women.  

Together, these projects support young people in Cape Verde with their personal and professional development in order to achieve the following goals:
 

  • improve access to education through quality academic support programmes and tutoring for disadvantaged children 
  • encourage girls to participate in sport, particularly football, to promote gender equality 
  • improve youth employability through training and academic support 
  • create a structured framework that promotes personal development through sport and education 

Project content

  • Educational support and tutoring
    Pupils receive daily academic support, notably IT lessons to develop their digital skills and tutoring to improve their school grades. ADEC complements rather than replaces school. These academic support sessions are compulsory for any child or young people wishing to participate in the project’s other activities. 
  • Sport, personal development and inclusion
    Football is used as an educational and social tool to teach discipline, teamwork and perseverance. Girls, often marginalised in sporting activities, are actively encouraged to participate. They form teams and enter local, regional and national competitions, thereby boosting motivation and engagement among the members. 
  • Nutrition
    Every child receives one healthy meal a day, which ensures that their nutritional intake is sufficient for their well-being and concentration. 
  • Raising awareness and workshops
    Topical workshops tackle key issues such as preventing drug abuse or sexually transmitted diseases, all while encouraging gender equality and environmental awareness. ADEC also believes that it is very important to instil values and promote healthy social interactions. 
  • Transport
    A transport service has been set up to allow children, especially the very young, to access sporting and educational facilities. 

 

These initiatives combine to give children the necessary tools to build a better future, all while enhancing social cohesion within their community. 

Partners