This Is How We Football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 03/31/2027
Cost of the project €225,907
Foundation funding €100,532
Project identifier 2025001834
Partners Oceania Football Confederation
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Girls and young women in the Pacific continue to face structural and social barriers, including limited access to safe and consistent sport opportunities, unequal participation in decision-making, and challenges related to health, education, and social inclusion. OFC’s This Is How We Football (TIHWF) programme is specifically designed to address these barriers by creating safe, consistent, and empowering football environments. Through targeted capacity building, pathway development, and community-based delivery, the programme ensures that girls and young women not only access football but feel supported to remain engaged, build confidence, and develop as leaders within their communities.

TIHWF drives sustainable change at individual, organisational, and community levels. Delivery is underpinned by strong regional messaging, nationally led implementation, training and education for coaches and facilitators, policy alignment, and embedded safeguarding and early prevention practices. This approach ensures that delivery is locally owned, culturally relevant, and socially impactful, while contributing to OFC’s long-term vision of an Equal Oceania, where women and girls can thrive both on and off the field.

Project goals

  • Deliver an adolescent girls’ football programme that provides safe, inclusive spaces for girls to play, while embedding key messages of gender empowerment, life skills development, health education, and awareness of gender-based violence prevention and response.
  •  Train coaches, youth leaders, and Women’s Development Officers (WDOs) to be advocates for gender equality and broader social change, equipping them with the skills to challenge harmful gender norms and foster respectful relationships both on and off the field.
  • Develop and implement safeguarding systems and procedures that ensure safety, inclusion, and gender sensitivity at all levels of football participation—from grassroots to elite pathways—creating a culture of zero tolerance towards violence and discrimination.
  •  Strengthen community partnerships and referral pathways by working with local service providers to ensure participants and their families have access to support services related to health, wellbeing, and violence prevention.

Project content

  • 1x in country Training workshops for program facilitators in each Member Association
  • 2x 8-week TIHWF programme delivery in each Member Association
  • 2x competition activations – OFC Women’s Champions League and OFC U-16 Women’s Championship
  • Distribution of equipment to every Member Association for the delivery of the programme
  • Distribution of player packs to every participant to support programme delivery and engagement
  • Ambassadors in each Member Association to drive participation, engagement, facilitation opportunities and role modelling for participants
  • Ongoing online promotion of the programme through OFC Social Media platforms

Partner

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Ti Mouvman Fun-Da-Mentals (‘little movement fundamentals’)

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Canaries, Soufrière, Vieux Fort and Dennery, Saint Lucia
Start date 03/02/2026
End date 02/29/2028
Cost of the project €138,270
Foundation funding €81,172
Project identifier 2025001807
Partners Sacred Sports Foundation Inc
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Saint Lucia, like many developing small island states in the Caribbean, is experiencing a steady decline in physical activity among children. This trend is particularly evident in underserved communities, where schools experience limited resources, reduced access to trained physical education teachers, and competing academic priorities that often result in physical education being deprioritised. At the same time, children’s lifestyles are becoming increasingly sedentary due to screen use, a reduction in the number of safe play spaces, and fewer structured opportunities for movement.

When foundational movement skills, coordination, confidence, and positive attitudes towards physical activity are not developed early, children are more likely to disengage from sport altogether, which increases their long-term risk of obesity, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, and poor mental health. Saint Lucia already faces a high burden of lifestyle-related diseases in adults, including obesity and diabetes, underscoring the urgent need for early preventive action.

Project goals

  1. Increase access to safe, structured, and inclusive physical activity for children aged six to ten in underserved communities in Saint Lucia.
  2. Improve fundamental movement skills, agility, balance, and coordination, as well as overall physical literacy, among participating children.
  3. Encourage positive attitudes towards physical activity and lifelong active lifestyles from an early age.
  4. Support children’s mental and emotional well-being by building confidence, resilience, teamwork, and social skills through sport.
  5. Promote equal participation opportunities for girls and boys.
  6. Strengthen school and community capacity to deliver sustainable physical activity and education programmes even after the project ends.

Project content     

Ti Mouvman Fun-Da-Mentals will deliver a structured, school-based physical education programme across 16 primary schools in underserved communities.

Key activities will include:

  • Regular structured physical activity sessions that are age-appropriate, inclusive and aligned with the children’s developmental needs.
  • Fundamental movement and motor skills activities, including jumping, hopping, skipping, balancing, running, throwing, catching, kicking, dancing, obstacle courses and active games. These activities build physical literacy and confidence in movement.
  • An introduction to football through play, using small-sided games and basic skills exercises to promote teamwork, communication and enjoyment rather than competition.
  • Inclusive programming, with strategies such as mixed-gender activities, girl-friendly coaching approaches and targeted encouragement to ensure that 50% of girls participate.
  • Providing training and simple activity guides for mentors, coaches, teachers and community stakeholders, enabling schools to sustain quality physical education beyond the life of the project.
  • Community engagement activities, including parent and guardian movement days and physical activity events, to strengthen local support for active lifestyles.
  • Monitoring and simple progress tracking, including attendance records, participation levels and basic motor skills assessments, to ensure quality delivery and continuous improvement.

Together, these activities will ensure that children not only move more, but move better, and that they build confidence and experience sport as a positive and integral part of their everyday lives.

Partner

Aktive Jen Yo (Activating young people

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Rural Haiti, including Leogane, Destra, Carrefour Croix and Bossan
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €336,080
Foundation funding €55,657
Project identifier 2025000932
Partners Global Outreach And Love of Soccer (GOALS Haiti)
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Haiti is facing a prolonged, multidimensional crisis marked by widespread insecurity, economic collapse, and the near absence of public services. Gang violence, political instability, inflation exceeding 40%, food insecurity, and recurring health emergencies (including cholera outbreaks) have deeply affected daily life, particularly for children and young adults. While international attention focuses on urban centres, rural communities are often overlooked. In the areas where GOALS Haiti operates, there are no other youth services, access to education and healthcare is limited, and children have very few safe spaces to gather, learn or play.

These conditions place children and adolescents at heightened risk of trauma, poor health, school dropout, gender-based violence, and social isolation. Without positive alternatives, young people are increasingly vulnerable to negative coping mechanisms or forced migration to unsafe urban areas.

Project goals

  • Improve the health and well-being of children and young adults in rural Haiti by ensuring regular access to safe sport, play, health education, and nutrition in communities where no other youth services exist
  • Expand access to education and learning opportunities for underserved young people by reducing barriers to schooling and strengthening literacy, academic skills and life skills through integrated sport-based programming
  • Help young people to develop confidence, leadership skills, and positive life pathways so that they can make informed decisions, contribute to their communities, and shape their own futures
  • Promote gender equality and inclusion through sport and education by ensuring girls and boys participate equally and by creating leadership opportunities for girls and young women
  • Strengthen community cohesion and youth civic engagement by engaging young people in community service and environmental action that improves local conditions, and fosters shared responsibility

 

Project content

Aktive Jen Yo is built around daily football and inclusive purposeful play sessions that provide children and adolescents with safe, consistent spaces where they regain a sense of normalcy and learn teamwork, discipline, communication and respect. The sessions are intentionally designed to include girls and boys equally and to model positive social norms through play.

Alongside sport, the project delivers integrated education and life-skills programming. Young people participate in literacy classes, tutoring and school support to strengthen reading, numeracy and critical thinking skills. Life-skills education – including leadership, problem-solving, conflict resolution, gender equality and decision-making – is embedded within both classroom sessions and on-field activities, reinforcing learning through practical experience.

Health education is a core component: trained staff and partners lead sessions on hygiene, disease prevention, sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence awareness. Participants also receive a daily meal and access to clean drinking water during activities, supporting their physical health and concentration while reinforcing healthy habits.

The project places a strong emphasis on youth leadership, community service and environmental action. Young people take part in leadership workshops and lead community projects addressing local needs, such as tree planting, recycling initiatives and maintaining community gardens. These activities encourage civic responsibility, strengthen community ties and give the youngsters visible roles as contributors and leaders within their villages.

All activities are delivered by a locally led team of trained coaches, educators and community leaders, ensuring cultural relevance and responding to community needs. Regular monitoring, feedback from participants and community involvement guide ongoing adaptations and improvements to the activities provided.

 

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 €45,000
Foundation funding €13,000
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

Environmental Youth Ball Games and Community Competitions

Location and general information

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

Context

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

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

Project goals

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

Project content

The following activities will be delivered:

  1. Ten netball and football tournaments

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

  1. Ten environmental community competitions

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

Partner

Creating a safe play space for refugee children in Boa Vista

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Waraotuma a Tuaranoko refugee shelter in Boa Vista, Brazil
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €175,958
Foundation funding €120,000
Project identifier 2025001012
Partners KLABU Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Over 6 million Venezuelans have been displaced due to an ongoing socio-economic crisis in Venezuela. The most vulnerable include indigenous groups such as the Warao, Pemon, and Kariña, who face severe marginalisation. Many of them have found refuge in Brazil.

KLABU has opened a clubhouse at Waraotuma a Tuaranoko, a shelter that is home to 1,300 refugees (800 of whom are minors), making it the largest shelter for indigenous refugees in Latin America. However, the only community sports pitch in the shelter is in poor condition and poses safety risks.

Project goals

  • Construct a safe, inclusive, and community-designed sports pitch at the Waraotuma a Tuaranoko shelter using love.fútbol’s participatory methodology.
  • Enable regular sports and recreational activities for children and young people from refugee and host communities.
  • Foster social inclusion and resilience through tournaments, events, and volunteer-led
  • Create local ownership and sustainability by engaging refugee volunteers and the local partner in maintenance and ongoing programming.

Project content

In partnership with love.fútbol, KLABU aims to rebuild the main sports pitch at the Waraotuma a Tuaranoko shelter and to make it a sustainable hub for sport and community. In addition, they will upgrade nearby infrastructure (a volleyball court, seating around the court, and a play area) and organise inclusive activities that will also be open to people from the six other nearby shelters. KLABU’s clubhouse is already active, and the new sports facilities will offer safe, inclusive spaces where children thrive, and community pride grows.

Partner

Sports for Behaviour Change

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Newham, London, United Kingdom
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €53,795
Foundation funding €39,731
Project identifier 2024001521
Partners Fight for Peace International
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Newham’s young people face significant challenges, including high levels of poverty, exposure to violence and poor physical and mental health. Activity levels among children are low, childhood obesity is rising, and support services are overstretched. Statutory funding for youth organisations has stopped, while underemployment and low qualification levels among young people persist. The need for safe spaces, trusted mentors and positive opportunities has never been more urgent.

Project goals

Using sport as a catalyst for personal development and growth, the project motivates young people to improve their relationships, their self-image and perception of others and their vision for the future. Fight for Peace International will help participants to feel fitter, safer, less lonely and more confident. Coaches act as trusted mentors, and young people are encouraged to make better choices, try harder at school, set and achieve personal goals and interact with people from diverse backgrounds.

Project content

  • Fitness: inclusive boxing and martial art sessions for all abilities, including sessions for children aged 7 to 14, women and disabled and neurodivergent young people
  • Education: homework club and intervention programmes for at-risk young people
  • Employability: training, guidance and qualification support to build skills and encourage career progression
  • Youth leadership: weekly youth council meetings shaping the organisation’s work and decisions
  • Support services: one-to-one and group mentoring, including gender-specific support groups

Partner

Legacy for the Future: Changing the game for girls and women

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Europe
Start date 07/01/2025
End date 07/01/2026
Cost of the project €800000
Foundation funding €400000
Project identifier 2025007
Partners adidas Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Sponsors

Context

Legacy for the Future is a collaborative project initiated and funded by the UEFA Foundation for Children and the adidas Foundation, involving national football associations and local organizations. After a thorough RFP process, each of the 16 teams competing in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 was invited to select a gender equity project led by a local organization to champion in their home country. The Legacy for the Future program ensures financial support but also visibility, inspiration, networking, and capacity building. Legacy for the Future harnesses the power of women’s football to dismantle barriers and open doors for girls and women across Europe.

Project goals

The aim is to create a legacy that supports girls and women in claiming space, leadership, and recognition – not only in football but across all areas of life. Aligned with UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, Legacy for the Future is grounded in the belief that sport can be a powerful catalyst for social change, inclusion, and equity.

Project content

These are the gender equity projects led by local organizations that Legacy for the Future is partnering with.

  • Belgium: BX Brussels works with many girls from migrant and Muslim backgrounds, focusing on creating equal opportunities for women on and off the pitch and challenging stereotypes.
  • Denmark: Girl Power partners with young women refugees, immigrants, and marginalized communities in Denmark and across Europe to enable them to play football and take on leadership roles.
  • England: Rio Ferdinand Foundation supports young people from marginalized communities in the UK and Ireland, with a focus on increasing girls’ participation in sport.
  • Finland: Louhento Foundation develops a shared, nationallevel playbook and pilots inclusive football pathways for girls from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
  • France: Kabubu uses sport to support migrants’ social and professional growth through sport-based integration, childcare-inclusive activities, and creating safer spaces.
  • Germany: Safe Hub advocates for gender equity in sport, creates safer spaces for collaboration, and supports young girls from marginalized communities in Berlin’s Wedding district to play football.
  • Iceland: Bergið headspace offers mental health education and support to young players, promoting positive communication and well-being in sport.
  • Italy: ASD Balon Mundial helps young women and nonbinary people develop soft, social, emotional, and leadership skills through sport.
  • Netherlands: Klabu Foundation connects refugees and locals in Amsterdam through sport, removing barriers for girls and women to move, play, and thrive.
  • Norway: Rosa Sko creates safer, peer-led football spaces for girls from marginalized communities and builds pathways for young female coaches.
  • Poland: Trenuj Bycie Dobrym collaborates with schools across Poland to connect girls with women football role models and helps women’s clubs recruit girls for training and feel supported by students and teachers.
  • Portugal: Integrated Dreams promotes the inclusion of professionals living with disabilities, especially women, in the football industry by developing personal and professional skills.
  • Spain: Fútbol Más uses football to help girls in Madrid and Seville, who are facing social and economic exclusion grow as players and people.
  • Sweden: En Frisk Generation aims to get girls traditionally excluded from sport to play, feel seen and heard, and learn leadership skills.
  • Switzerland: The Swiss Academy for Development uses football in a dedicated project to strengthen learning, inclusion, and well-being among children who face systemic barriers to education and sports.
  • Wales: Cymru Football Foundation improves off-field facilities for women and girls across Wales, helping create a safe, welcoming, and inspiring space for grassroots players to thrive.

Partners

Education and sport for vulnerable children in Afghanistan

Location and general information

Ongoing
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

The Green Side – football against crime in Medellin 

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location El Pinar and El Limonar, Medellin, Colombia
Start date 01/16/2025
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €109,128
Foundation funding €85,049
Project identifier 2024000488 
Partners Ankla Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Gang-related crime is a growing problem across the world. Known as the capital of violence and cocaine use, the Colombian city of Medellin is home to over 100 gangs that recruit teenage children to carry out criminal activities (murder, drug dealing, armed robbery, prostitution, etc.). Football has been found to be highly effective in protecting young people in vulnerable neighbourhoods against recruitment by armed gangs.   

Project goals

  • Prevent children being recruited by criminal gangs  
  • Promote social transformation and peaceful coexistence in vulnerable neighbourhoods
  • Improve children’s physical and mental health  
  • Promote children’s rights and psychosocial care  
  • Empower children and foster their personal development  

Project content

The project will reach 320 children (30% of them girls) in two vulnerable neighbourhoods in the outskirts of Medellin, with the following activities run in each one by football coaches, psychologists and social workers:  

  • Five weekly football training sessions
  • Participation in different leagues 
  • Eight psychosocial workshops a month for children and/or families, promoting psychological well-being, social cohesion and non-violent conflict resolution 
  • Individual psychosocial support when required, for example for victims of domestic abuse and children who are struggling academically 

Partners

Goals for children, equity and the environment

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Nicoya Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Start date 09/14/2020
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €210,000
Foundation funding €20,000
Project identifier 2024000308
Partners Fútbol por mi país
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Costa Rica faces several economic, social and environmental challenges that are hindering its growth and development. Rural areas and marginalised communities, especially women and children, are disproportionately affected. 

Project goals

  • Empower and educate children through football, giving them the tools needed to make informed life choices so that they can build a better future for themselves and their community 
  • Expand our programme within the communities that we currently serve to increase overall participation, including at least 40% girls and women, and to ensure more consistent attendance from all participants 
  • Encourage more parents and guardians to take part in our monthly family workshops 
  • Extend our reach to neighbouring communities such as Las Delicias and Valle Azul 
  • Offer more environmental activities such as beach clean-ups and recycling drives in partnership with other organisations to encourage people to be more environmentally conscious and empower them to make a difference 
  • Organise a tournament on the Nicoya Peninsula to increase engagement and promote the benefits of our programme 

Project content

Fútbol X Mi País (FxP) is a free after-school programme that offers children a safe space to learn, socialise and exercise. We use an approach developed by Fútbol con Corazón Colombia that combines football with learning and skills development to achieve our goals. The programme is centred around four fundamental values: honesty, tolerance, respect and solidarity. FxP also encourages participants to be environmentally conscious and take care of community assets. 

Our coaches work with teachers to ensure that programme participants are enrolled in school and we encourage parents and local businesses to get involved.  

  • Learning through football 

Certified coaches run eight to ten monthly sessions that promote personal development and life skills training through football. After each 90-minute session, participants discuss and reflect on what they have learnt to deepen their understanding of the topic. Local businesses, parents and volunteers prepare snacks, fostering a sense of community. 

At the end of the year, participants take part in a life project that encourages them to imagine and build a better future for themselves and their communities. 

Each year we focus on the programme’s fundamental values of honesty, tolerance, respect and solidarity, while also teaching teamwork, non-violence and gender equality, healthy and responsible sexual relationships and drug and alcohol awareness.  

  • Inclusive football matches  

We organise two inclusive, non-traditional football matches a month. Participants decide on the match rules and then play in mixed teams without a referee. They are responsible for following and enforcing these rules to ensure a fair and respectful game. After the match, they evaluate and assess their behaviour, which helps them to embody these values and learn from the experience. 

  • Family workshops 

Once a month, our coaches meet with the participants’ families to discuss and review the work being done on the field and to help families gain a deeper understanding of the methodology behind our programme.  

During the sessions we address any concerns about the participants’ education and give the families tasks to complete at home, creating meaningful opportunities to apply and reinforce what the children have learned in their daily lives. We also use these sessions to encourage parents to volunteer and support our coaches. 

  • Environmental education sessions and sustainability activities  

We organise public clean-ups of football fields, parks, streets and beaches alongside football practice to benefit our community. We also run educational workshops on the importance of recycling and reducing our environmental impact. These activities encourage environmental awareness, empower participants and help to maintain the beauty of our public spaces. Some of the beaches we have cleaned have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag status. This recognition strengthens community pride and fosters a sense of shared responsibility for the environment. 

  • Regional tournament   

We will organise a monthly regional tournament to engage new communities and football academies. This initiative will enable us to reach an additional 100+ children, fostering collaboration and participation among diverse groups, raising awareness of the benefits of our approach and ultimately contributing to children’s development in these communities. 

Partners

Bloomsbury Communities

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location London, UK
Start date 09/09/2024
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €456,373
Foundation funding €47,505
Project identifier 2024000446 
Partners Bloomsbury Football Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Only 44% of young people (and 41.9% of girls) from low-income households in the UK currently meet the government’s physical activity guidelines. Physical and mental health is therefore being put at risk, while systemic health and social inequalities are being exacerbated. Many young people simply cannot afford to play football, with girls, child refugees and asylum-seekers, and children with disabilities facing additional barriers.   

Project goals

  • Improve mental and physical health, social mobility and life opportunities for children in London’s most disadvantaged and deprived areas.  
  • Enable participants to form positive relationships with young people from other national, ethnic or socio-economic backgrounds   
  • Help participants feel more integrated into their communities   
  • Improve participants’ ability to understand and control their emotions   

Project content

The project will provide opportunities for young people, including refugee and disabled children, to take part in football programmes in housing estates, schools and community centres in deprived areas of London, creating hyper-localised ‘football communities’. The charity’s financial assistance and the accessible nature of activities will ensure that no child is turned away. 

Partners

This Is How We Football Oceania

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu
Start date 01/10/2024
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €260,000
Foundation funding €150,000
Project identifier 2024000633
Partners Oceania Football Confederation
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has been proactively using the power of football to support the well-being of individuals and communities across Oceania for nearly 20 years. Pillars of this work have been growing the game for girls, promoting gender equality and ending gender-based violence. Girls in the Pacific region experience barriers to football participation, inequalities in education and restricted access to health services and decision-making processes. Research shows that 64% of ever-partnered women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence inflicted by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Furthermore, over 50% of community stakeholders – whether male or female – would not take action in public to support women and girls in playing sport. 

Project goals

OFC’s This Is How We Football (TIHWF) programme is strategically designed to address these social challenges through football by creating opportunities to join safe football environments, build capacities and open pathways for lifelong engagement with supportive communities. TIHWF focuses on creating sustainable change at individual, organisational and community levels through regional and national communications, policy and strategy development, training and education and high-quality programme delivery.  

The TIHWF project aims to build safe, inclusive football environments that engage youth participation and decrease gender inequalities and gender-based violence throughout communities. This is achieved through: 

  • increasing the number of girls playing football by creating safe spaces where they can experience the game; 
  • training adults involved in football, thus increasing knowledge on how to implement best safeguarding practices, advocate for gender equality and access gender-based violence prevention services; 
  • supporting emerging leaders in all areas of football to advocate for social change;  
  • amplifying key messages through local and regional advocacy campaigns. 

Project content

TIHWF provides weekly female-only sessions in schools and communities over a period of eight weeks. The sessions promote respect, leadership, health, safety and how to respond to violence. The programme is delivered in eight countries across Oceania. 

The OFC also facilitates a regional ‘training for trainers’ for TIWHF coaches and coordinators. These trainers then deliver courses for coaches in their countries to ensure that programme personnel are able to implement safeguarding practices and programme activities and communicate key messages.  

TIHWF serves as a platform to amplify, through media campaigns, the key messages of gender equality and ending violence against women and girls, while building partnerships and increasing the visibility of women in football.  

Partners

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

Location and general information

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

Context

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

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

Project goals

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

Project content

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

Partners