Education and sports for vulnerable children in Afghanistan

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Afghanistan
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project 293,915€
Foundation funding 50,000 €
Project identifier 20220474
Partners Action for Development
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Recent drought, flooding, earthquakes, COVID-19 and regime change have had a devastating impact on the most vulnerable groups in Afghanistan, including children who work on the streets and girls in particular.

Large numbers of Afghans have moved to the major cities in search of a means of survival and many children end up working on the streets in dangerous jobs to support their families. They are vulnerable to being abused, sexually exploited, subjected to forced labour, exposed to drugs and recruited by terrorist groups.

Engaging these children in education reduces these risks and helps them to reintegrate into society. Sadly, children in Afghanistan face multiple barriers to education and girls have been barred from school and university entirely.

Project goals

Action for Development's overall goal is to provide high-quality schooling to girls and disadvantaged children in Afghanistan. The aim is to improve their well-being in the short term and reduce poverty and child labour in the long term.

Project content

Education for street-working children

AfD’s schools offer 320 children two hours of high-quality schooling per day, close to where they work, in line with SDGs 1 (no poverty) and 4 (quality education). AfD is working on setting up new learning centres, as well as recruiting and training more teachers in the special needs of street children. AfD develops innovative tailormade teaching materials and is currently establishing a Montessori curriculum and harmonising the existing materials with the formal school curriculum. It is increasing synergies with local schools and continuing to organise awareness sessions promoting education and sports for girls. We also try to integrate as many children as possible into public schools to increase their chances of getting good jobs and break the cycle of poverty.

Health and well-being

All children enrolled in AfD’s education programme receive one healthy meal each day, which for many is the only meal they eat that day (SDG 2: zero hunger). Our Comprehensive Health Centre performs regular health checks, growth monitoring, vaccinations and psychological support in line with SDG 3 (good health and well-being). AfD also offers football coaching in order to entertain and educate the children and let them enjoy their childhoods in a safe environment.

Education for girls above 13 years old

AfD has recently set up a home-based education programme for secondary school aged girls who have been banned from formal government education (SDG 5: gender equality). Currently, 180 girls are enrolled and AfD is working to hire and train more female teachers, find partners to certify exams, improve the programme and identify digital platforms to give more girls access to education.

Vocational trainings

AfD has established a vocational training programme for 20 male students aged 14–16 (SDG 8: decent work and economic growth). AfD is working with local partners to further improve the learning modules it provides in in-demand skills, such as mechanics, carpentry and gem cutting. We are also working to raise awareness of the importance of providing digital learning to children in emergency situations and conflict zones.

Partners

Sports and Play for Asylum-Seeking Unaccompanied Minors

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Netherlands
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 12/01/2024
Cost of the project 108,257€
Foundation funding 38,829€
Project identifier 20220370
Partners KLABU Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The initial reception, medical check and first application interview of all asylum-seekers arriving in the Netherlands takes place at the Central Reception Centre in Ter Apel. In recent months, the centre has faced challenges with a higher influx of asylum seekers and slightly prolonged process times. Unaccompanied minors (UAM) – asylum seekers under the age of 18 who are not accompanied by a parent or adult relative – are particularly vulnerable. UAM are exposed to many challenges and traumas during their journeys and need special care. UAM numbers at the centre have increased in recent months, putting pressure on social workers who already lack sufficient time and resources. The stress of the asylum-seeking process coupled with the lack of meaningful daytime activities for UAM clearly have a direct impact on their mental well-being.

Project goals

  • Improve the mental well-being of UAM by providing access to sports
  • Create a safe space for young asylum-seekers to relax and socialise
  • Offer the adult residents of the centre training through a volunteering programme
  • Create an effective activity schedule around and beyond sports with a focus on well-being and personal growth

Project content

Community volunteers organise activities for UAM including art workshops and sports coaching days. The container-based clubhouse has been transformed into a sports library that is entirely managed and run by community volunteers. Improvements will be made to the clubhouse to further encourage social interactions.

As well as day-to-day activities, the project also hosts special events to bring young people together. The first Social Sports Day consisted of indoor sports, music, dance and arts workshops, all of which were much enjoyed by the young participants. A workshop is planned to design a sports kit for the centre’s young residents.

Regular workshops are led by refugees who have previously stayed in Ter Apel. They share their experiences of settling in the Netherlands after leaving the reception centre.

Partner

Football: A universal language

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Lithuania
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project 50,000€
Foundation funding 37,000€
Project identifier 20220179
Partners Vilnius social club
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Lithuanian society has faced various challenges over the last few years:

  • Deterioration in the population’s psychological health following the pandemic;
  • Large number of refugees arriving from Africa and the Middle east in 2021 after the border with Belarus opened;
  • Tensions with Russian community and migration from Ukraine as a result of the war in Ukraine;
  • Economic hardship, inflation and increased poverty.

In Lithuania, football is not accessible to vulnerable children and young adults because of the high fees and too much focus on results.

Project goals

Vilnius Social Club has run the football programme since 2013. The main goal is not sporting results, but a qualitative change in the life of each participant:

  • To help develop children and young people to develop skills and qualities that will help them to overcome various life challenges, such as independence, communication skills and the ability to work as a team, take responsibility, solve conflicts, find compromises and come to agreement.
  • To improve the participants’ social and sporting skills, thereby expanding the options available to teenagers in the future.

Principles of the project:

  1. Football is just a tool: we want participants in the football programme to grow as individuals, and we aim to create a space in which children and young people can take part in regular and long-term activities at their own pace. Playing football helps them to learn to be on time and stay until the end, to work as a team, to manage their emotions, to deal constructively with stressful and challenging situations, to win and lose, to interact with peers and adults, and to reflect on their experiences.
  1. Equal opportunities for all: we encourage diversity among the children who attend our football sessions, who include girls and boys, quieter and louder children, those of different nationalities, and weaker and stronger individuals.
  1. Empowering performance: we constantly reflect on our work and try to be clear about the limits of our responsibilities. Instead of playing the role of saviour, we choose to collaborate with our partners, provide them with feedback and work together to make a positive difference in the lives of children and young people.

Project content

Participants of the football activities are divided into different age groups, with each having a two-hour session once a week. The sessions are structured as follows:

  1. Informal activities (free play): 20 minutes
  2. Opening circle: 10 minutes
  3. Football exercises: 30 minutes
  4. Football match: 30 minutes
  5. Discussion (circle): 30 minutes

Around 120 people aged from 7 to 20, with different experiences and facing different challenges, participate in the football programme each year. They all find a space where they are accepted regardless of their behaviour, financial situation or physical ability.

Additional activities include collaborating with families, one-to-one communication, work with individuals, activities during school holidays, and a summer camp.

Partner

Together for the Ukrainians

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Italy
Start date 03/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project 50,000€
Foundation funding 25,000€
Project identifier 20220892
Partners Comitato Regionale Emigrazione Immigrazione - CREI ACLI Sardegna
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered a forced migration of Ukrainian citizens across Europe. Although refugee flows can change rapidly, Italy has received the fourth largest number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe (220,000), after Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Project goals

The project’s short-term goals are to help refugees cope with trauma and restore their mental well-being as well as overcome communication barriers that hinder social interactions.

The medium-term objectives are to promote refugees’ personal development and growth in different contexts.

The long-term goals are to prevent isolation and discrimination, nurture relationships and offer healthy opportunities for cultural exchanges.

Project content

CREI ACLI acted immediately to address the critical issues of the emergency. However, these were short-term actions, whereas the integration of refugees is a long and difficult process, requiring efforts to prevent isolation, discrimination and, ultimately, social delinquency. Our refugee integration project is based on a social inclusion model that will address these difficulties.

In addition to the services we have offered since March 2022 (psychological support, Italian classes, support for enrolment in school and university, professional and career counselling), we will carry out the following activities:

Sport, art and cultural orientation: activities to present children with the opportunities in our area. Sports-based educational activities are great tools to reduce aggression, bring people together and build good relationships between different groups.

Enrolment in sports clubs: team sports favour interactions and integration. Refugee children will play in heterogeneous teams of local children and children from various ethnic origins. Special game-based training sessions and tournaments will be held in the province of Cagliari based on the theme of solidarity.

Recreation and fun activities: together with local children and second-generation immigrants in the same age range, young refugee will take part in social games and activities in the park. There will also be art workshops and discussions on customs, traditions, current affairs, etc.

Guided tours around Cagliari and trips further afield with local and second-generation immigrant children to visit places of historical, artistic, cultural and natural interest in Sardinia.

Partners

Football Friends – Together is OK! 2.0.23

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Bosnia and Herzegovina
Start date 03/01/2023
End date 12/01/2023
Cost of the project 58,000€
Foundation funding 43,720€
Project identifier 20220196
Partners Football Friends
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of Europe's poorest countries that is still facing unresolved post-conflict tensions and the negative consequences of the ruthless war of the 1990s that affect young people and ethnic groups in Bosnia.

Project goals

  • Prevent conflict and promote long-lasting peace
  • Improve relationships between different national groups
  • Challenge stereotypes and social roles
  • Promote more active female participation in all football-related activities

Project content

The Football Friends – Together is OK! 2.0.23 project will extend the age range from players aged up to 14 to those aged up to 18. It will also incorporate the towns of Čajniče and Ustikolina from the same region as the existing project towns of Foča and Goražde.

The project will continue to adopt a football3 approach with teams of mixed genders and ethnicities from the four municipalities. Teams will be assembled using the Viber messaging app.

Partners

Education Through Sports

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Yemen
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 06/30/2023
Cost of the project 86,283€
Foundation funding 73,700€
Project identifier 20220348
Partners Helpcode
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Healthy lifestyle

Context

After seven years of conflict, Yemen is still suffering the effects of one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with an estimated 24.1 million people in need of urgent assistance. Four million of these people are internally displaced. Vulnerable women, girls and children are paying the heaviest price; they tend to suffer the most from a limited access to basic services, threats and the lack of privacy, compromising their safety and making them even more exposed to violence.

Project goals

- Address the psychosocial needs of children affected by conflict and displacement by improving access to sport and psychosocial and social education.

- Promote children’s rights and strengthen protection mechanisms in the broader community.

Project content

  1. Provide training workshops for psychosocial support facilitators and teachers on the delivery of psychosocial support and the use of play-based activities as a tool for integration and development.
  2. The delivery of psychosocial support sessions to in-school and out-of-school children by supplying sports equipment and using recreational activities to help children deal with trauma and build life skills.
  3. Community awareness-raising campaigns on children’s rights and protection services.

Partner

SHARE: my story

Location and general information

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

Context

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

Project goals

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

Specific objectives

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

Project content

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 December 2022 – 31 December 2024

Completion of the professional documentary film My Story

30 March 2024

Setting up and developing local football clubs

20 January 2023 – 31 December 2023

Partners

First Aid Project

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Ukraine
Start date 01/15/2023
End date 12/30/2023
Cost of the project 90,000,00€
Foundation funding 70,000,00€
Project identifier 20221155
Partners Charitable Foundation Klitschko Foundation
Categories Conflict victims - Infrastructure and equipment - Strengthening partnerships

Context

According to the UN and the Prosecutor General's Office, 6,755 civilians have died in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, including 424 children. This number is constantly increasing due to daily rocket and artillery attacks on civilian objects by Russian forces. A large proportion of deaths are a result of the delayed or insufficient provision of first aid. According to research, up to 54% of injured individuals could be saved by relatively simple actions such as stopping bleeding. We work specifically with teachers, since they spend a significant amount of time with children throughout the day but only a small percentage of them know first aid.

Project goals

  • Create a safe school environment
  • Train teachers and students in first aid and safety during a war
  • Provide schools with first-aid kits
  • Promote awareness in society of the importance of those who work with children being able to administer pre-medical care

Project content

Thirty two-day training courses delivered in general education and sports schools over three months. Thirty participants from 100 schools will take part in each training course. During the project, we will educate 900 teachers and coaches in first aid.

Provision of first aid-kits to 100 schools.

Certificates of completion for all participants of the first aid course, who will have acquired the skills to deliver pre-medical care classes to school students.

Partner

Sport for Inclusion: Football Against Racism

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Tunis, Sousse, Sfax and Zarzis, Tunisia
Start date 02/01/2023
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project 150,000€
Foundation funding 150,000€
Project identifier 20221075
Partners OIM Tunisia
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Tunisia is facing economic and social challenges that have significant repercussions for its population, in particular children, young people and marginalised groups, including women and migrant communities. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated socioeconomic conditions, contributing to rising frustration in the country and tensions between migrants and their host communities.

When the discrimination and exclusion experienced by migrant populations in Tunisia, particularly those from sub-Saharan Africa, are added to this situation, it can be seen that there is a need to promote social inclusion, tolerance and diversity within the migrant and host communities. Using sport as a vehicle for change, an activity that increases the participation of children and women, this project aims to encourage and facilitate social inclusion between migrant and host communities in five cities in Tunisia .

Building on the pilot project “Sport for Inclusion: Football Against Racism”, this project aims to extend its reach to marginalized communities to participate in sports activities and to develop coordination and collaboration with stakeholders. governmental and non-governmental to ensure safe and inclusive communities in Tunisia.

Project goals

Reinforce the social inclusion of migrant and local populations in Tunisia in accordance with international law and standards on migration and human rights.

Project content

Building on the pilot project, Sport for Inclusion: Football against Racism, this project aims to extend the scope to marginalised communities so that they can participate in sports activities. It also seeks to further its coordination and collaboration with both governmental and non-governmental actors to promote safe, inclusive communities in Tunisia.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the improvement of social inclusion between migrant and host communities. This is especially the case for women and children, and is achieved by enabling local and national actors to provide educational services through sport and other recreational activities. This approach facilitates social integration, provides training and raises the awareness of tolerance, inclusion and the fight against discrimination among the broader community. The project will build on a pilot initiative in the cities of Sfax, Sousse, Tunis and Zarzis and will include gender considerations in all aspects of the programme’s design and implementation, evaluating the unique challenges and opportunities for women and children to participate in sport as a means of empowerment and to build self-esteem.

The project's approach is based on the theory of intergroup contact, adopted by IOM around the world, including IOM Tunisia, to promote social cohesion. Intergroup contact theory states that when people from different origins meet and mix in the appropriate circumstances, trust increases and prejudices decrease among the participants. This method, taken from the field of social psychology, was first put forward by Robin Williams in 1947 and has subsequently been supported and developed by other researchers. There is now an enormous amount of empirical evidence that, under the right conditions, positive contacts between individuals from different groups in society are likely to improve relations between those groups. The project is anchored in this approach and will also use a proven methodology to evaluate the initiative’s impact.

Partners

“Prishtina” Girls’ football team

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kosovo
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project 55,350€
Foundation funding 50,000€
Project identifier 20221234
Partners KFV Prishtina
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

While there is no longer violent conflict in Kosovo, there is still mistrust among the many communities. These communities remain largely divided geographically, culturally and politically; the divides prevent many, and younger people in particular, from contemplating mutual efforts to build a shared social platform.

Women generally do sport in Kosovo, but few young women and girls play football. Those who do so face significant gender stereotyping, gender barriers and other issues including sexual harassment.

However, there is an opportunity to increase the number of young women and girls playing football in Kosovo. Sport is considered a driver of social change and community development and a tool for fostering peace and understanding. This project intends to demonstrate how football is a powerful instrument to strengthen social ties and promote peace, tolerance, solidarity and understanding, while increasing the number of women and girls actively involved in sport.

Project goals

  • Increase the number of women and girls playing football in Kosovo
  • Harness the power of football to promote sustainable, peaceful relations among girls in all communities in Kosovo
  • Establish girls’ football teams in schools in coordination with municipal sports and education departments
  • Design a local communication strategy to empower women and girls through football
  • Promote gender equality in football to break down barriers and stereotypes
  • Improve the leadership, communication and teamwork skills of the participating girls in different communities
  • Promote togetherness and the benefits of sport for mental health
  • Promote sustainable development goals through joint activities and mentoring sessions

Project content

The Prishtina Girls’ Football Team project provides a safe platform for girls to play football and promotes gender equality. The main focus of the project is to increase the number of women and girls playing football, thereby facilitating trust and tolerance between the various ethnic communities in Kosovo. This is achieved by organising matches and tournaments, with women and girls from all communities playing in mixed teams, including those with disabilities and those from rural areas and living in SOS Kindergartens, together with players already registered with the team.

Training on the UEFA Child Safeguarding Policy will be given to physical education teachers and the project’s community coordinators.

Awareness-raising activities

  • Screening videos on a variety of subjects, including preventing bullying and gender stereotyping in football, promoting children’s rights and the role of sport in diversity, development and constructing peace
  • Marking international advocacy days such as Children’s Day and the International Day for Development and Peace with joint tournaments
  • Promoting a football tournament in Brezovica to bring various ethnic communities together to play and communicate through the language of football

The next step after setting up girls’ teams is to establish a primary school league in Prishtina in conjunction with the municipality department of sports.

Partner

Championing an Inclusive Future through Football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location France, Turkey, England
Start date 05/01/2022
End date 06/01/2024
Cost of the project 340,000€
Foundation funding -€
Project identifier 20211111
Partners FedEx Corp
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

FedEx was the first corporate partner to work with the foundation in 2016. This collaboration began with the funding of artificial turf community football pitches, known as a ‘Field in a Box’, in communities in Brazil, Poland, South Africa and Spain. Since then, the collaboration has matured to focus on using football as a tool to address social challenges and improve lives in a more sustainable way.

A sponsor of the UEFA Champions League for the 2021–24 cycle, FedEx’s support extends to its social responsibility programme, as it highlights the social challenges faced by the host countries of the UEFA Champions League finals: Paris in 2022, Istanbul in 2023 and London in 2024.

Project content

The Championing an Inclusive Future through Football programme runs alongside FedEx’s sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League and involves offering financial support to non-profit organisations using football as a tool to promote inclusiveness among communities in cities where the finals are held. The organisations and activities supported are described below.

Paris

The charity Sport dans la Ville (SDLV)S runs a programme called ‘L dans la Ville’ supporting the needs and career aspirations of underserved girls over the age of 10 and young women.

Istanbul

Turkey-based Bonyan Organization works with disadvantaged communities hosting a high number of refugees in Istanbul, as well as in the city of Mardin, close to the Syrian border.

London

Kick It Out’s Coach Pathway invites men and women of Black and Asian descent to take part in a mentoring programme that will support their development as coaches..

Objectives

SDLV’s programme in Paris will reach more than 2,000 girls and aims to:

  • empower them through sports practice, events and trips;
  • increase access to employment;
  • prepare them to become leaders;
  • raise awareness of gender stereotypes.

 

Bonyan Organization’s project in Istanbul and Mardin promotes well-being, social cohesion and safety among refugees and their host communities by leveraging the power of football and sports to foster peaceful coexistence. The project will target 4,000 children representing different ethnicities and regions, with an even split of Turkish and refugee children and of boys and girls. Children with special needs will also be included. The project aims to:

  • increase access to existing sports facilities for both Turkish and refugee children;
  • support Turkish schools so that they are able to host refugee students;
  • enhance the soft skills (life skills, leadership, conflict resolution, etc.) of the children and their sports coaches;
  • help physical education teachers to adopt a ‘football3’ mindset in relation to their classroom assignments with a view to launching future initiatives themselves;
  • enhance gender sensitivity and the engagement of girls in sports activities, particularly football;
  • promote the inclusion of children with special needs in sports activities, particularly football;
  • create opportunities for the integration of Turkish people and refugees through sports;
  • increase access to Turkey’s existing Child Protection Communities for both Turkish and refugee children.

 

The aim of Kick It Out is to create pathways for groups that are under-represented in football to help diversify the talent pool. The organisation calls on its many contacts in the Premier League, the English Football League, The FA, the Professional Footballers’ Association and the national squads to offer the 15 selected participants:

    • the skills they need to enhance their coaching talent;
    • access to mentors;
    • coach observation opportunities;
    • placement opportunities;
    • personal coach development.

Project activities

SDLV creates a close relationship with young girls through sports and cultural activities just for them.

  • Regular sessions open only to girls, giving them the chance them to have fun, talk to other girls in the neighbourhood and improve their playing in a safe environment
  • The Discovery programme, offering cultural and sporting outings for girls as young as six as well as visits from professional women with inspiring stories for those aged 10 to 25 to encourage them to pursue careers
  • Individual follow-up sessions for each participant and advice on how to achieve their professional objectives

 

Activities with Bonyan Organization take place across two cities.

  • Rehabilitating school football fields (two in Istanbul and two in Mardin)
  • Distributing sport kits and football3 guidelines (ten schools in Istanbul and 15 in Mardin)
  • Teacher training on football3 and sports for children (50 teachers in Mardin)
  • Training youth volunteers to play an active role in their communities (ten volunteers in Istanbul and 20 in Mardin)
  • Football3 matches (30 matches in Istanbul with 90 participants each and 50 matches in Mardin with 150 participants each)

 

Kick It Out takes up to 15 coaches on a journey of development through specially arranged opportunities with senior coaching representatives from English football.

  • Coach observation opportunities at Premier League and English Football League clubs
  • Insight into the organisation of England’s national men’s and women’s teams, with a visit to St George’s Park
  • Individual coach mentors offering personalised, one-to-one support
  • Access to coaching development courses
  • Priority invitation to Kick It Out Raise Your Game events, whose learning outcomes are uniquely focused on coach development
  • Opportunities for placements in the industry
  • Successful candidates take part in Kick It Out’s monitoring and evaluation tracking scheme

Partners

Kick for Hope

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Jordan
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project 375,000€
Foundation funding 175,000€
Project identifier 20210680
Partners AFDP Global
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

AFDP Global and UEFA started the Zaatari Kick for Hope project in 2012 to help Syrian refugees displaced by the conflict in Syria, particularly children in the refugee camp of Zaatari, by providing football activities, training courses, infrastructure support and life skills programmes. The UEFA Foundation for Children continued to provide financial and infrastructure support from 2015 and extended the support to Azraq camp. The Zaatari and Azraq projects were combined in 2021.

Project content

AFDP Global provides weekly sporting activities for displaced Syrian boys and girls, ensuring a fun and safe environment for training and competitive activities, including football, judo, Zumba, and table tennis. The project continues to support the Syrian coaching and management team established at the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps. Sport is used to raise awareness of social issues and impart the life skills necessary in that context. Continuous training for skills development is also provided. The youngsters are supervised by appropriate role models.

Objectives

  • Engaging Syrian children and teenagers

Provide football and other sports activities in an appropriate, safe and supervised environment, allowing children to enjoy their childhood. In addition to playing and spending time together, the youngsters will learn football skills and the fundamental values of sport, such as respect, fair play, team spirit and solidarity. They will also be educated on specific social issues.

  • Training Syrian football coaches and referees

Provide training for Syrian refugees on how to run football coaching sessions, equipping them with the skills to manage a league and run football clubs, with specific classes on refereeing.

  • Integrating a life skills curriculum

Teach coaches how to apply the values of sport to facilitate children’s personal development and raise their awareness of certain social issues, paying particular attention to conflict resolution, early marriage, birth control and the importance of schooling, health, hygiene and well-being.

  • Maintaining established football clubs and league

Support administrators and coaches, ensuring that they have the ability to maintain the football clubs and league set up by the project in previous years.

Project activities

  • Infrastructure and training materials

    In cooperation with AFDP Global, the UEFA foundation has contributed to the construction of a sports centre. Known as the House of Sport, it is a place for social activities and a safe environment where youngsters can have fun and make friends, especially the ones who are interested in football.

    • Since the start of the project, more than 20,000 footballs, 20,000 T-shirts, caps and backpacks, 5,000 pairs of shoes and 1,000 training kits (cones, plates, bibs, stopwatches, whistles, etc.) have been distributed for sports activities.
    • 1,000 snacks and 2,000 bottles of water are distributed at each tournament.
    • The coaches have also been fully
    • The two main pitches used for tournaments have been upgraded to artificial turf and are fully equipped for football matches.
    • Eleven containers of various supplies (sportswear, balls, ) have been provided by the UEFA foundation.

     

    Football pitch

    Pursuing the aim of providing a safe environment for the beneficiaries of the project, the UEFA foundation, in cooperation with AFDP Global and the Jordanian Football Association, contributed to the conversion to artificial turf of a full-size football pitch (in 2017) and a small pitch for girls (in 2018), with the financial support of LAY’S in addition to a small pitch in Azraq Camp.

    Figures (2021)

    • Some 305 adult refugees – including 102 women and 203 men – have already benefited from the coaching education financed by the Twenty-seven of these coaches are currently working for the project and the others for other non-governmental organisations in the camp.
    • Experts appointed by the UEFA foundation and AFDP Global have already run workshops on refereeing, trauma recovery, sport as a tool for social cohesion, early marriage and conflict resolution. Some 54 referees have been trained, 21 of whom are women.
    • Around 5,600 children and young people – boys and girls – take part in the weekly sports activities and monthly football tournaments supervised by qualified male and female educators. This peaked at 7,137 young Syrians in October 2019 – 4,947 boys and 2,190 girls

    aged between 8 and 20. Numbers were expected to increase in the summer of 2020, but due to the COVID19, AFDP Global ceased all activities for children due to a government enforced lockdown in the camps. Activities were resumed in September 2021

    • Monthly football tournaments are organised in the camps for the under-13, under-15 and under-20 age groups. An average of 1,000 children and young people aged 8 to 20, including 300 girls, take part in the monthly The highest number of participants was 1,580 in March 2019.
    • Monthly events are organised for under-8s, with an average of 100 children taking part.
    • Men’s teams can use the field for two hours per
    • Apart from football, other sports and activities are organised. Some 340 boys regularly do judo (under-13 and under-15), over 180 boys and girls take part in table tennis activities (under-13 and under-15), and 300 girls take Zumba classes.

Expected results

  • Coaching and football activities to be organised for a total of 2,800 boys and 1,800 girls between the ages of 8 and 20.
  • Monthly football tournaments to be organised in the camp, with an average of 1,000 participants aged 8 to 20, including 300 girls.
  • More than 18 men’s teams to be provided with the facilities to play football daily and tournaments to be organised for
  • Other daily sports and other activities to be organised, providing the beneficiaries with a greater diversity of activities, including judo, table tennis and Zumba.
  • A team of 22 male and 22 female staff to be They will use sport, and football in particular, as a tool for social cohesion and conflict resolution, and will be responsible for managing teams for the different age groups.
  • External events to be organised, boosting social impact through awareness and increased friendship-building opportunities.

Partner

Community Champions

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Hungary, Greece, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine and United-Kingdom
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 06/30/2024
Cost of the project 389,380€
Foundation funding 200,000€
Project identifier 20211049
Partners EFDN
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Creating opportunities for youth to participate in safe and structured activities is a vital part of their development and the need is growing. With the aim of promoting social integration through sport, Community Champions provides the opportunity for people from different cultures to come together to build relationships and friendships while breaking down barriers through the prevention of violence, racism and intolerance in grassroots sports and their communities.

Project content

Community Champions (CC) is a social street football competition for young people aged 7 to 15 years old, organized locally across Europe. The project includes two seasons, with 12 teams in each community playing 10 games per season. Emphasis is placed on the attitudes and behaviours of the participants, more than on their footballing ability. Teams can win two-thirds of their points through Fair-Play, by completing social action projects in their communities or attending workshops.

Objectives

  • Tackle racism, discrimination and violence in sport
  • Social inclusion in and through sport
  • Promote social cohesion through sport
  • Promote active citizenship
  • Promote voluntary activity in sport
  • Promote positive involvement of parents and neighbours
  • Social inclusion and acceptance of refugees and migrants
  • Enhance social and bridging capital of participants
  • Reduction small street crime
  • Teaching valuable life skills
  • Promote healthy lifestyle

Project activities

  • 12 teams in each community per year, consisting of boys and girls, with and without a disability and from different backgrounds.
  • Teams play 10 games per season.
  • Teams will attend at least 3 workshops on racism and discrimination, fair play, and healthy lifestyles.
  • 2 Kick-off events at the beginning of each season per project partner
  • 2 Final events at the end of each season per project partner
  • Training sessions before each season
  • Teams complete regular community volunteering work.
  • The winner at the end of the season is the team that has the most points (Fair-Play, Fair Support and Volunteering in community activities points and football games points combined

Expected results

  • 8 delivering clubs.
  • 2400 participants.
  • 8 cities in 7 European countries.
  • 400 social action projects delivered in the community.
  • 216 educational workshops delivered.
  • 1440 street football matches.
  • 16 Local CC Kick-Off events.
  • 16 Local CC Finals.
  • 2 International project meetings and staff learning events.
  • 1 EFDN Conference presentation to over 200 CSR Experts.
  • 1 Project Plan
  • 1 Best Practice Handbook
  • 1 Practitioner's Guide
  • 1 Community Champions toolkit, training resources and dissemination pack
  • 1 Performance and Management Plan
  • 1 Communication and Dissemination Plan
  • 2 Interim Reports
  • 1 Final Report

Partner

Clarkston Garden FC

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Clarkston, USA
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project 59,435€
Foundation funding 29,155€
Project identifier 20210409
Partners Soccer in the Streets
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Since the mid-1990s, the American town of Clarkston in Georgia has been the resettlement point for thousands of displaced persons from around the world, earning it the title of the ‘Ellis Island of the South’. Soccer in the Streets uses football as a common language to help displaced youngsters integrate into society.

Clarkston’s Garden FC project builds on this common language and helps youth – especially girls – become young leaders who can contribute to a healthy and equitable community.

Project content

The Garden FC project uses community gardens located at the football pitch as a hub for activities that enable young people to establish a relationship between sport, nutrition, food security and community well-being. Football training includes on-field leadership activities. After training, youngsters and their families cultivate the gardens together and are able to enjoy the food they harvest. A differentiated experience for girls addresses specific challenges they face both on and off the field.

Objectives

  • Give displaced youngsters access to football
  • Educate players on the link between nutrition, physical activity and well-being
  • Teach players how to grow their own food
  • Build youth leadership capacity
  • Create differentiated experience for girls

Project activities

  • Football training sessions
  • In-practice leadership sessions with a focus on the girls
  • Nutrition workshops
  • Gardening training
  • Community gardening events

Expected results

  • 150 players take part in football sessions
  • 30% of players complete the nutrition and well-being curriculum
  • 100% of girls receive leadership sessions
  • 35% of players show improvement in self-management and relationship skills

Partner

Scoring Girls

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Germany and Iraq
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project 275,000€
Foundation funding 136,000€
Project identifier 20210550
Partners Háwar Help
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Nowadays, more people have been displaced from their homes than at any time since World War II. In Germany, roughly 1.4 million people live as refugees. In post-conflict Iraq, about 1.2 million people live as internally displaced persons (IDP).

In Iraq, the Scoring Girls live in an IDP camp outside of Dohuk, home to 15,000 people. Most belong to the Yazidi minority group from the Ninawa governate, a region in the north-west that was overrun and largely destroyed by ISIS in 2014, causing hundreds of thousands of people to flee. Many of the project’s beneficiaries have been living in the camp for over five years.

In Germany, the Scoring Girls come from more than ten countries. Many of the girls underwent treacherous journeys to get to Europe. Despite living in Germany for over five years, many are still in refugee shelters on the outskirts of Berlin and Cologne.

Project content

The Scoring Girls projects offer girls in Germany and Iraq  the chance to identify their strengths and passions and build up enough self-confidence to realise their dreams in life, regardless of their background, socio-economic status or faith. Through team sports, school and homework help, career guidance and the involvement of strong female role models, project participants learn to treat each other with respect and believe in themselves.

 

Objectives

  • Empower refugee and IDP girls to integrate into their host societies through soft-skill development and new knowledge
  • Support the development of a strong, inclusive community by strengthening social cohesion and improving access to community services for refugees and their families
  • Promote direct engagement and mutual understanding between refugee and IDP girls and the host communities in Germany and Iraq
  • Raise awareness of the potential of sport as a tool to empower and integrate refugee girls

Project activities

Weekly empowerment programme: recruitment and relationship building

  • Weekly football-based soft-skills programme
  • Empowerment dialogues with role models

Community-building programme

  • Scoring Girls yearbook with Iraqi and German participants
  • Group excursions in the community
  • Family engagement events and trainings
  • Friendly matches

Dissemination of impact

  • Capacity-building between the Scoring Girls teams in Iraq and Germany
  • Press work and dissemination

Expected results

  • 150 girls (refugees, IDPs and from the host community) have improved soft-skills such as self-confidence, teamwork and resilience
  • Cohesive communities of girls with diverse backgrounds are created in five locations
  • 300 family members actively support the girls’ participation
  • 40 multipliers gain insights into how to use sport to promote integration in Iraq and Germany
  • 100,000 people learn about the power of sport to build cohesive communities and empower girls

Partner

Football for Unity

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Ireland, Dublin
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project 60,000€
Foundation funding 45,000€
Project identifier 20210976
Partners Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI)
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

The North East Inner City of Dublin (pop. 20,000) suffers from high levels of deprivation, poverty and disadvantage with high concentrations of:

  • Single parents: 80% in some areas
  • Unemployment: approx. 50% men and 40% women (national average: 13%)
  • Low educational attainment: 50% aged 15+ only have primary-school education (national average: 9%)
  • High levels of crime and substance abuse

This is also the area of Ireland with the highest percentage of ethnic minorities.

Project content

Based on the success of the Football for Unity tournaments run in the North East Inner City of Dublin during June and July 2021 alongside EURO 2020 with the support of the European Commission and the UEFA Foundation for Children, the project runs three months of training nights to build capacity in the community followed by a number of seven-a-side tournaments in a range of age categories. The aim is to encourage participation in football, the inclusion of third-country nationals and youth empowerment.

Objectives

  • Increase mutual understanding between children and young people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, helping migrants and third country nationals to integrate into Irish society
  • Combat racism and xenophobia
  • Creating safe spaces for youngsters to play football
  • Promote the involvement of migrants in sport and volunteering
  • Youth empowerment through sport
  • Create more cohesion between young people, community groups, police and local authorities

Project activities

  • March, April and May: weekly football training sessions for boys and girls aged 12–18, including refugees, asylum-seekers, Travellers and Roma
  • Actively supporting community groups and individuals for the creation of football teams to play in the Football for Unity tournaments
  • June–July: football tournaments for boys and girls – both youth and children – in various age groups held at four artificial turf pitches
  • Support young people to encourage them to take their coaching badges

Expected results

  • 400 participants both male and female in various age groups
  • Integration of third country nationals and migrants, with approx. 150 participants
  • Participation of minimum 120 girls and young women
  • Increased participation in playing football
  • 20 young people attain their PDP1 coaching badge

Partner