Mpira Fursa: Football for Primary School Girls and Child

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Tanzania
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €30,698
Foundation funding €25,275
Project identifier 20230862
Partners Karibu Tanzania Organization (KTO)
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

In Tanzania, countless talented girls yearn for the chance to shine on the football field, but cultural barriers, societal norms and a lack of infrastructure hinder their dreams. Furthermore, instances of child violence and abuse are increasing nationwide.

Women’s football defies stereotypes by challenging the notion that girls are weak or incapable, helping to create a society where girls can pursue their dreams without limitations.

Most sports teachers in Tanzania have no training in grassroots football coaching. The Karibu Tanzania Organization has launched a groundbreaking capacity-building initiative in collaboration with the government and the Tanzania Football Federation to develop women and girls’ football and nurture skilled female footballers from the grassroots level up.

Project goals

The Mpira Fursa grassroots football programme aims to challenge stereotypes, promote gender equality and empower girls through football, equipping them both with the football skills and knowledge that they need to become confident players and with insights into economic opportunities relating to sports. It is also designed to foster the participants’ self-esteem, self-confidence and understanding of their rights. Because the football training is seamlessly integrated into the academic journey, it helps to encourage girls to stay enrolled and engaged in their education, thereby reducing the primary school dropout rate. Finally, the programme raises awareness in the community about children’s rights and the importance of child protection.

Project content

The Mpira Fursa programme offers technical development opportunities, training for coaches and crucial life skills education. In 2023, the programme helped 110 primary schools to set up girls’ football teams and offered them training and sports equipment.

Through girls’ football, the Karibu Tanzania Organization leverages partnerships to combat gender-based violence, sextortion and child abuse.

The activities for 2024 include:

  • A meeting of all key stakeholders
  • Grassroots football coaching training for primary school sports teachers and Folk Development College coordinators, with a focus on child protection on and off the field
  • Communication and media engagement to increase the programme’s visibility

Partner

Fostering Youth Leadership

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kenya and Uganda
Start date 02/01/2024
End date 01/31/2025
Cost of the project €32,734
Foundation funding €15,900
Project identifier 20231140
Partners Power for the People
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

In a world where education is increasingly accessible, it's crucial to look beyond mere enrolment numbers and focus on the quality of experiences within schools.

While strides have been made in getting more girls into classrooms worldwide, there's still work to be done to ensure that education reaches beyond attendance to personal growth and empowerment.

Gender norms often limit girls’ opportunities for socialisation and personal development, leaving them with less leisure time and fewer chances to explore their potential. Boys, too, can be left behind by aid initiatives that primarily target girls' education.

PFP believes in creating inclusive spaces where all children can thrive. It has created the PFP Boys and Girls Clubs initiative, a convenient and effective way of supplementing traditional education. The clubs offer a holistic approach to education, encompassing everything from sports and physical health to digital literacy and environmental stewardship.

Project goals

  • Set up 15 PFP Clubs in three schools, leading to improved pupil attendance and attainment.
  • Engage school staff as teacher ambassadors who will offer mentorship and encouragement, increasing teacher and pupil engagement.
  • Recruit and train 30 student ambassadors (ten in each school) who will improve their leadership skills.
  • Enable 900+ pupils across the three schools to participate in an extra-curricular club offering them informal learning opportunities, peer support, personal development and improved physical and mental health.
  • Connect the participating schools to foster shared learning opportunities.

Project content

PFP Clubs will be set up in three schools to provide opportunities for boys and girls to develop personal leadership skills and learn essential life skills, like decision-making and communication. The clubs will provide safe and supportive spaces for young people to discuss issues they say are important to them: menstrual and sexual reproductive health, mental health, sports and physical health, environmental stewardship and digital literacy. They will learn to challenge gender norms and advocate for equality.

Each club will have two student ambassadors who will have access to a leadership and personal development programme. They will be tasked with developing and implementing a year-long programme to engage other pupils in activities. They will be given a small budget to manage, creating opportunities to take responsibility and be accountable to their school and their peers.

Regular online calls will connect pupils and teachers in the three participating schools so that they can learn together. The programme will culminate in an annual innovation prize to foster student-led solutions to the challenges they have identified.

Partner

Inclusive Sport and Life Skills

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kenya, Nairobi
Start date 02/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €82,474
Foundation funding €10,886
Project identifier 20231046
Partners Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA)
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Mathare slum is one of the poorest and most densely populated slums in Africa, where drugs and crime are ever-present. A lack of adequate sports facilities and organised grassroots sport for children and teenagers in informal settlements means that many turn to crime, substance abuse and all kinds of vices. There has been an increase in gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies and new HIV infections owing to poverty and a lack of knowledge and information.

Project goals

  • Promote behaviour change among children, teenagers and women, to help reduce the issues affecting youth
  • Create a social support structure for marginalised groups, including the urban refugees, and facilitate acceptance in their host communities to promote peaceful coexistence
  • Mainstream gender in sport and address issues affecting young women and girls in sport
  • Create a safe space for marginalised groups including urban refugees

Project content

  • Sports for All football league: We will run an inclusive football league in the community that we serve, where everyone will be allowed to participate, irrespective of their social economic status, religion, education background, gender, sexual orientation and culture.
  • Capacity-building: We will enhance the skills of our community coaches, teenagers and children through capacity development training.
  • Life skills education: We will provide training in life skills for children, teenagers and women living in informal settlements in Nairobi.
  • Coordinated meetings: We will hold monthly meetings with the stakeholders to check on project progress.
  • Community outreach: We will conduct community outreach to raise awareness of issues affecting their communities, g. sexual reproductive health, substance abuse, etc.
  • Monitoring and evaluation: We will evaluate the progress of project activities every three months.

Partner

Génération Sportive – The Athletic Generation

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Morocco
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €200,534
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20231154
Partners Tibu Maroc
Categories Access to Sport - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

In the target regions of the Génération Sportive project, the lack of adequate sports facilities and physical activity opportunities for children is a major issue. This not only affects their physical health but also their social and cognitive development.

Project goals

  • Encourage 12,000 children to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle through fun and educational sports activities
  • Develop children's motor, cognitive and social skills
  • Raise awareness among children about the importance of a balanced and healthy lifestyle
  • Foster the overall well-being of children, taking account of their physical and mental health
  • Ensure that all children take part in regular physical activity

Project content

The project addresses the issues by providing schools with sports resources (people and equipment) and raising awareness of the importance of sport for children's growth and well-being. This initiative is essential for promoting a healthy and active lifestyle from a young age in these regions.

  • Regular fun sports sessions to develop motor skills
  • Interactive workshops on healthy lifestyle habits, including a balanced diet, personal hygiene and sufficient sleep
  • Educational activities focused on the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals to inspire engagement with the environment and society
  • Teacher training on running sports activities independently and promoting a healthy lifestyle

Partner

Employment for girls and young women leaving in rural areas

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Democratic Republic of Congo, Kalebuka
Start date 02/01/2024
End date 01/31/2025
Cost of the project €104,000
Foundation funding €60,000
Project identifier 20230592
Partners Malaika
Categories Employability - Gender Equality - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Girls and young women in rural DRC have limited career options. Even for those fortunate enough to have completed their schooling, the path to economic independence is fraught with risks of violence, sexual exploitation, dependency and abuse.

Cultural norms and gender stereotypes also play a significant role in restricted career choices. Many young women are forced to enter the informal sector of low-paid and often exploitative jobs that offer little security and limited prospects for upward mobility, trapping them in a cycle of poverty and vulnerability.

Entrepreneurship is a potential pathway to economic empowerment and job creation. However, little funding is available to support aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly young women, who struggle to access the necessary capital and resources to start and scale their ventures.

Entrepreneurship is rarely considered as a viable career option due to a lack of early entrepreneurship education and a supportive infrastructure. The absence of mentors and role models makes it difficult for aspiring female entrepreneurs to navigate the entrepreneurial landscape.

Project goals

  • Increased entrepreneurial awareness, with students and community centre beneficiaries demonstrating a keen understanding of what it means to be an entrepreneur
  • Improved self-confidence, illustrated by at least 70% of participants expressing a heightened belief in their ability to succeed as entrepreneurs or gain employment
  • A rise in the number of aspiring young entrepreneurs
  • Creation of a mentorship network of at least five successful female entrepreneurs actively mentoring and guiding future female entrepreneurs
  • Access to professional training at the Malaika community centre for more than 1,500 young women and girls, equipping them with the skills they need to find decent and dignified employment

Project content

Malaika has launched an entrepreneurship and leadership programme for girls aged 13–19 in rural Kalebuka. Girls at the Malaika school will be introduced to the world of work, coached to develop their professional aspirations and equipped with practical skills to prepare them for employment.

Teachers will receive tailored training, entrepreneurship clubs will be set up, and a mentorship scheme will provide additional support and guidance. At the community centre, young women will receive vocational training, including in male-dominated industries, and guest speakers will be invited to share insights.

A thorough assessment of the challenges and opportunities for female entrepreneurship in Kalebuka will be conducted and a sustainability plan will ensure that the project has a lasting impact for young women in the community.

Malaika aims to forge partnerships with local businesses and organisations to provide internships and job-shadowing opportunities. Additionally, support will be provided to help the young women to develop business plans and present their entrepreneurial ideas to local investors and business leaders.

Partner

Advancing Climate Actions and Protection through Inclusive Sports

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Egypt, Greater Cairo
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €105,847
Foundation funding €105,847
Project identifier 20230440
Partners Terre des hommes Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Environmental protection - Gender Equality

Context

The proposed project capitalizes on the lessons learned from the ongoing project funded by UEFA entitled “Football for Climate Change”. It builds on a bottom-up approach that better addresses the needs of the target groups and enhances the effectiveness of project outcomes. In doing so, Tdh conducted a Focus Group Discussion to identify children’s and youth recommendations and enhance their participation in the proposed project. Children indicated that their engagement in sports activities enhanced their understanding of climate change concepts in addition to helping them acquire life skills such as communication. Children recommended including other types of sports, and they also highlighted the need for more intensive climate change activities. Accordingly, the project seeks to invest in the good practices that proved to be effective during the current phase to reach a greater impact of the intervention.

Project goals

Overall objective:

  • To enhance children's well-being, protection, and leadership skills and to empower them to design and lead positive actions on climate change, with the support of their families, sports coaches, and local government through inclusive sports activities.

Specific objective:

  • Vulnerable children between 13 to 18 years old, from forcibly displaced groups and local communities, are provided with a safe environment for sports activities that promote social cohesion between groups.
  • Children, caregivers, families, and local government representatives design and lead positive actions to address climate change in the local community through the targeted youth centers.

Project content

Sport for protection refresher training for 15 coaches at 5 youth centres

Terre des Hommes’ Football for Protection methodology is used to improve collaboration, communication, emotional management and creative thinking skills, and enhance participants’ sense of responsibility and knowledge of climate issues. The five youth centres will apply this methodology (rebranded ‘sport for protection’) to football and a second sport, selected according to the results of a survey of participants’ interests. Four-day refresher courses for the coaches will include facilitation skills, technical sports skills and soft skills for integrative work with children and adolescents, child protection principles and gender equality in sports participation.

Result: 15 coaches trained to promote a safe and inclusive environment in 5 youth centres

 20 sports coaching sessions organised for 400 children

The 15 coaches will deliver 20 coaching sessions (two different sports) using the sport for protection methodology. Building on the sport for development concept, which uses sport to promote children's social and personal development, the sessions will foster the inclusion of marginalised adolescents of all genders, including refugees, promote access to physically safe and appropriately equipped sports facilities and develop participants’ life skills.

Result: 400 young people participate safely in sports activities that enhance their well-being and develop their life skills

 Climate change training for 25 Terre des Hommes staff and sports coaches

In cooperation with the Egyptian ministry for the environment, an awareness programme will be developed with interactive and practical climate change activities designed to involve sports coaches and youngsters. Two days of training will be organised for Terre des Homme staff and sports coaches to build their knowledge of climate change and equip them to implement the programme effectively. The ministry of youth and sports will also be involved to ensure the replicability of the project.

Result: 25 Terre des Hommes staff and sports coaches trained to deliver climate change awareness programme

Climate change awareness sessions for 400 young people

Climate change awareness sessions will be delivered at all five youth centres in cooperation with the ministry for the environment. They will be associated with sports coaching sessions to foster the link between climate change and sport and enhance young people’s global understanding of climate change issues, with specific reference to the Egyptian context. Participants will gain a robust grounding in climate concepts, causes of change, and adaptation and mitigation practices enabling them to design and implement initiatives of their own.

10 environmental initiatives across 5 youth centres

After completing the awareness sessions and with the support of the project team, their sports coaches and their families, the 400 participants will design and lead 10 environmental initiatives (two per centre) that address environmental problems in their communities.

Result: 400 young people design and lead 10 environmental initiatives coordinated by trained sports coaches

Initiatives promoted among families and communities through sports competitions

Two-day sports competitions (involving two different sports) will then be organised by each of the five youth centres, with opportunities to promote the participants’ environmental initiatives and share their experiences with families, communities and peers – promoting positive climate action and youth advocacy, physical health and healthy competition, and encouraging the replication of initiatives within the community.

Result: 3,000 family members and caregivers introduced to the risks of climate change and recommended action at sports competitions

Partners

Leaving no youngster on the bench!

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Senegal, Dakar
Start date 12/01/2023
End date 12/31/2025
Cost of the project €860,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20230928
Partners Samusocial International
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Personal development

Context

The number of children and young adults living on the streets of Dakar is very high. The traumas that left them homeless are aggravated by the experience of surviving on the streets, which is characterised by violence, exploitation, rejection by society and denial of their rights. None of which is conducive to integration. Samusocial Sénégal believes that no child or young adult should be left behind and has therefore developed various activities, particularly using sport, to complement its medical, psychological and social services and increase these young people’s chances of integration.

Project goals

The aim of the project is to contribute to the socio-professional integration of young people living on the streets of Dakar, using medico-psychosocial support on the one hand and sporting activities on the other to boost the youngsters’ self-confidence, enable them to meet other young people and forge connections, help them develop a positive identity, prevent violence and integrate rules of life.

Project content

Two groups of activities will be implemented as part of the project:

  1. Direct care and emergency assistance through medical and psychosocial support, outreach activities and sheltering
  2. Sports activities, in the form of football training sessions and competitions

Partners

Advancing climate action through inclusive sport

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Egypt, Cairo
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €105,847
Foundation funding €105,847
Project identifier 20230440
Partners Terre des Hommes Egypt
Categories Access to Sport - Environmental protection - Gender Equality

Context

Learning from and building on the Football for Climate Change project, Terre des Hommes Egypt initiated focus group discussions to gather young people’s recommendations for this follow-up project, to enhance the involvement and better address the needs of the target groups and optimise the project outcomes. The participants confirmed that sports activities could be used to enhance their understanding of climate change as well as helping them acquire life skills such as how to communicate effectively. They recommended including a wider range of sports and more intensive climate change activities.

Project goals

Overall objective

To use inclusive sports activities at five youth centres in the greater Cairo area to enhance young people's well-being, protection and leadership skills, and empower them to design and implement environmental initiatives with the support of their families, sports coaches and local government.

 Specific goals

  • To provide vulnerable 13 to 18-year-olds from forcibly displaced groups and local communities with a safe environment for sports activities that promote social cohesion.
  • To help youngsters, caregivers, families and local government design and lead positive climate action in the community.

Project content

Sport for protection refresher training for 15 coaches at 5 youth centres

Terre des Hommes’ Football for Protection methodology is used to improve collaboration, communication, emotional management and creative thinking skills, and enhance participants’ sense of responsibility and knowledge of climate issues. The five youth centres will apply this methodology (rebranded ‘sport for protection’) to football and a second sport, selected according to the results of a survey of participants’ interests. Four-day refresher courses for the coaches will include facilitation skills, technical sports skills and soft skills for integrative work with children and adolescents, child protection principles and gender equality in sports participation.

Result: 15 coaches trained to promote a safe and inclusive environment in 5 youth centres

 20 sports coaching sessions organised for 400 children

The 15 coaches will deliver 20 coaching sessions (two different sports) using the sport for protection methodology. Building on the sport for development concept, which uses sport to promote children's social and personal development, the sessions will foster the inclusion of marginalised adolescents of all genders, including refugees, promote access to physically safe and appropriately equipped sports facilities and develop participants’ life skills.

Result: 400 young people participate safely in sports activities that enhance their well-being and develop their life skills

Climate change training for 25 Terre des Hommes staff and sports coaches

In cooperation with the Egyptian ministry for the environment, an awareness programme will be developed with interactive and practical climate change activities designed to involve sports coaches and youngsters. Two days of training will be organised for Terre des Homme staff and sports coaches to build their knowledge of climate change and equip them to implement the programme effectively. The ministry of youth and sports will also be involved to ensure the replicability of the project.

Result: 25 Terre des Hommes staff and sports coaches trained to deliver climate change awareness programme

Climate change awareness sessions for 400 young people

Climate change awareness sessions will be delivered at all five youth centres in cooperation with the ministry for the environment. They will be associated with sports coaching sessions to foster the link between climate change and sport and enhance young people’s global understanding of climate change issues, with specific reference to the Egyptian context. Participants will gain a robust grounding in climate concepts, causes of change, and adaptation and mitigation practices enabling them to design and implement initiatives of their own.

10 environmental initiatives across 5 youth centres

After completing the awareness sessions and with the support of the project team, their sports coaches and their families, the 400 participants will design and lead 10 environmental initiatives (two per centre) that address environmental problems in their communities.

Result: 400 young people design and lead 10 environmental initiatives coordinated by trained sports coaches

Initiatives promoted among families and communities through sports competitions

Two-day sports competitions (involving two different sports) will then be organised by each of the five youth centres, with opportunities to promote the participants’ environmental initiatives and share their experiences with families, communities and peers – promoting positive climate action and youth advocacy, physical health and healthy competition, and encouraging the replication of initiatives within the community.

Result: 3,000 family members and caregivers introduced to the risks of climate change and recommended action at sports competitions

Partners

KIFUMPA – Girls United

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Lubumbashi, Katanga region, Democratic Republic of Congo
Start date 01/09/2023
End date 06/30/2024
Cost of the project €138000
Foundation funding €75000
Project identifier 20220560
Partners Play for Change UK charitable trust
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the country’s mining capital. Political instability, corruption and violence are rife, including widespread attacks against civilians, fighting between ethnic factions, sexual violence and murder. The country is also plagued by malnutrition, easily treatable but highly infectious, deadly diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness, the world’s second highest rate of infant mortality and high maternal mortality.

Widely considered an economic resource, families tend to have many children (often more than ten) but lack the resources to support them. Many children are thus abandoned and find themselves living on the street, perpetuating cycles of theft, crime, drugs and violence.

Child brides, young mothers and sexual violence against adolescent girls and young women are commonplace.

Project goals

Educational inclusion: Increase participation in school activities and reduce school dropout rates

Gender equality: Break down gender barriers and develop mutual respect

Educational capacities: Train educators and coaches

Basic skills: Promote awareness of participants' own aptitudes, enhance their relational, emotional, motor and cognitive skills, and help girls in particular to better plan their futures

Health and well-being: Improve the health and well-being of minors through access to clean water, food, sanitation, education, etc.

Sport: Encourage participation in sport, in particular football, especially among girls

Safe spaces: Guarantee access to safe spaces and solutions tailored to the needs of minors


In numbers:

  • 36 trained technical and educational staff
  • 450 students
  • 10 schools involved in workshops
  • 40 girls involved in pre-academy activities
  • 1,000 street children reached by awareness campaigns

Project content

Launched in January 2023, the KIFUMPA (=a Swahili word meaning ball of rugs) project comprises six activities in four categories.


Awareness campaigns

PROXIMITY/SCOUTING CAMPAIGNS: Five evening visits to neighbourhoods where street girls live, to promote the educational and sporting activities available.

COMMUNITY EVENT: Open access concerts and theatre in an area of the city frequented by street children to break down the cultural barriers and stereotypes surrounding activities typically considered to be “for men”.


Staff training

An introduction to values-based training and the importance of identifying and addressing children’s frailties and educational needs during sports activities, helping coaches to support young players’ holistic growth and teaching educators to promote gender equality, resilience and teamwork.


School workshops

A four-hour educational and recreational workshop for 10 schools, using football and art to promote gender equality, inclusion, teamwork and sport among 10 to 14-year-olds.


Education and sport

SUMMER CAMPS: Three weeks of educational and recreational sports activities at the end of the school year, in June and July 2023, as an introduction to the pre-academy.

PRE-ACADEMY: Educational and football courses from September 2023 (5hrs of language classes, 5hrs of maths, 15hrs of general culture and 5hrs of football each week) on the premises of the Futuka men's academy (pending completion of the Msichana Football Academy).

Partner

Sports for Resilience and Empowerment Project, phase 2

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Acholi neighbourhood, Kinuuma Masindi district, Kampala city, Uganda
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 12/01/2024
Cost of the project €350000
Foundation funding €200000
Project identifier 20220122
Partners The 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 Aliguma Foundation is a charitable organisation that helps marginalised communities access the basic requirements of life. The organisation aims to improve the living standards of mothers and children. The foundation currently operates in Acholi, a slum neighbourhood on the outskirts of Kampala, mostly inhabited by refugees from northern Uganda.

Project goals

1. Identify and develop the career goals of individuals through sport

2. Enhance education and literacy among children to promote holistic development

3. Provide decent housing and a safe environment in which women from deprived backgrounds can raise their children

4. Create income-generating alternatives for mothers who are suffering severe hardships

5. Consolidate the progress made by the project by using sport and businesses as catalysts to allow 1,500 women and 5,000 children and young people to move out of social and economic exclusion

6. Extend the Sports for Resilience and Empowerment Project to refugee communities in the West Nile region and parts of western Uganda by organising football tournaments for refugee and host communities

7. Establish a football tournament for primary schools as a means to campaign for the protection of children, and girls in particular

8. Use football matches as a vehicle to offer more educational scholarships

9. Continue the construction of the Sports and Empowerment Centre, including two football pitches, volleyball and basketball courts and dormitories at the Women and Child Empowerment Centre in Masindi

10. Establish a practical skills unit at the Sports and Empowerment Centre in Masindi

 

Project content

- Girl child campaign in schools and communities

- Slum Soccer tournament

- UEFA Foundation ball project in schools

- Education

- Infrastructure development

- Income-generating activities at the empowerment centre

Partners

Mpira Fursa: grassroots football for girls and child safeguarding

Location and general information

Closed
Location Nationwide, Tanzania
Start date 05/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €55,000
Foundation funding €55,000
Project identifier 20221136
Partners Karibu Tanzania Organization
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Tanzanian society suffers from considerable gender disparities that restrict girls’ and women’s access to basic services. The country has some of the highest rates of child marriage and adolescent pregnancy in the world (MoEVT, 2008; BEST, 2010), with the consequent adverse effect on school dropout rates for girls. Incidents of child violence and abuse are also increasing throughout the country. Violence against children is a serious problem, with the 2019 Violence Against Children report stating that nearly three in ten girls and approximately one in seven boys experience sexual violence before the age of 18. Almost three-quarters of both girls and boys experience physical violence before they are 18 (NICEF, 2019).

There are many talented girls in Tanzania who could be great football players, coaches, referees, administrators and sports medicine practitioners. The challenge is the lack of organisation and infrastructure to encourage women to become involved in football, combined with the negative cultural norms that restrict the participation of girls and women in sports activities.

Project goals

  • Promote girls’ football in primary schools through folk development colleges (FDCs)
  • Empower girls to become skilled, confident football players with knowledge of football and economic opportunities
  • Promote girls’ engagement and strengthen girls’ self-esteem, self-confidence and knowledge about their rights
  • Reduce school dropout rates in primary schools
  • Raise awareness of children’s rights and the importance of child safeguarding
  • Promote sports for child development and learning at daycare centres and in children’s homes

Project content

The Mpira Fursa project offers girls the opportunity to immerse themselves in football. It introduced football activities to 86 primary schools in collaboration with 43 FDCs in 23 regions during 2022. The project will be scaled up to involve 108 primary school in 54 FDC catchment areas in 24 regions in 2023. The initiative has increased the proportion of girls playing football at different levels.

Project activities

1) Conducting stakeholder orientation and project review meetings; providing training in children’s rights and safeguarding

2) Supporting the primary schools involved in the project, providing football training and supplying educational materials including football equipment (shirts, footballs and bibs)

3) Organising football matches and tournaments for girls’ primary school teams

4) Improving primary school PE teachers’ understanding of children’s rights and safeguarding

5) Engaging communities in a dialogue on gender equality, girls’ participation in football, children’s rights and safeguarding

6) Media engagement to improve public awareness and promote the project

7) Project monitoring

Partners

FOOTBALL4WILDLIFE

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Maasai Mara ecosystem, Narok County, Kenya
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 06/30/2023
Cost of the project €51,568
Foundation funding €3,000
Project identifier 20220309
Partners Water4Wildlife Maasai Mara Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

The Maasai Mara national reserve is a wildlife conservation area in Kenya that is also home to human settlements.

Project goals

1. Increase children's access to football training sessions and matches to promote the social integration and cohesion of communities in Maasai Mara

2. Encourage girls' involvement through training and coaching

3. Educate children on wildlife conservation and life and social skills while countering adverse behaviour such as drug abuse and negative peer pressure

Project content

The Football4Wildlife programme promotes conservation awareness and encourages positive relationships in the community. The beneficiaries are children from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds in state primary schools in Maasai Mara. They are given access to sports and football in particular, while encouraging their commitment to wildlife conservation through fun activities. Information sessions and guidance on conservation will be provided alongside the sports activities. Girls are encouraged to take part in football training, to enhance gender equality. Schools will be supplied with football equipment, such as playing kits and footballs, as well as educational materials, i.e. books and marker pens, for wildlife conservation training.

Partners

Football for Climate Change

Location and general information

Closed
Location Cairo, Egypt
Start date 02/01/2023
End date 05/31/2024
Cost of the project €100,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20220602
Partners Terre des Hommes Egypt
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Egypt currently hosts nearly 290,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers. Children and young people from these communities report high levels of discrimination, exploitation and insecurity, among other protection issues.

Programmes based around sports, playing and art are important for the physical health and social, psychological and developmental needs of young people who have experienced the stress and anxiety of forced displacement.            

Project goals

Football for Climate Change promotes sport as a way to improve social cohesion among vulnerable young Egyptians and refugees living in Egypt and offers them the opportunity to take action on climate change. It does this by:

  1. Implementing and maintaining a sustainable, safe environment for youth participation through football in 20 schools in the El-Obour district;
  2. Organising a Climate Change Football tournament in El-Obour to promote behaviour to address climate change among local students, caregivers and families.

Project content

The project leverages the potential of Terre des Hommes’s Football for Protection (F4P) methodology to develop young people’s skills and well-being. This interactive approach consists of four interrelated programmes:

1. F4P Training of Trainers for staff and teachers in 20 schools in El-Obour district

Five-day training programmes are provided for 20 sports teachers and ten community facilitators on F4P methodology and using football to enhance knowledge of climate change issues. The programme includes technical sport skills and soft skills for children and young people, focusing on child protection, intercultural education, leadership, conflict management, community engagement, experiential learning, etc.

2. Technical and financial support to enable schools to implement an F4P programme for 400 students (at least 25% of whom are girls and 5% are disabled students)

Trained facilitators and teachers carry out weekly F4P coaching sessions to enhance the well-being and inclusion of the participating students. The project team sets up the groups, some of which are girls-only groups to encourage participation, and provides the necessary sports equipment. Safeguarding procedures monitored by the project team ensure protective, gender-sensitive environments and climate change awareness is integrated into the coaching sessions.

3. Supporting social sports initiatives

The 400 participating children, supported by the project team, facilitators and teachers, work in groups to coordinate three social sports initiatives per school. These initiatives use sport to raise awareness of climate change, reaching at least 2,000 fellow students.

4. A football tournament for the 20 participating schools in the El-Obour district

The project team organises a district football tournament between the participating schools. The students of each school design their own kit, which should promote climate change messages.

Terre des Hommes Egypt posts short videos, testimonies and success stories on social media to promote the project.

Partners

Life’s A Ball

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location South Africa
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €48,550
Foundation funding €48,550
Project identifier 20220332
Partners Altus Sport
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

In parts of Tshwane (Pretoria) and Johannesburg, children live in poor socio-economic conditions with inadequate educational opportunities due to a lack of teachers, resources and classroom space. With no access to online learning, these children missed out on nearly two years of schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical education is practically absent from the school system. Sports facilities are non-existent or run-down and there are few physical education teachers and coaches.

Girls find it difficult to stand up for their rights and myths about health and reproduction hold them back from reaching their full potential. The unemployment rate is very high. Many young people lack the self-confidence and skills to find employment, and positive role models are scarce.

Project goals

  • Empower unemployed young people by educating them in personal development and leadership, basic employability skills, and fitness and sports
  • Promote physical and mental activity by introducing children to various sports and brain-fitness activities
  • Increase positive behaviour and reduce violence, physical abuse, crime and substance abuse
  • Instil positive values and good citizenship through Olympism and Olympic education
  • Motivate people with disabilities to be active
  • Support educational skills such as reading and writing
  • Empower girls by educating them about hygiene and reproductive health, leadership and basic financial management
  • Promote entrepreneurship through vegetable gardens that will teach children responsibility, financial management and leadership

Project content

The goal of the project is to utilise sport to empower children to make positive changes to their lives. The project involves training young people to run sports and life skills sessions for children. At these sessions, the children will play football, cricket, touch rugby, netball and hockey and learn about positivity, resilience, hygiene, puberty and menstruation, avoiding pregnancy, healthy relationships, bullying and peer pressure, gender-based violence and financial management.

Partners

Busajo Campus: promoting education and well-being through sport

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Ethiopia
Start date 02/01/2023
End date 02/28/2024
Cost of the project €90,360
Foundation funding €40,000
Project identifier 20220532
Partners Busajo NGO Ets
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

The project is based in Sodo, a rapidly expanding city in the region of Wolaita, Ethiopia. The pace of development is generating many social problems as an increasing number of people, including many minors, migrate to the city in the hope of improving their lives and escaping the deep poverty of the countryside.

Many people moving to the city are forced to resort to marginal employment and live on the streets. Young people and children soon become targets of the criminal underworld. The situation can also be catastrophic for those who remain in rural areas as they face deprivation and poverty, often struggling to survive. There are an estimated 3,000 street children in Sodo. Many families do not have the economic capacity to meet basic needs or send their children to school.

Project goals

  • Combat slavery, crime and child prostitution
  • Improve school attendance rates
  • Enhance the physical, psychological and social conditions of the beneficiaries
  • Improve interpersonal, relationship and soft skills
  • Effectively treat rickets
  • Improve socialisation and teach tolerance and respect through sport
  • Promote inclusion and equal opportunities for girls and boys as well as between the children on campus and those living externally

Project content

Busajo Campus is a social and educational project for street children living in the city of Sodo and the surrounding rural areas. It supports rehabilitation, crime prevention and family reintegration. The project beneficiaries regain their dignity and build hopes for the future.

Thousands of children live in extreme poverty – many more than we can accommodate on our campus. For this reason, the project focuses on support for health, education and sport, for those on campus and in the vicinity.

A new off-road vehicle is required to reach remote villages.

Partner

SHARE: my story

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Senegal, Palestine and Burkina Faso
Start date 01/10/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €88,770,00
Foundation funding €72,140,00
Project identifier 20220581
Partners Exodos Ljubljana
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

We strongly believe that sport and culture should be more connected and the Share: My Story programme promotes this. Children who hope to be the best footballers in the world should learn about culture for their personal growth and to broaden their horizons. We advocate for equality for girls and boys who, although from different backgrounds, all share the same passion.

Project goals

Our project encourages social, sporting and artistic bonds, promoting the talent of young people and strengthening their physical, cultural and intellectual capital.

Specific objectives

  • Provide young people from different countries with new training and cultural skills, enabling them to express their voices through art.
  • Connect sport with cultural activities, the physical with the imagination, for the surrounding communities: families, neighbours, schoolmates.
  • Empower small clubs and NGOs in their efforts to inspire creative teamwork.

Project content

Creative camps in three countries: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Palestine

  • My story – a workshop in documentary filmmaking
  • Urban dance and movement – a workshop in urban dance

Location 1: Dakar, Senegal, 10–21 January 2023

Location 2: Jenin, Ramallah, Palestine, 1–14 July 2023

Location 3: Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 1–11 December 2023

Creating and updating project website and social media accounts, producing PR content

1 December 2022 – 31 December 2024

Completion of the professional documentary film My Story

30 March 2024

Setting up and developing local football clubs

20 January 2023 – 31 December 2023

Partners