Diepsloot Safe-Hub Empower Play programme

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location South-Africa, Johannesburg
Start date 02/12/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €97,024
Foundation funding €74,970
Project identifier 20231018
Partners Amandla KuLutsha
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Diepsloot, situated in the northern part of Johannesburg, South Africa, is a densely populated area facing various socio-economic challenges: high levels of unemployment, limited educational opportunities and insufficient resources for youth development. Additionally, widespread drug abuse has emerged as a critical concern, significantly impacting the well-being and prospects particularly of the younger residents.

Project goals

  • Establish an environment within the EduFootball programme, in which participants feel secure and supported, encouraging open dialogues and creating a non-judgmental space for sharing concerns and experiences
  • Cultivate positive relationships between coaches, mentors and participants by providing role models and support structures
  • Educate participants about the dangers of drug abuse through regular workshops and expert-led sessions
  • Address the unemployment crisis by running the Playmakers programme, offering accredited learnerships and practical work experience

Project content

The Empower Play programme is designed to address the specific challenges faced by the Diepsloot community:

  • Safe and supportive environment: The project aims to create a safe and supportive space within EduFootball, providing participants with a refuge from daily challenges. Open dialogues and a non-judgmental atmosphere foster trust and encourage participants to share their concerns.
  • Positive role models: The project seeks to counter the lack of positive role models in Diepsloot by showcasing success stories and organising motivational sessions. Inspirational figures from similar backgrounds demonstrate the transformative power of education and sport.
  • Substance abuse education: The drug awareness component directly addresses the substance abuse epidemic in Diepsloot. Workshops and expert-led sessions provide participants with vital knowledge about the dangers of drug abuse, and offer resources for those seeking assistance.
  • Employability enhancement: In response to the high unemployment rates, the EduFootball programme goes beyond sport by incorporating the Playmakers programme. This initiative provides accredited skills programmes and practical work experience, empowering unemployed post-high school youth with skills to enhance their employability.
  • Monitoring and evaluation: The project acknowledges the need for ongoing assessment to track participants' progress in various aspects, such as emotional well-being, education and employability. Continuous feedback ensures that the programme responds to the evolving needs of the Diepsloot community.

In essence, the Empower Play Programme is not only a response to the immediate challenges faced by Diepsloot, but also a proactive effort to empower the community's youth, break the cycle of unemployment and substance abuse, and pave the way for a brighter and more sustainable future.

The programme includes:

  • Life-skills training session
  • Fair play football match days
  • Holiday programmes
  • Night league tournaments
  • Playmakers workplace skills training

Partner

Fun Football in Nigeria

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Anambra, Kaduna, Benue and Kano (Nigeria)
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 03/31/2025
Cost of the project €200,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20230056
Partners Cross Cultures Project Association
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Nigeria has a population of nearly 224 million, of which 63% are 24 years old or younger. Since gaining independence in 1960, Nigeria has faced almost constant conflict between the two major religions, between different ethnic groups and between pastoralists and farmers. This fighting has resulted in millions of deaths and unquantifiable social and material damage. In 2023, approximately 9.3 million people required emergency humanitarian assistance and nearly 3 million remained internally displaced. Women and children are particularly vulnerable: UNICEF estimates that six out of ten children in Nigeria experience some form of violence daily and nearly 20 million do not attend school, which puts them at an increased risk of violence, crime, child labour, poverty and recruitment by militias. In the northern regions, only 44% of girls receive primary education, and 48% marry before the age of 15. Moreover, unemployment among Nigerians aged 15–24 reached almost 53.4% in 2021. Nigeria is also highly susceptible to climate-change-related disasters such as floods and droughts, which exacerbate the humanitarian crises, conflict and poverty.

Project goals

Overall objective:

To promote peaceful coexistence, youth empowerment and child protection in Nigeria.

Specific goals:

  • To empower unemployed individuals with the skills and networks to promote peaceful coexistence, cooperation and social cohesion through Fun Football activities, while also enhancing their own resilience and opportunities to earn a living in grassroots sport or physical education.
  • To enhance child protection in conflict-sensitive areas with a focus on the most vulnerable, notably unschooled and internally displaced children.
  • To incorporate Fun Football into the curricula of primary schools in vulnerable communities as a means of promoting children's wellbeing and development and reducing the number of drop-outs.

Project content

Fun Football unites people across social divisions by helping them to find common ground around their passion for football and their hopes for their children's development and future. It also fosters children's social and psychological development by providing them with safe spaces to play, positive role models, new friendships, life skills and psychosocial support. Sport has been shown to play an effective role in keeping children in school since it promotes their social skills, mental well-being and self-confidence, all of which contribute to increased motivation and performance. Cross Cultures' Fun Football programme consists of three main activities:

  • Training for young leaders and coaches

Cross Cultures trains unemployed former footballers and women who are not in employment, education or training in action learning methods and the child-centred Fun Football philosophy so that they can take control of their lives and become more involved in their communities as volunteer leaders and coaches.

  • Open Fun Football Schools, Fun Festivals and other Fun Football activities

Children are given the opportunity to experience Fun Football with children from different backgrounds in a safe and peaceful environment characterised by friendship, non-violence, child protection and gender equality. The activities are led by the volunteer coaches and leaders.

  • Cross-sectoral cooperation:

The project works with 20 primary schools committed to introducing the concept of Fun Football. Cross Cultures aims to train 80 physical education teachers and coaches who will, in turn, train 5,000 participating students.

Partner

Girls Community League (GCL)

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Philippines, Tacloban
Start date 02/01/2024
End date 01/31/2025
Cost of the project €169,950
Foundation funding €32,975
Project identifier 20230961
Partners Fundlife International Inc.
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

In the Philippines, 4.8m children drop out of school every year, mainly due to poverty as they are forced to work. The poverty rate in the Leyte region is almost 48%, the second highest in the country after the Mindanao region. The COVID-19 pandemic had a catastrophic impact because schools were closed for over 700 days, and online education opportunities were not provided for the poor. Typhoon Rai in December 2021 aggravated access to education. School restarted in late 2022, but children have struggle to go back.

Project goals

FundLife's mission is to give every child equal opportunity and support to help them succeed. The GCL objectives are:

  • Provide children forced out of school due to the COVID-19 pandemic and/or Typhoon Rai with access to safe play and learning spaces within their communities
  • Provide them with educational support during their back-to-school journey through our Play-Believe-Achieve methodology
  • Increase girls' engagement and decision-making abilities through a girls-front-and-centre approach

Project content

Girls Community League (GCL) is the continuation of FundLife’s flagship project, which is currently running in Tacloban and Cebu. GCL is designed to alleviate the negative impact that the pandemic and Typhoon Rai had on access to education. It is a girl-focused protection/education programme based on experiential play and learning that helps children 1) return to school after a 700+ day break; 2) not drop-out later on and finish their education; 3) improve their future employability or entrepreneurial skills.

Partner

Sport for Development

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Türkiye
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €250,000
Foundation funding €200,000
Project identifier 20230844
Partners Bonyan Organization for Youth and Development
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Syrian refugees and their host communities both face hurdles when it comes to playing sport in Türkiye. Limited resources, cultural differences and language barriers hinder access to activities, which has knock-on effects on people’s physical and mental well-being.

Project goals

Sport for Development seeks to create inclusive sports programmes that cater to refugee and host communities in Sanlıurfa and Adıyaman. By creating opportunities for refugee and local children to play sport together in a safe and supporting environment, we aim to foster mutual understanding and social integration, and promote inclusivity and gender equality. We will combine sport with specialised mental health and psychosocial support activities to empower these vulnerable children physically and mentally, equipping them with essential life skills, building resilience, and creating a sense of well-being and belonging in their communities. By doing so, we hope to be a catalyst for positive change, promoting the fundamental rights and holistic development of vulnerable children, irrespective of their background or nationality.

Project content

  • To increase girls' participation in sport
    • Girl-only programmes
    • Targeted campaigns
    • Gender-neutral sports activities
    • School partnerships
    • Involvement of parents and families
    • Accessible sports facilities
    • Collaboration with women's organisations
    • Scholarships and incentives
  • To incorporate environmental awareness in sport
    • Green sports equipment
    • Recycling bins and waste management
    • Upcycling initiatives
    • Awareness campaigns
    • Environmentally friendly sports events
    • Community clean-ups
  • To use football as a tool for mental health and psychosocial support
    • Football for stress reduction
    • Team-building activities
    • Mental health awareness sessions
    • Peer support networks
    • Therapeutic football sessions
    • Sport as a coping mechanism
    • Celebrating successes
    • Referrals for professional support
  • E-football league
    • Organisation of league matches
    • Monitoring and registration of results
    • Play-offs and finals
    • Prizes and awards
    • Feedback and evaluation

Partner

Peace Field Project

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Belgium, Mesen
Start date 01/04/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €100,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20230280
Partners Children's Football Alliance
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Young refugees, migrants, physically or developmentally disabled and poverty-stricken teenagers from war-torn communities have few opportunities to take ownership of peacebuilding projects. Low self-esteem, a lack of aspiration, mistrust and antisocial behaviour continue to fuel discord and disparity amongst cross-border communities. The situation remains hostile thanks to intergenerational relationships that often nurture resentment, making these young people easy targets for paramilitary recruitment.

Project goals

  • Help young people to develop their organisational, communication and intervention skills as well as teaching them about multiculturalism, conflict resolution and mindfulness
  • Establish annual events celebrating peace through football on ‘peace pitches’ twinned with the Flanders Peace Field.
  • Demonstrate the power of play
  • Advocate for equality, diversity and social inclusion.
  • Raise awareness of health and well-being, including mental health
  • Foster empathy and compassion among the participants
  • Nurture the peacemakers of tomorrow

Project content

The Peace Field Project (PFP) is a pedagogical programme designed to foster peace through play. The open online educational resources, toolkits and webinars prepare all participants for the week-long Global Peace Games, which feature mixed-gender and mixed-ability sports, excursions, art and music activities as well as workshops on conflict resolution, multiculturalism, deradicalisation and humanities. Peace education through play will harness the power of sport to create the peacemakers of the future.

Partners

Flexible Education and Sports for Children out of Education System in Afghanistan

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kabul, Charikar and Bagram, Afghanistan
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €258,558
Foundation funding €75,000
Project identifier 20231088
Partners Action for Development
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Extreme poverty and food insecurity have increased in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over and banned education for girls. Poverty due to the failing economy has caused an increase in vulnerable children seeking survival on the streets doing small jobs or selling items to support themselves and their families. These children come from vulnerable families, some of which have migrated to the cities in search of better living conditions, security and food. They are employed in dangerous jobs, exposing them to abuse, illness, injury or even death.

Project goals

AfD supports street-working children (6–13 years old) by providing semi-formal education (basic literacy, numeracy, sport) and food, psychosocial support, football training, etc. We also have a class of 49 children who receive vocational training (English and computer classes). Since the education ban, AfD has set up home-based schools to provide girls over 13 years old with an education. The organisation is committed to empowering children to build their resilience.

The main objective is to provide children with quality education so that they can support themselves when they become adults. Our aim is to reduce poverty and child labour. With a rise in street-working children, AfD’s objective is to open more classes. The goals are as follows:

  • Provide access to quality education and food for 750 children (through centres for street working children and home-based schools)
  • Improve gender parity
  • Enhance opportunities for girls to gain an education through a digital learning platform
  • Increase the capacity of the vocational education and training programme to 50 students

Project content

The various activities and programmes organised to achieve the above goals are as follows:

  • Introduce a digital platform to increase access of girls above 13 years old to quality education.
  • Establish 6 education centres to facilitate enrolment of girls and street-working children.
  • Provide one daily meal, football lessons, health checks and vaccinations to street working children.
  • Conduct awareness sessions on the importance of education and sport for girls.
  • Increase the participation of teachers in teacher training sessions.
  • Ensure a safe learning environment for social inclusion and networking.

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

Kick for Hope

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Azraq and Zaatari, Jordan
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €420,000
Foundation funding €175,000
Project identifier 20231224
Partners Association Football Development Programme (AFDP) Global
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The Azraq and Zaatari refugee camps have been hosting Syrian refugees since 2011. The refugee camps are as big as ever, and 50% of the population are children. The Kick for Hope project, established with UEFA in 2011, continues to support those children and young adults by providing meaningful football activities intertwined with social support, to harness the positive impact of sport on children.

Project goals

  • Engage with Syrian refugee children and young adults by organising football and other sports activities
  • Train and educate Syrian refugee coaches and referees and provide them with tools to run their own activities
  • Integrate a specific life skills curriculum based on the context and needs of the children involved
  • Establish football clubs within the camps
  • Empower children, cultivate leadership skills, and promote physical and mental well-being
  • Establish a Zaatari Camp Youth Club and enable members to participate in local competitions

Project content

AFDP Global has a team of coaches at the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps who manage daily football activities for over 6,000 children and young adults. The organisation runs an education programme for the coaches to ensure they have the skills required to coach young people to the standard expected of them.

This work is bolstered by friendly competitions organised within the camps, giving the youngsters the opportunity to put their training into practice.

AFDP Global also organises activities that promote positive social change. These activities are integrated into the coaching curriculum to ensure a seamless transfer of knowledge and capitalise on the youngsters’ enthusiasm for football.

The organisation also works with other NGOs in the camps, sharing knowledge and participating in complementary initiatives to encourage more football activities and improve the quality of all the activities provided.

Partners

We Welcome Young Refugees

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kraainem, Belgium
Start date 11/30/2022
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €140,000
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 20231120
Partners Royal Europa ’90 Kraainem FC
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Personal development

Context

Royal Europa ’90 Kraainem FC is an amateur football club that has established itself in Belgium as ‘the club of diversity’. In response to the sudden increase in the number of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe, in September 2015 the club decided to launch an integration project showing how to support young refugees and asylum seekers, most of them unaccompanied minors. Since spring 2022, the club has also been working with Ukrainian children.

Project goals

The primary objective is to support asylum seekers and refugees, helping them to get active again and feel at home in their community. In doing so, the club also wishes to share its experience and approach with other stakeholders and civil society organisations that can take inspiration from what’s being done and set up projects of their own.

Project content

The club hosts groups of young refugees and asylum seekers, boys and girls, every afternoon during the football season, from September to May. They take part in discussions and train with the club’s youth teams. This initiative is intended as part of a long-term process of integration – a process in which we believe football plays a vital part.

Partners

Sustainable future for all

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Hungary, Budapest, Abaújkér and Márokpapi
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €64,840
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 20230630
Partners Oltalom Sport Association
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Access to quality services is the privilege of the few. Traditional institutions struggle to provide services they are originally bound to. With the arrival of large numbers of refugees, they now need to prioritise, increasing the tension between groups who are in line for the limited social support. These circumstances make the work of NGOs more essential, as they try to replace or supplement the efforts of such institutions to foster the social and academic inclusion of athletes.

Project goals

  • Increased physical and mental well-being
  • Strengthen and develop transferable skills
  • Empower of athletes
  • Support the social inclusion of marginalized and at-risk groups

Project content

Oltalom aims to continue its core activities, which focus on strengthening and developing the transferable skills of athletes, who, due to various external reasons, are not thriving in the traditional academic environment. By using the power of football, Oltalom aims to engage children and teenagers in activities, which would also support their development and empowerment. The various on and off the pitch programmes include sport and social activities (e.g. football training, national and international tournaments, employability programmes, scholarship programmes, activities for female athletes) and support the inclusion of marginalised and at-risk groups, including Roma people, refugees and third country nationals arriving from conflict zones.

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

Football for All

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Vietnam
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €59,165
Foundation funding €48,306
Project identifier 20230184
Partners Football Association of Norway/Football for All in Vietnam (NFF/FFAV)
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Men and boys enjoy a sociocultural advantage among many of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities, while girls – expected to grow up to be wives and mothers – are often deprived of education, forced into early marriage and given few opportunities. Despite national laws and international conventions prohibiting it, child marriage remains a widespread phenomenon in Vietnam, particularly in rural areas. Although the practice is in decline, it was estimated as recently as 2019 that 14% of women in the country had been married before their 18th birthday.

Moreover, boys benefit from a cultural preference for males rooted in customary laws and practices, such as the belief that only men can perform ancestral rites. Children see themselves and their roles and relationships through the lens of socially constructed gender norms, which directly affects their own attitudes and behaviour.

In the Quảng Tri and Cao Bằng provinces, football is perceived as being only for boys, which is a form of gender discrimination that excludes girls and limits their opportunities.

Project goals

To raise awareness of gender rights, foster equitable practices among ethnic minority groups, empower women and girls, and equip them with leadership and life skills by supporting their equal participation in a football and life skills programme.

Project content

  • Set up 15 grassroots football clubs in Quảng Tri and 15 in Cao Bằng, replicating the FFAV model developed in Hà Giang. FFAV uses football to challenge stereotypes, promote gender equality and provide all children with an enabling environment by developing school-based clubs where equal participation of girls and boys is mandatory. Training sessions are held once or twice a week and, in parallel, girls are mentored by Women Win in Goal facilitators who teach them about economic empowerment, leadership, gender rights and reproductive health. This life skills programme helps to build girls’ self-esteem and gives them positive role models and trusted women to turn to for support.
    • Train teachers, volunteers, parents and other interested locals in coaching and refereeing, as well as teaching them how to attract participants and make their clubs fun, safe and inclusive. The training takes place over four days and is delivered by the Vietnam Football Federation using its grassroots coaching manual.
    • Train female teachers as Women Win in Goal facilitators in a three-day course delivered by FFAV’s key facilitators.
  • Continue to provide technical support and football equipment to the 30 football clubs in Hà Giang province.
  • Organise 30 Fun Football Festivals where both boys and girls can play football matches as well as games teaching life skills that they might have not experienced before. These festivals are also an opportunity to promote the clubs, attract supporters and volunteers and introduce the life skills campaign to more people.
  • Hold two internal evaluation and planning workshops for all clubs using a participatory approach, whereby coaches and Women Win in Goal facilitators evaluate their club’s activities, share experiences and learn best practices. The outcomes will be documented in a final report used for advocacy and to inform the activity plan for the coming years.

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

Mighty Members

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Cambodia, Battambang
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 01/01/2025
Cost of the project €61,400
Foundation funding €15,000
Project identifier 20220444
Partners SALT Academy
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Generation after generation of young people in Cambodia experience neglect, trafficking and abuse as a result of poverty.

Mighty Members sets out to break this cycle through education, football and mentoring, with 40 carefully selected young adults cascading the programme in their communities and creating a positive cycle that impacts thousands of people a week.

Project goals

Empower young people to be change makers through sport

  • Build self-efficacy
  • Promote good health, nutrition and physical activity
  • Educate and create future job opportunities
  • Instil character strengths and moral values

Project content

Mighty Members is a full-time programme designed to empower young men and women who have experienced poverty, domestic violence, abandonment, child labour and trafficking. We have 40 members – 20 male and 20 female – between the ages 13 and 20. The programme uses education, mentoring and football training to give the 40 Mighty Members real-world, marketable skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

What makes the programme special is that, as the Mighty Members rise up, they themselves take what they have learned out into their communities, coaching, mentoring and teaching life skills to others.

Partner

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

Life Goals – Future Skills through Football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Austria: Vienna, Graz and Lustenau
Start date 12/01/2023
End date 11/30/2024
Cost of the project €302,000
Foundation funding €40,000
Project identifier 20230453
Partners Breaking Grounds
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Every fifth child in Austria is at risk of poverty and exclusion. These children are at a distinct disadvantage in the development of the psychosocial competencies needed to face a dynamic future full of crises. As a result, they suffer negative effects on their mental and physical well-being, low social participation, a sense of not belonging, and a lack of preparation for the challenges of a changing world.

Project goals

Young people who are normally difficult to reach are motivated by football to take part in educational offers and increase their commitment. Participants develop and strengthen social, mental and emotional competencies that are central for everyday life, for school and for applications and vocational success. Participants have stronger personalities and their life prospects have improved. Their socio-economic situation improves, promoting long-term and equal participation in society.

Project content

Life Goals is an extensively tested and evaluated approach to teaching future skills through football. In specially developed sports modules, situations are simulated that require and train specific competencies. After each sports module, a reflection guide is used to reflect on what was experienced on the sports field and to transfer what was learned to the children's everyday lives. Since 2021, more than 2000 underprivileged kids have taken part and have demonstrably increased their self-efficacy.

Partners