Smart Ball

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Türkmenabat city, Lebap region, Turkmenistan
Start date 01/05/2026
End date 12/18/2026
Cost of the project €69,020
Foundation funding €32,000
Project identifier 2025001508
Partners Taze Zaman NGO
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Young people in Türkmenabat have limited access to quality extracurricular activities, particularly in sport and civic education. Around 60% of schools lack adequate sports facilities, and girls’ participation in organised football remains very low (about 15%), reflecting persistent gender stereotypes and unequal access. Youth unemployment and rural-urban disparities further restrict opportunities for personal development and social inclusion. Although football is popular, public pitches are scarce, underfunded and often unsafe, especially for girls. These challenges create an urgent need for integrated initiatives that combine access to sport with life skills, gender equality and civic education – making the Smart Ball project both timely and highly relevant to the local context.

Project goals

  • Increase youth participation in safe and structured sport, with a strong focus on girls
  • Promote gender equality by challenging stereotypes and increasing girls’ participation in football
  • Enhance young people’s life skills and employability through education in leadership, teamwork and civic engagement
  • Improve access to quality sports infrastructure by renovating public football pitches for long-term community use

Project content

The 12-month football and education project comprises a variety of complementary activities:

  • Regular football training sessions delivered three times a week by certified local coaches, in structured groups and safe, inclusive training environments
  • Weekly educational workshops that use interactive methods to engage participants in topics such as teamwork, leadership, gender equality and active citizenship
  • Renovation of two public football pitches, equipped to ensure safe and consistent access for training and community use
  • Inclusive community tournaments and thematic events, including activities specifically encouraging girls’ participation, bringing together young people, their families and local partners and strengthening community engagement around the programme

Partner

Logo Smart Ball

Sports4Good

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Chiang Mai, Thailand
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €71,000
Foundation funding €42,500
Project identifier 2025002170
Partners Baan Dek Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

An estimated 60,000 children and young people in Chiang Mai live in temporary camps with their parents, who have come to the area to work on local construction sites. The children face challenging circumstances, such as poor living conditions, lack of social integration and difficulties in accessing public healthcare, education and protection services. This greatly reduces their chances of integrating into and developing in wider society, depriving them of the chance to break the cycle of poverty and realise their full potential in life.

Project goals

  • Increase children’s access to sport
  • Encourage active engagement in physical activities
  • Support children’s holistic development and overall well-being
  • Foster social inclusion and integration into the Thai education system and wider society
  • Strengthen children’s sense of belonging
  • Promote gender equality

Project content

The project provides migrant children and young people living in construction site camps with equal opportunities to participate in sports sessions and competitions, including ensuring that they have the necessary sports equipment. It encourages and supports girls to participate equally in all sports activities, and also empowers young people by training them to become peer educators and positive role models within their communities.

Partner

Bringing Communities Together and Empowering Children in Border Areas through Football in Tajikistan

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Gorno-Badakhshan Region and Sughd Province, Tajikistan
Start date 04/01/2026
End date 03/31/2028
Cost of the project €191,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2025001936
Partners The International Organization for Migration (IOM) country office in Tajikistan / Tajikistan Football Federation
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Children and young people in Tajikistan’s border regions are exposed to the effects of geographic isolation, economic hardship, and limited access to safe, inclusive spaces. They are also vulnerable to criminal activity and political risks, including cross-border trafficking, drug smuggling and the presence of extremist groups. These problems cause social instability, disrupt community life, deepen inter-ethnic divisions and reduce opportunities for personal and economic development. Access to quality education, structured activities and positive role models is also limited, increasing the risk of exclusion and disengagement. In addition, girls face particular cultural and security barriers that restrict their participation in community life and recreational activities, exacerbating gender inequality and social isolation.

Project goals

  • Improve access to safe infrastructure for sport (including football)
  • Provide more opportunities for recreation, social interaction and developing skills
  • Empower vulnerable children in Tajikistan’s border regions
  • Bring children from both sides of the Tajik-Kyrgyz and Tajik-Afghan borders together
  • Foster resilience and inclusion in border communities affected by conflict
  • Provide female role models to encourage girls’ participation
  • Encourage community ownership of inclusive sports initiatives
  • Raise public awareness of these initiatives and make them sustainable
  • Foster cross-community interaction, understanding and peace

Project content

The IOM and the Tajikistan Football Federation will jointly identify target locations in the Tajik-Kyrgyz and Tajik-Afghan border areas to construct or refurbish football pitches. The project will run regular football events, including cross-border tournaments and festivals, to strengthen social cohesion and reduce tensions between ethnic groups. These activities will be complemented by training in life skills and leadership. The project will also provide mental health and psychosocial support for children, especially girls.

In order to foster community ownership, increase public awareness and promote the sustainability of these initiatives, the project will work with local people to draw up and implement community action plans, organise tournaments and deliver national publicity campaigns. Local people will also be involved in maintaining the facilities.

Partner

Playing with Corals 2.0: Football as a gateway to climate action and marine awareness

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Faafu Atoll, Maldives
Start date 03/01/2026
End date 02/29/2028
Cost of the project €205,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2025002042
Partners MaRHE Center of the University of Milano-Bicocca
Categories Access to Sport - Environmental protection - Personal development

Context

Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Republic of the Maldives is composed of approximately 1,200 islands – of which only 187 are inhabited – scattered over roughly 90,000m2. Recognised by the UN as a Small Island Developing State, the Maldives are characterised by their limited land area, remoteness, limited and unevenly distributed resources, and heightened vulnerability to global environmental challenges, including the impacts of climate change, and potentially more frequent and intense natural disasters.

Plastic pollution is one of numerous threats to coral reefs. Despite nationwide bans on single-use plastics, washed-ashore debris results in almost 3 items of litter per square metre. Cigarettes and plastic food wrappers are the most commonly found items.

Project goals

Equip local trainers to lead marine conservation and socio-educational football activities that:

  • promote a culture of environmental care and responsible management of natural resources (SDGs 13 and 14);
  • develop children’s personalities through sport and football and encourage healthy lifestyles, good health and well-being (SDG 3);
  • foster early engagement in conservation to help children become environmental ambassadors and the new guardians of the reef, using a experiential, place-based education (SDG 4);
  • address plastic pollution by assigning each child a 25m2 portion of the beach – and later of the reef – that they are responsible for keeping clean.

Project content

A team of researchers from the MaRHE Center of the University of Milano-Bicocca and professionals from Inter Campus, the social arm of FC Internazionale Milano, will organise two five-day clinics for selected trainers. The clinics – a combination of theoretical lectures and practical activities – will equip the trainers for their work with children throughout the year, in relation to both marine conservation (coral reef ecology and biodiversity, climate change, human impacts, threats, plastic pollution and citizen science) and football training (socio-educational approach to build and manage children’s resilience and life skills through sport).

Practical sessions will include training simulations and real sessions with the children, run by trainers and supervised by the organisers. These will include football and beach games and beach clean-ups, slowly moving towards the reef to increase children’s confidence in this marine environment and promote stewardship.

The project will be evaluated on a regular basis, using questionnaires to track effectiveness over time, in terms of the children’s development and their environmental awareness.

Partner

Inclusive Sport for All

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Tokmok, Chuy region, Kyrgyzstan
Start date 03/01/2026
End date 02/28/2027
Cost of the project €33,810
Foundation funding €26,610
Project identifier 2025000796
Partners UPLIFT PF
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Healthy lifestyle - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Children with disabilities in rural Kyrgyzstan have very limited access to inclusive forms of sport and physical activity. Their non-disabled siblings also often lack opportunities for healthy development and social interaction, especially if their families are living on a low income. This leads to isolation and reduced mobility, and places children and families under emotional strain.

Project goals

To provide inclusive, community-based opportunities for children with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan (and their families) to take part in sport, thus promoting good health, inclusion and equality of opportunity.

Project content

  • Weekly inclusive sport sessions held at Uplift Centre
  • Weekly sessions with local partners (NGOs, schools and clubs)
  • Group movement/exercise activities for the participants’ parents
  • Inclusive family sports days and tournaments
  • Volunteer-led training on how to make sport more inclusive
  • Free access to local clubs for participants’ siblings

Partner

Mighty Members

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Battambang, Cambodia
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €109,450
Foundation funding €15,000
Project identifier 2025000113
Partners SALT Academy
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The level of poverty in Cambodia traps generation after generation of young people in a vicious cycle of neglect, trafficking and abuse – a cycle that the Mighty Members programme seeks to break through education, football and mentorship.

Project goals

Main goal: Empower young people to be change makers through sport

Other objectives:

  • Empower and build self-efficacy
  • Instil good characters and moral values
  • Promote good health, nutrition and physical activity
  • Educate and ensure future job opportunities

Project content

Mighty Members is an intensive full-time programme designed to empower young men and women in difficult situations as a result of poverty, domestic violence, abandonment, child labour or trafficking. A total of 60 carefully selected members – 30 male and 30 female Mighty Members aged 9 to 20 – are given a private education through to high-school graduation, including English classes, maths tutoring and computing, counselling, football matches (including international travel), meals and training in refereeing and coaching.

As the Mighty Members are raised up, they themselves take what they have learned out into their communities and multiply the effects through coaching, refereeing and teaching life skills to teams of their own.

Partner

Copy of Square_Logo_Outline_Color

Play and Debate

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Aley and Beirut (Achrafieh district), Lebanon
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €35,572
Foundation funding €15,240
Project identifier 2025001131
Partners Baroudeurs de l'Espoir
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Lebanon is facing a serious multisectoral crisis, exacerbated by the current war and regional conflicts, which are having a profound effect on young people. Persistent instability, electricity and fuel shortages and the breakdown of essential services are restricting children’s access to education, healthcare and protection. War also increases the risk of domestic violence, child labour, family separation and psychosocial distress.

Project goals

Use sport to support the psychosocial development of children and teenagers in Lebanon, offering them opportunities to relax in a safe environment, teaching them about peace and social harmony, and enabling them to grow, exercise, excel and develop team spirit.

Project content

Two-hour socio-educational sports sessions, offering children and teenagers a precious opportunity to move, play, learn and develop a sense of teamwork.

The first hour is divided into three 20-minute sections in which the children learn a new game, receive a presentation on a particular topic (e.g. conflict management or peace) and then discuss the topic and how to apply it to their everyday lives. A nutritious snack is provided – a valuable support for families experiencing financial hardship – before the second half of the session, which comprises a mini sports tournament.

 

Partner

Play for Protection: Child-centred sport for safety and belonging

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €140,232
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2025001001
Partners ActionAid Switzerland
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Approximately 1,140,000 Rohingya live in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar and on the island of Bhasan Char, half of them children and teenagers with limited protection and access to safe play. Girls and disabled children in particular are marginalised as a result of patriarchal norms, stigma and safety concerns. Inclusive, structured sports are needed to foster well-being, social inclusion and development – in a safe, dignified environment.

Project goals

  • Psychosocial well-being: Improve the mental health and resilience of 300 Rohingya aged 13 to 24
  • Child protection: Reduce children and teenagers’ vulnerability to exploitation and abuse by integrating sports clubs into existing community-based protection frameworks
  • Gender equality and inclusion: Challenge social stigma and patriarchal norms by ensuring equitable participation for girls (35% target) and disabled children (5% target) in all sports activities
  • Social cohesion: Build a sense of belonging and community by organising inclusive sports events that bring young people, their parents and community leaders together across the refugee camps
  • Youth empowerment and leadership: Train young refugees to be coaches and mentors, equipping them with life skills and vocational leadership experience

Project content

Regular access to inclusive, structured physical activity and safe recreational spaces in the Camp 4 Extension, Camp 26 and Nayapara refugee settlements, with a focus on girls, disabled children and at-risk adolescents, encouraging them to participate in sports activities while promoting social cohesion, life skills and protection.

  • Participant engagement and community consultation: engaging young people, their families and their communities to ensure inclusion and ownership of project activities
  • Structured sports and life-skills sessions: providing safe and inclusive opportunities for children and young adults to participate in sports activities and develop life skills
  • Inclusive sports clubs: establishing and supporting sports clubs that promote gender equality, inclusion and community participation
  • Capacity building for coaches: training young refugees and community members to deliver inclusive and safe sports activities
  • Facility management: ensuring sports facilities are accessible, safe and properly maintained
  • Psychosocial support: incorporation of play-based psychosocial support to strengthen participants’ well-being and resilience
  • Monitoring, evaluation and reporting: tracking project progress and documenting outcomes to ensure accountability and support learning

Partner

Healing through Football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Tulkarm Governorate, West Bank, Palestine
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 10/31/2026
Cost of the project €40,000
Foundation funding €40,000
Project identifier 2025001557
Partners Sports for Life
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Ongoing violence and demolition of homes have left families in a state of constant fear and precarity and taken a huge psychological toll on children, who lack access to safe spaces, education and psychosocial support.

Project goals

  • Provide psychosocial support to displaced children and orphans through structured sports and educational activities
  • Promote emotional healing, resilience and well-being through football and play-based learning
  • Create safe spaces where children, especially girls, feel protected, empowered and heard
  • Provide educational kits and a football for displaced children
  • Enhance children's education, life skills, teamwork and self-confidence
  • Support community cohesion through inclusive engagement

Project content

This project builds on a successful initiative to extend structured, inclusive activities to displaced children in the refugee camps of Tulkarm and Nur Shams in the northern part of the West Bank. Launched in April 2025, the initiative uses sport for development to educate and promote mental well-being, gender equality and empowerment, particularly for girls, giving them tools to develop their emotional expression, confidence and leadership skills.

Partner

Kick for Hope

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps, Jordan
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €400,000
Foundation funding €150,000
Project identifier 202500713
Partners Association Football Development Programme Global (AFDPG)
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Jordan hosts a large number of refugees relative to its total population. According to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, approximately 445,000 registered asylum seekers and refugees were living in the country in November 2025, with Syrian nationals making up the vast majority at around 422,000.

While these figures reflect the numbered of registered refugees, the total Syrian refugee population in Jordan, including unregistered individuals, is substantially higher – some estimates place the figure in excess of 1.3 million.

Jordan has hosted large numbers of Syrian refugees in the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps and in urban and peri-urban communities across the country since the start of the crisis in 2011. The protracted nature of displacement means that many Syrian refugee families have been living in Jordan for well over a decade.

Many young refugees live in overcrowded environments with limited access to safe, structured recreational and educational activities. The absence of regular, supportive activities and safe spaces for them to play, socialise and develop skills can lead to stress, boredom and behavioural challenges, which can in turn impact emotional well-being, social integration and long-term development.

Project goals

  • Build the capacity of Syrian coaches and create employment opportunities
  • Provide children and young adults with access to safe spaces to enjoy football and other sports activities
  • Promote life skills through sport
  • Create professional development and competitive opportunities for young refugees
  • Create football clubs in the camps

Project content

  • Select Syrian youth coaches and administrators
  • Deliver in-person training for coaches, coordinators and admin teams
  • Organise ongoing football, judo, table tennis and other sports activities for children and young adults
  • Organise football leagues for all age groups
  • Run Zumba classes for Syrian girls
  • Enter a team of Syrian refugees in the local U13 boys’ grassroots league
  • Enter a team in the Jordan Judo League

Partner

Equal Play, Equal Rights

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location India, Rural communities in Karnataka and Rajasthan
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 01/31/2028
Cost of the project €249,518
Foundation funding €95,000
Project identifier 2025002197
Partners OSCAR Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

In rural villages in the Indian states of Karnataka and Rajasthan, girls face significant barriers to education due to entrenched gender norms. Child marriages, low school retention rates and stigma around girls’ participation in sports are common. Communities often lack safe and inclusive spaces where girls can play, learn and develop confidence.

At the same time, boys grow up in the same environment and learn to enforce these gender norms reinforcing inequality. Limited access to structured sport, life skills education and age-appropriate information on sex, gender and rights further restricts children’s holistic development.

Project goals

  • Increase access to football and life skills training for girls in underserved communities
  • Train young women as community leaders and mentors
  • Deliver age-appropriate education on sex and gender
  • Promote respectful, inclusive behaviour among boys and shift community attitudes through parental engagement and local advocacy

Project content

  • Engage boys as allies and conduct community awareness sessions to challenge stereotypes and promote gender-equitable mindsets
  • Promote gender equality and the holistic development of children in underserved rural communities through weekly football and life skills sessions conducted in safe, inclusive environments where girls and boys can participate equally
  • Deliver specially designed games and activities to build confidence, teamwork, resilience, leadership and decision-making skills while addressing social issues such as gender norms and encouraging mutual respect
  • Provide participants with sports kits and food to support their participation and overall well-being
  • Deliver age-appropriate education on sex and gender through six interactive modules, focusing on gender awareness, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and healthy relationships
  • Through the Kick Like a Girl leadership programme, train 60 young women aged 18 to 25 as community coaches and mentors to serve as role models and support younger participants
  • Facilitate long-term change by engaging with communities, organising home visits, parent meetings and community events to encourage support and help shift mindsets

Partner

Football for All in Vietnam

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Vietnam, Tuyên Quang province
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €116,661
Foundation funding €97,249
Project identifier 2025002081
Partners Football Association of Norway, Football for All in Vietnam
Categories Access to Sport - Environmental protection - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Tuyên Quang is a mountainous province in the far north of Vietnam, on the border with China. Few spaces are available here for recreation and sport. The area is also heavily affected by natural disasters such as landslides, monsoons and flash floods. As a result, many of the already limited pitches are either in poor condition or regularly washed out or damaged, making it even more difficult for children to access sports.

Project goals

  • Provide children with equal and sustainable access to football
  • Maximize the power of football to raise awareness of gender rights and foster equitable practices among ethnic minorities groups
  • Increase the participation of women and girls in football and life skills education programmes, empower and equip them with leadership skills based on the Football for All in Vietnam model

Project content

  • Construct three artificial turf football pitches in three schools
  • Organise regular football and life skills activities for children
  • Organise nine Fun Football Festivals focused on gender equity and climate change education
  • Educate teachers, children and local communities on climate change
  • Plant trees for environmental protection
  • Carry out feasibility studies and internal assessments, continue to monitor and evaluate results

Partner

Promoting inclusion and social development through football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Aden, Lahj and Abyain governorates, Yemen
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 10/31/2026
Cost of the project €138,458
Foundation funding €77,634
Project identifier 2025001808
Partners Helpcode Italia ETS
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

According to the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025, an estimated 19.5 million people across Yemen (1.3 million more than in 2024) need humanitarian assistance and protection services amid ongoing armed conflict, displacement and health emergencies. This represents more than half of the country's population, and children comprise over 55% of those in need (5.3 million girls and 5.5 million boys or 10.8 million children in all).

Within the scope of the project are also over 2,500 members of the Muhamasheen (the Arabic term for marginalised), a Yemeni underclass that has endured centuries of discrimination, exploitation and poverty. Conflict and displacement have further exacerbated their challenges, exposing them to heightened risks of gender-based violence, child marriage, trafficking, child labour, sexual exploitation and abuse. These vulnerabilities are compounded by limited access to essential services, education, healthcare, shelter and livelihoods.

Recent Helpcode data from the target area identified significant gaps in access to essential services such as child protection, psychosocial support and structured sports programmes. Parents reported that many children experienced emotional distress due to insecurity, displacement and exposure to violence, and reported behavioural issues such as acts of violence (53%), bullying (30%) and anger (12%). Approximately 67% of households reported children engaging in hazardous work such as selling khat, collecting plastics and begging. This not only deprives children of their right to education but also exposes them to exploitation, abuse and health risks.

Sports interventions can address protection gaps, promote resilience and foster social cohesion among vulnerable children and adolescents. Schools would have the potential to support such activities, particularly at the primary level, if they had the necessary equipment, coaches and resources. Of the 12 schools in the target area, only two girls' primary schools offer (limited) sports activities. At the secondary level, there are no sports programmes for boys or girls. Furthermore, none of the schools have locally trained coaches or organise after-school community sports initiatives, leaving children and adolescents with no structured physical exercise or recreation, putting them at greater risk of recruitment into armed groups, child marriage, exploitative labour, trafficking and other dangerous activities.

Project goals

  • Improve the physical and psychosocial well-being of war-affected children and adolescents through structured sports programmes
  • Use sport to promote tolerance, inclusion, resilience and respect within displaced and host communities

Project content

  1. Start-up workshops and community awareness-raising

A start-up workshop will be organised in each of the three governorates to introduce the project, discuss the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders, and raise awareness in the community about the objectives, activities, and expected outcomes.

  1. Community football teams

A total of 12 ‘cub’ teams (ages 10–14) and 12 youth teams (ages 15–25) will be set up, with a focus on including displaced, vulnerable, and marginalised youngsters, including girls where culturally appropriate.

  1. Community-based sports events and leagues

Regular leagues, intercommunity matches, and friendly tournaments will be organised to foster interaction, reduce tensions, and encourage unity among young people from different backgrounds. Activities will be organised in clusters.

  1. Sports equipment and uniforms

Footballs, team kits (shirts and shorts), cones, goals, markers, and first-aid kits will be given to the local teams, which will continue to benefit from them after the project ends.

  1. Awareness sessions

A total of 450 short, interactive awareness sessions will be organised at the community-based sports events and other gatherings on topics such as peacebuilding, acceptance, anti-discrimination and conflict resolution, in coordination with local schools, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and community-based protection networks.

Partner

Her Voice. Her Choice.

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Suddhodhan rural municipality, Kapilvastu district, Lumbini province, Nepal
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €130,000
Foundation funding €45,000
Project identifier 2025000844
Partners Atoot
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Madheshi girls in the Kapilvastu district of southern Nepal, in the country’s deeply patriarchal rural belt, grow up in isolation – unseen and unheard. Girls here face pervasive intergenerational inequality and discrimination, intersectional marginalisation, and economic injustice. They are excluded from their communities, with no freedom or opportunities to develop: they are not allowed to play, study, or work, and they have no decision-making power. Girls and women have no voice and no choice.

The many systemic issues affecting girls in rural southern Nepal include high rates of child marriage (83.4% according to the 2021 census), high rates of gender discrimination and gender‑based violence, early school drop‑out (generally between grades four and five), and an illegal but deeply entrenched dowry system that means girls are seen as a financial burden to their families.

Project goals

Goals

Atoot was founded to offer marginalised Nepali girls in rural areas sporting and educational opportunities and provide them with safe, empowering spaces that foster inclusion and empowerment.

Specific goals:

  1. Empower girls to break free from the vicious cycles they are trapped in, enabling them to make their own life choices.
  2. Provide diverse platforms for girls to build confidence and nurture empowering, emboldening relationships.
  3. Establish safe spaces where girls can gather to play, learn, and build positive peer connections.

 

Project content

Atoot has been working in this marginalised Madheshi community for six years, providing structured football sessions, educational support, life-skills workshops, and community engagement grounded in the principles of sport for development through a grassroots and localised lens.

  1. One‑hour football sessions, five days a week
  2. One‑hour educational classes, five days a week
  3. One or two life‑skills workshops every week, each lasting an hour to an hour and a half
  4. Daily community engagement
  5. One to one and a half hours of training for assistant coaches and teaching assistants each week
  6. Annual football tournaments

Partner

Empowering disabled children and strengthening their skills

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Khovd province, Mongolia
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 11/01/2026
Cost of the project €28,500
Foundation funding €20,000
Project identifier 2025000471
Partners Sain Tus Development Bridge
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Most of the infrastructure and services in Khovd province, Mongolia, are inaccessible to disabled people. As a result, most disabled children have no means of transport and no access to education, even primary school. Khovd is home to many indigenous and minority populations, and the rate of gender‑based violence (GBV) is higher than the national average. Disabled children are at increased risk of GBV owing to their inability to defend themselves.

Project goals

  1. Protecting the rights of disabled children and empowering them by strengthening their skills
  2. Combating gender-based violence
  3. Preparing the beneficiaries for possible future participation in the Special Olympics World Games

Project content

Taking a creative approach to capacity‑building and fighting GBV, this project uses the power of sport to help disabled children discover new strengths, abilities, and skills while addressing their unique psychosocial needs. It gives at least 450 disabled children the opportunity to train and compete in a variety of sports, and the aim is for 70% of the beneficiaries to be girls. The participants will also be offered leadership and educational programmes.

Partner

Education and sport for vulnerable children in Afghanistan

Location and general information

Closed
Location Kabul, Nangarhar and Parwan provinces, Afghanistan
Start date 01/01/2025
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €316,230
Foundation funding €75,000
Project identifier 2024001460
Partners Action for Development (Switzerland)
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Afghanistan has experienced over five decades of conflict, violence and systemic inequality, leading to significant loss of life, displacement, poverty and food insecurity.  

Since the Taliban's takeover in August 2021, the situation has deteriorated further, particularly for women and girls, who face severe restrictions on their rights to education, work and participation in public life. Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls aged 13 and over are denied access to formal education.  

These developments have been accompanied by a rise in gender-based violence, including forced marriages, trafficking and child labour, leaving women and girls in a state of even greater vulnerability. 

School closures threaten to create a generation of illiterate women and girls and fuel cycles of poverty and social inequality.  

Education and physical activities such as sport are vital to address these challenges. They not only counteract the destructive effects of conflict but also foster resilience, self-confidence and hope among children, helping them overcome the mental and social scars of prolonged oppression. 

Project goals

Overall objective 

Reduce poverty and child labour by educating and improving the quality of life of children in Afghanistan and equipping them to support themselves as they enter adulthood 

Specific objectives 

  • Provide access to quality education and food to 750 children through centres for street-working children and home-based schooling 
  • Improve the life skills and resilience of children aged 13 and over with a focus on improving gender parity  
  • Provide vocational education and training to 50 students 

Project content

The project will focus on providing education and sports opportunities to two main groups in Kabul, Nangarhar and Parwan provinces: out-of-school street-working children aged 6 to 13 (boys and girls) and out-of-school girls aged 13 to 17, fostering resilience in the face of ongoing adversity, promoting mental well-being and equipping them with the tools needed to build a brighter future.  

AfD provides semi-formal education (basic literacy, numeracy, sport, computer literacy), food, psychosocial support, football training, health checks and vaccinations to the young street-working children, remote schooling from home for girls aged 13 and over, and various vocational training options. All education centres are designed to be within walking distance for the beneficiaries. 

AfD develops special training and online learning methodologies to ensure access to education and improve digital literacy skills and confidence with education technology. 

Teachers are given training, support with school supplies, internet access, a high-quality, flexible curriculum and a teaching platform for remote schooling.  

AfD will build relationships with universities to promote scholarships for vulnerable girls, and will continue to advocate for and provide English language classes to broaden Afghan students’ access to global educational platforms, many of which are available only in English. 

As well as English and computer classes, AfD teaches about children’s and human rights, the realities of child and human trafficking, coping mechanisms, mental stress and resilience. 

Partners