Social integration of street children through sport

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Ethiopia
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project €98,320
Foundation funding €63,000
Project identifier 20210272
Partners Busajo NGO
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Busajo Campus is a social and educational project aimed at street children living in the Ethiopian city of Sodo and the surrounding rural areas. It is estimated that there are about 3,000 street children in Sodo.

The ultimate goal of Busajo Campus is to reintegrate street children into their families and society. The project focuses on helping the girls and boys to become more autonomous and self-sufficient by investing in their cultural, educational and professional growth – something which in turn favours the social and economic development of the wider community.

Busajo Campus promotes both vocational and psychological support as the best way to guarantee the children a better life of social integration and to fight the poverty in which they live, helping them to regain confidence in their future. Sport is also promoted as an educational activity that supports physical and emotional growth and a social activity that teaches the rules of coexistence and community.

Busajo Campus guides the children through a path of recovery that is initially physical and then psychological, emotional and attitudinal helping them become happy children now and agents of sustainable development in their country in the future. However, the current workshops are no longer sufficient for training needs and to support the economic sustainability of the Campus.

 

Project content

The support of the UEFA foundation will enable Busajo Campus to create two new workshops and enhance its professional courses to increase vocational training and job opportunities for participants.

The new workshops in tailoring/weaving and carpentry will allow the young people to learn indoors during the rainy season. Two new buildings will provide the space and machinery for them to improve their technical skills, giving them the opportunity to start their own businesses with minimal capital and to specialise in quality craftsmanship which is in high demand in Sodo.

The young people’s soft skills will be improved through educational sports activities including an ‘Olympic Games’ for children that will take place on the campus sports field.

Objectives

  • Increase the potential of the campus by expanding the workshops.
  • Enhance young people’s technical skills, in tailoring/weaving and carpentry, giving them an opportunity to start their own business and develop quality craftmanship, which is in high demand locally.
  • Increase the economic sustainability of the campus by enabling the sale of self-produced goods.
  • Increase young people’s soft skills through sports.

Project activities

  • Constructing the buildings for the new workshops.
  • Delivering four professional training courses (in bamboo carpentry, soap-making, bakery and tailoring/weaving).
  • Providing start-up support to help young people set up their own businesses upon completion of their training.
  • Holding ‘Olympic Games’ for children to promote equal opportunities and socialisation.
  • Coordination, monitoring and communication.

Expected results

  • Two new buildings which will improve the professional training offered by Busajo Campus and improve its economic sustainability.
  • Four professional training courses for 20 boys and girls aged 15–20.
  • Start-up assistance for four self-employed businesses for young people who have finished their training.
  • Informal educational sports activities for 60 young people on campus to promote equal opportunities for girls and boys and integration between children residing on the campus and the community.

Partner

Education, empowerment and employability for girls

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Pakistan
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €360,000
Foundation funding €150,000
Project identifier 20210338
Partners Right To Play
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Pakistan is at the bottom of international rankings on quality, equity and access to education. Children and young people living in urban slums are among the most vulnerable, with COVID-19 aggravating the situation, especially for girls.

According to the national 2021 Annual Status of Education Report, as schools reopened after COVID-19 closures, dropout by girls increased by 5% in primary schools and 10% in secondary schools. Additionally, the participation of girls in employability training in technical and vocational institutes fell by 25% in comparison to 2019.

Of the 12 million home-based workers in Pakistan, 80% are estimated to be women – the majority of whom faced pay cuts and layoffs due to a slowdown in economic activity. This illustrates the need for tailored programmes that focus on education and employability skills for girls to help them secure better jobs and retain them in the wake of such crises.

Project content

Education, empowerment and employability are the core objectives of the Goal project, which aims to equip girls with the knowledge and skills they need to build better futures for themselves and their communities.

The project includes:

  • a girls’ education and empowerment module focusing on self-awareness, health and hygiene, girls’ rights, and financial literacy;
  • football, basketball and volleyball sessions carefully designed in line with a sport for development (SFD) approach to teach social, physical, cognitive and emotional life skills alongside athletic skills.

Objectives

The two-year project focuses on empowering 18,000 girls aged 11–16 in 70 public schools in Karachi and Islamabad to exercise agency over their bodies and lives. It aims to achieve this by creating greater access to sport and play opportunities and by teaching financial literacy, employability, leadership and essential life skills.

Project activities

  • Training of volunteer coaches and physical education teachers in the Goal curriculum, football for development, gender equality, inclusion and child protection.
  • Regular sport and play-based sessions in schools conducted by trained coaches and teachers.
  • Sports tournaments, training camps, and thematic ‘play days’ to create awareness and dialogue in the community.
  • Junior leader clubs: select young people are helped to create school clubs and take the initiative to improve their school environment, assist coaches and encourage peer-to-peer learning.
  • Provision of equipment and rehabilitation of play spaces to facilitate safe and inclusive sessions in schools.

Expected results

  • Improved life skills (confidence, communication, leadership, decision-making, etc.) in 70% of girls.
  • Improved knowledge of budgeting, saving and other financial concepts in 70% of girls.
  • Ability to identify career goals and a better understanding of the trajectory towards strengthening their employability skills in 50% of girls.
  • Improved ability to take decisions related to agency over their bodies and lives in 40% of girls.

Partner

Goals for my Future V

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Austria, Vienna
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project €416,000
Foundation funding €10,000
Project identifier 20210383
Partners Mentor Management-Entwicklung-Organisation GmbH & Co OG
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability

Context

The average percentage of young people aged 15–24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) in Vienna in 2006–16 was 10.9%, or 21,800 young people.

The Goals for my Future V project follows on from four previous projects and aims to support young NEETs using football to encourage social participation and integration.

The target group is young NEETs, aged between 14–21 (possibly up to 25) who:

  • have not or have not yet completed compulsory schooling;
  • need a daily structure;
  • are threatened with immediate exclusion;
  • grew up in homes with parents with unstable employment histories;
  • come from families with low cultural capital;
  • belong to ethnic minorities or do not have EU27 citizenship;
  • have had negative experiences in the school system (truancy, suspensions, etc.);
  • have behavioural problems.

Project content

The average percentage of young people aged 15–24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) in Vienna in 2006–16 was 10.9%, or 21,800 young people.

The Goals for my Future V project follows on from four previous projects and aims to support young NEETs using football to encourage social participation and integration.

The target group is young NEETs, aged between 14–21 (possibly up to 25) who:

  • have not or have not yet completed compulsory schooling;
  • need a daily structure;
  • are threatened with immediate exclusion;
  • grew up in homes with parents with unstable employment histories;
  • come from families with low cultural capital;
  • belong to ethnic minorities or do not have EU27 citizenship;
  • have had negative experiences in the school system (truancy, suspensions, etc.);
  • have behavioural problems.

Objectives

  • Preparing young people for reintegration into education or training by resolving language deficits, reducing school-specific deficits and promoting social skills and appropriate behaviour
  • Activating young people’s self-help potential
  • Providing educational and professional guidance
  • Creating a stable, sustainable network
  • Creating a connection with a football club
  • Bringing participants in contact with NEBA, the Austrian vocational assistance service, if nothing else – school, education or work – is possible

Project activities

  • Highly professional football training twice a week, in three-hour sessions.
  • Three hours a week of a variety of sports: swimming, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, climbing, bowling, mini-golf, frisbee and much more.
  • Joint tournaments, friendly games and training with friendly clubs.
  • Participation in the Kleinfeld-Liga football league.
  • Joint activities with the team: cinema trips, excursions, visits to companies, workshops, juggling training, etc.
  • Provision of training equipment and jerseys, boots and shin pads.
  • Supervision, remedial tuition and lesson support to help with compulsory schooling.
  • Psychological and social support.
  • Individual coaching and work assistance.
  • German language training.
  • Support for parents.

Expected results

It is expected that 90% of the young people participating in the programme (35 boys and 20 girls) will:

  • begin/continue a qualification or job, or transfer to an organisation under NEBA;
  • improve their social skills;
  • develop a realistic career plan and be able to match their abilities with a suitable qualification or job;
  • experience greater motivation;
  • enjoy sports and exercise more;
  • better understand interpersonal interactions.

Partner

Positive Futures

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Start date 12/01/2021
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project €100,000
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 20210469
Partners Rio Ferdinand Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Inequality & hate crime are rising issues in Northern Ireland & Ireland, with border towns between the two particularly at risk with relocation of migrant communities & refugees into small towns adding to existing tensions following the exit of the UK from the EU. Young people are particularly vulnerable, with tensions between communities over national identity coupled with organised criminality operating cross border leaving them at risk of participating in/being victims of negative behaviours.

Project content

This project will build community cohesion and tackle racism and xenophobia through the empowerment of young people from disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in Ireland / Northern Ireland – including those suffering economic disadvantage, racism and prejudice. We will use our project to enhance the skills, confidence and opportunities available to young people and drive a message of respect, inclusion and working together to create safer, stronger and more inclusive communities.

Objectives

This project will create an environment for young people to work together to:

  • Create spaces & opportunities for enhanced cultural understanding & to tackle the negativity of racism & xenophobia.
  • Improve the confidence, skills & experiences of young people to enable & empower them to take a lead role in delivering a message of inclusion, equality & respect in their communities.
  • Create long lasting friendships and networks across communities and cultures to tackle social exclusion and prejudice.

 

Project activities

  • Football coaching/games/tournaments bringing people together across communities/borders.
  • Workshops improving confidence, mental health/wellbeing, addressing issues of prejudice/racism/hate crime, including current/former players sharing lived experience.
  • Accredited training building skills, opportunities & networks.
  • Youth led social action projects promoting cohesion & inclusion.
  • Pathways into further education, training & employment for young people from vulnerable & excluded communities.

 

Expected results

The Positive Futures project will:

  • Engage 250 young people from disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in regular sporting activity.
  • Support 150 young people in personal development workshops and mentoring.
  • Train 100 young people in accredited vocational qualifications.
  • Deliver 4 youth led community cohesion events to bring communities together.

Partner

Football in Rissani

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Morocco, Rissani
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project €60,000
Foundation funding €30,000
Project identifier 20210570
Partners Association Enfants du Désert
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment

Context

The population of Rissani, a town in the Moroccan desert, has risen enormously over the past ten years; however, the town’s infrastructure has not kept pace. While there are some dynamic clubs that try to provide underprivileged youngsters with access to sport, the lack of funding and decent equipment means that they do not have the facilities they need. The Football in Rissani project was launched to overcome this issue and enable all youngsters, both girls and boys, to enjoy the advantages of sport.

Project content

The Football in Rissani project will build a dedicated sports area in two locations in the town, consisting of an enclosed football pitch, equipped changing rooms, toilets and running water. Playing equipment (balls, bibs, cones, etc.) will also also provided. The facilities will be built by a team of local builders that Enfants du Désert has been working with for 17 years.

Objectives

  • Give youngsters from underprivileged families access to sport.
  • Encourage boys and girls to mix while enabling girls to enjoy sport in a suitable, safe environment.
  • Provide extracurricular activities for young people.
  • Promote education through sport by exposing young people to values such as team spirit and tolerance while. promoting trust and self-confidence.
  • Support the activities of sports clubs.
  • Encourage socialisation among young people.

Project activities

  • Building infrastructure (pitches, changing rooms, toilets, enclosure).
  • Providing two local clubs with equipment.
  • Weekly training sessions in partnership with two local sports clubs.
  • Organising friendly tournaments and open days to encourage more youngsters to discover and take up sport.

Expected results

  • Reduced inequalities through extracurricular activities.
  • Reduction in inappropriate behaviour among teenagers due to their enthusiastic participation in the activities giving. them a sense of belonging and achievement.
  • More youngsters regularly taking part in local life and sport thanks to the new facilities.
  • More girls taking part in sport.

Partner

My time, my future

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Ecuador, Yacuambi
Start date 01/10/2022
End date 01/10/2023
Cost of the project €33,804
Foundation funding €33,804
Project identifier 20210800
Partners Fundación Humana Pueblo a Pueblo
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

FHPP-E helps children and young people play an active role in society through cultural, sporting and educational activities. Children and young people in the Yacuambi municipality in the Ecuadorian Amazon do not have adequate recreational spaces to have fun and develop their motor skills, often leaving them exposed to drugs and child labour. Child labour has a negative impact on children’s cognitive, emotional and social development, affecting their quality of life and mental health, and leaving them vulnerable without the tools they need for the future.

Project content

Regularly playing a group sport has been shown to promote social development and good health, as well as build character, discipline, decision-making skills and rule compliance, benefiting all areas of daily life. To counteract the lack of emphasis placed on extracurricular activities at school, the project seeks to get local actors involved in developing sports and football training activities for children aged 8–18 in Yacuambi municipality. The aim of the project is to provide an environment that allows the children to develop both physically and psychologically, as well as improve their social skills.

Objectives

  • To develop the motor, sports and life skills of 100 children and teenagers through the promotion of education and physical activity as a universal right.
  • To promote the practice of football as an inclusive and effective tool in improving physical and mental health.

Project activities

  • Technical and tactical football training and practical and audiovisual workshops.
  • Training in leadership, self-esteem, values, conflict resolution, a culture of peace and teamwork.
  • Creation of murals on caring for the environment and the rights of children and teenagers.
  • Improvement of sports spaces through community action.
  • Selection of the best participants through micro-cycles.
  • Technical and tactical macrocycles and physical preparation.
  • Organising and participating in local (intercommunity), national (indigenous league) and international (binational Ecuador-Peru tournament) tournaments.

Expected results

  • At least 80% of the children are technically, physically and tactically trained in football.
  • At least 80% of the children are trained in leadership, self-esteem, values, conflict resolution, a culture of peace and teamwork.
  • At least 60% of the children participate in creating murals about the environment and children’s rights.
  • At least 80% of the children participate in physical activities and education.
  • At least 40% of the children are selected for teams.
  • At least 60% of the children participate in technical and tactical macrocycles, physical preparation and goalkeeping.
  • At least 40% of the children participate in local, national and international tournaments.
  • 100% of the children participate in the opening and closing events of the project.

 

Partner

Football for peace

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Colombia
Start date 02/01/2022
End date 01/31/2023
Cost of the project €88,000
Foundation funding €78,000
Project identifier 20211084
Partners Ankla Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Personal development

Context

Colombia has suffered internal war for more than 50 years. As many as 260,000 people have lost their lives and 7 million citizens have been displaced as internal refugees. After the peace agreement with the FARC guerrilla in 2016, people have returned to their homes. Ex-guerrilla combatants are now in reincorporation spaces, but relations with the local population are difficult. This project uses football as a tool to achieve reconciliation and peace between both groups, focusing on the children.

Project content

The project supports the peace process in Colombia by promoting human rights, coexistence and inclusion among ex-FARC combatants and the local community, while also preventing new violence, through football training and psychosocial interventions with the children. It will run for one year in four territorial spaces for training and reincorporation (TSTR: land given by the government to ex-combatants to help them reintegrate into society), benefiting 615 children of ex-combatants.

Objectives

  • Promote healthy coexistence among ex-combatants and the community using football as a tool for social integration and to prevent the resurgence of violence.
  • Promote the search for talent among the children of ex-combatants to encourage development through self-realization.
  • Provide psychosocial support for the children of ex-combatants, their families and the community, in order to restore their rights, emotional integrity, and productive reintegration into civil and family life.

Project activities

  • Collecting baseline socio-economic information
  • Training and participation in local leagues (10 football training sessions per week in each TSTR)
  • Psychosocial interventions with children and their families (eight psychosocial workshops per week in each TSTR)
  • Meetings between the community and TSTR leaders
  • Competitions and participation in various leagues

 

Expected results

  • The majority of children from the TSTRs attend the training sessions and psychosocial workshops (75%).
  • Civil society that lives around these TSTRs will accept the presence of ex-combatants in their community and are in favour of their reintegration into society (70%).
  • Improved gender equality inside football groups (30% girls at least).
  • Improvements among the children and teenagers diagnosed with various psychosocial issues over the course of 12 months (50% children with psychosocial problems due mostly to the civil war experience an improvement).
  • Through football, the children develop as persons, learn about rules and are kept away from criminal activities; coaches act as mentors. Training is a way to reach the children and their families for psychosocial interventions.

Partner

Youth Sports Games 2022

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Serbia
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project €5,035,000
Foundation funding €250,000
Project identifier 20210447
Partners Association for Sport, Recreation and Education – Youth Games
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality

Context

The Youth Sports Games started in 1996 in Split, Croatia. The primary motive was to enable children to participate in organised sporting events and other free activities. The Youth Sports Games have become the largest amateur sports event for children and young people in Europe. More than 2 million children have competed in the 25 years since they began.

The games are held in three countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. Primary and secondary-school children compete in ten sports disciplines free of charge, and the most successful individuals and teams get to travel to Split to take part in the international finals.

In addition to the games, the association organises regular sports and recreational activities for children, to promote health, tolerance and ethical values. The association promotes a lifestyle based on understanding, friendship, solidarity and fair play as an alternative to addiction and deviant behaviour.

Project content

Sport is used as a medium to connect with the participants aged 7–18 through tournaments held in over 300 cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. The Youth Sports Games promote a healthy lifestyle and help to increase the popularity of all ten sports (football, street basketball, handball, volleyball, beach volleyball, tennis, table tennis, chess, dodgeball and athletics), as well as educating the children about sustainability.

Objectives

In 2021, a total of 214,852 children took part. The objective for 2022 is to have 220,000 children compete: 80,000 in Croatia, 50,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 90,000 in Serbia, and for 30% of the participants to be girls. The association also aims to develop football tournaments for girls and to be a preferred choice for young girls aged 12–15 years.

Project activities

From January to August 2022, local tournaments will be held in the three countries, then national finals followed by the international finals in Split, Croatia. There will also be marketing activities, such as promotional campaigns, digital media activities, PR activities, live TV broadcasts and a TV show in each country.

Expected results

  • Football tournaments with a total of 110,000 participants.
  • 35 girls' football tournaments for a total of 11,000 young players aged 12–15.
  • Tournaments in the nine other sports (street basketball, handball, volleyball, beach volleyball, tennis, table tennis, chess, dodgeball and athletics) with a total of 110,000 participants.

Partner

Together we live, learn and play

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Spain
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project €144,468
Foundation funding €18,805
Project identifier 20211045
Partners Asociación Alacrán 1997
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

The Asociación Alacrán 1997 works in the Hortaleza district of Madrid. There is significant inequality between neighbourhoods in the Hortaleza district. Around 2,500 households live below the poverty line and struggle with housing, employment or resources. Children and teenagers living in these families face serious challenges that affect their personal and social development.

Project content

The project helps children in vulnerable situations acquire skills and positive values as a protective factor against risky behaviours and habits. The core activity is the football programme, which has a strong focus on the inclusion of girls. This gives children access to a free sports activity. The programme is complemented with socio-educational support and healthy leisure options.

Objectives

  • Protect children’s rights and alleviate the effects of poverty on girls and boys in the Hortaleza district.
  • Promote the personal and social development of girls and boys in the Hortaleza district, especially those at greatest risk and the most socially vulnerable.
  • Encourage girls to play football – a traditionally masculine space – as a way to combat prejudices and stereotypes.

Project activities

  • Football training focused on individual technical improvement and learning basic team play concepts, as well as the development of abilities, skills, attitudes and values.
  • Awareness and recruitment campaigns for girls.
  • Football tournaments.
  • Coach training.
  • Classes to help with school and teach study techniques.
  • Activities to promote group cohesion and conflict resolution.
  • Workshops to promote healthy habits and on specific topics such as sexuality, drugs and emotions.
  • Individualised follow-up.

Expected results

  • Girls and boys are encouraged to play sports
  • Girls and boys acquire or improve their abilities, skills and fundamental values
  • Increased school attendance among girls
  • Creation of an educational, protective and caring space for the participants
  • Upholding the participants’ right to equal opportunities in education by supporting them and counteracting their educational difficulties
  • Providing individual support to protect the participants and ensure their optimal development

Partner

Twinned Peace Sport Schools (TPSS)

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Israel
Start date 01/01/2022
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project €97,000
Foundation funding €35,000
Project identifier 20211040
Partners The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation
Categories Access to Sport - Personal development

Context

Ties between Arab and Jewish citizens in Israel are marred by ongoing conflict that has led to discrimination, fear, and distrust of “the other” on both sides. Many of Israel’s municipalities and institutions, including schools and after-school activities, are uni-cultural leaving few opportunities for integration between Jewish and Arab children that would allow them to challenge existing preconceptions and build mutual trust and the foundations for shared living. This has been exacerbated by isolation during COVID-19.

Project content

The Peres Center’s Twinned Peace Sport Schools (TPSS) programme is an extra-curricular football-based peace education programme combining regular football training with Hebrew/Arabic language learning, cross-cultural exchange and peace education activities that promote integration, diversity and inclusion among Jewish and Arab Israeli boys and girls aged 8-12.

Objectives

The overall objective of the TPSS programme is to utilise sport as a tool for facilitating intercultural dialogue and promoting peacebuilding among Jewish and Arab children in Israel. The TPSS programme instils in Jewish and Arab children the values of sportsmanship, teamwork, inclusion and tolerance, establishing a strong foundation for further engagement between Jewish and Arab participants in other contexts throughout the children’s lives.

Project activities

TPSS programme activities include:

  • Training for community coaches: Coaches from participating communities receive training in the Peres Center’s football-based peace education methodologies, as well as in children’s rights and safeguarding, improving their awareness and their ability to provide children with quality extra-curricular educational activities.
  • Uni-cultural activity sessions: Bi-weekly football training sessions are held in the children’s own communities, supplemented with Hebrew/Arabic language learning (including greetings and football-related vocabulary) which allows the children to prepare for and process their experiences when meeting members of the other community.
  • Bicultural activity sessions: Paired groups of Jewish and Arab children meet for four joint peace education sessions. These are a chance for the children to use their new language skills to interact with each other and play football together. The innovative Fairplay method for football is used in which the participants determine the rules of the game, referee themselves and resolve conflicts on the pitch through facilitated dialogue.
  • Year-end activity: All children come together for a full day of peace education activities. This event, bringing participants from across the country together with community and cultural leaders is hugely influential for children who see their participation in the programme as part of a large-scale popular movement for peace.

Expected results

  • Facilitation of intercultural dialogue and engagement among 310 Jewish and Arab children through football.
  • Positive changes in perception, elimination of stereotypes, and the promotion of cooperation, trust and understanding in 310 Jewish and Arab children.
  • Greater access to quality extra-curricular sports and peace education in 16 Jewish and Arab communities across Israel.

Partner

Improving the Psychosocial Wellbeing of Conflict-Affected Displaced Children

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Cabo Delgado, Mozambique
Start date 02/01/2021
End date 11/30/2021
Cost of the project €45,884
Foundation funding €43,884
Project identifier 20201286
Partners Street Child
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Personal development

Context

Northern Mozambique has suffered from conflict and insecurity since 2017. Deterioration in the security situation and an increase in attacks has coincided with several emergencies: cyclone Kenneth in 2019, severe flooding in early 2020 and the emergence of COVID-19 in March 2020. Currently, 335,000 people have been displaced by insecurity, with children making up 50%. During this time, children have suffered from a sustained loss of education and exposure to traumatic situations.

Project content

Sport will be used to address the psychosocial needs of children affected by conflict and emergencies, while helping displaced children integrate into their host communities. Street Child will help schools to understand the needs of pupils and facilitate support sessions for them as they return to school post displacement and COVID-19. Community sessions will also be delivered by trained facilitators to out-of-school children.

Objectives

  • Address the psychosocial needs of children who have been affected by conflict, displacement and emergency situations
  • Support retention of children in school through the provision of support services
  • Promote integration between displaced and host communities
  • Promote children’s rights and strengthen protection mechanisms in the wider community

Project activities

  • Delivery of psychosocial support sessions to in-school and out-of-school children, using recreational activities, including sport, to help them deal with trauma and build life skills
  • Providing training workshops for psychosocial support facilitators in the use of play-based activities as a tool for integration and development
  • Providing teacher and school council workshops on the delivery of psychosocial support in schools and creating inclusive environments
  • Holding community awareness-raising campaigns on children’s rights and protection services

Expected results

  • 6,000 children (3,000 girls and 3,000 boys) will receive psychosocial support and integration support through in-school and community-based activities
  • 90 school educational staff will receive training in psychosocial support to promote inclusive environments for all pupils
  • 12 local community facilitators will receive training on the delivery of play-based psychosocial support interventions
  • 6 communities will receive awareness-raising on children’s rights and child protection services

Partner

Lay’s RePlay

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location UK, South Africa, Brazil, Italy, USA, Mexico, Turkey and Egypt
Start date 01/01/2021
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €tbc
Foundation funding €200,000
Project identifier 20200100
Partners Lay’s, Common Goal
Categories Access to Sport - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Sponsors

Context

Lay's RePlay – an innovative global initiative in partnership with the UEFA Foundation for Children and streetfootballworld – aims to bring joy to communities around the world by transforming empty crisp packets into sustainable football pitches, leading to positive outcomes for people and the planet.

Eleven community mini pitches composed partially of reused empty crisp packets have been constructed in:

  • Tembisa, South Africa
  • Leicester, UK
  • São Paulo, Brazil
  • Turin, Italy
  • Iztapalapa, Mexico
  • Santa Ana, USA
  • Gaziantep, Turkey
  • Cairo, Egypt
  • Naples, Italy
  • Santa Marta, Colombia
  • Bilbao, Spain

 

Tapping into the global passion for football, these pitches will become sustainable hubs for

positive community transformation.

Project content

Lay’s RePlay provides artificial five-a-side pitches that are ideal for communities with limited access to spaces where they can enjoy the game and develop their skills.

It works with local partners to build spaces and programmes that bring people together and drive positive change for generations to come – it’s much more than just a pitch.

The project’s long-term educational sporting programmes harness the positive power of play and football to address social issues impacting local communities through their four key aims: creating a sense of belonging, increasing engagement, fostering safety, and granting access to sport.

 

Objectives

Lay's RePlay places a strong emphasis on including community members and local organisations throughout the planning, construction and maintenance of each pitch, with a view to developing programmes that can address the specific social issues affecting each community while also fostering safe access to sport. Each pitch is constructed using partially recycled material and the aim is to deliver them with a net-zero carbon footprint.

Project activities

Multiple stakeholders are involved in creating the mini pitches, each of which takes an average of 8 to 12 months to complete. The local partner in each location will lead the process, in close collaboration with streetfootballworld.

Community engagement will be integral; the community is seen not as a recipient, but as part of the decision-making process. It is a participatory project, with an emphasis on talking to community stakeholders, understanding their needs, appreciating their contexts, and collaborating to find optimal solutions. The community is involved in the project before, during and after construction, and preference is given to local sources to ensure capacity development and build trust.

Expected results

  • Eight community football pitches will have been created by the end of 2022.
  • Recycled crisp packets constitute 32% of the material used to construct the pitches, and each community will become more aware of sustainable practices.
  • The artificial turf and the substrate on which it rests (Ecocept™) are 100% recyclable, thanks to the compression of recycled plastic.
  • Local communities in all locations are closely involved in the process.
  • Girls and boys have equal access to a space to play football.
  • Educational sporting programmes provide tailor-made support to the local community and drive positive change for generations to come.

 

First results in the UK, South Africa, Brazil and Italy

  • Local organisations have organised football and other sports sessions as well as educational initiatives to combat the social challenges faced by their communities. Themes tackled include female participation, physical and mental health, education and drugs.
  • Members of the community benefit from a new football pitch that remains open outside of the organised sessions.

Partners

Kurt Landauer Platz

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Münich, Germany
Start date 01/01/2021
End date 12/31/2021
Cost of the project €666,258
Foundation funding €128,000
Project identifier 20200881
Partners Bellevue di Monaco
Categories Access to Sport - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Sport plays a key role in the integration of young refugees into society, with many studies showing that sports programmes can help to strengthen links between migrants and the native population. In Munich, local authorities and NGOs have made considerable efforts to accommodate asylum seekers over the last six years. However, there is a lack of sports programmes, and space for sporting activities is very limited (especially in the city centre). As a result, young refugees have not had enough opportunities to play sport and mix with locals of the same age.

Project content

A multi-sports pitch (named after Kurt Landauer, a former president of FC Bayern München) has been built on the roof of the Bellevue di Monaco intercultural community centre in the heart of Munich. Working in cooperation with its partner Bunt kickt gut, the community centre plans to use that venue to offer a variety of sports programmes (football, basketball, gym sessions, etc.) for young refugees and local children from the neighbourhood (boys and girls alike), with a focus on cultural exchange, personal development and inclusion.

Objectives

The project’s main aim is to foster cultural exchange between young refugees and local children, based on a firm belief that sport is the best way to bring people together and establish bonds. Particular attention will be paid to the issue of gender equality: girls and boys will play together on the pitch, but there will also be special programmes dedicated solely to girls. The activities will focus primarily on sports, but the coaching methodology will also help to strengthen children’s language skills, interpersonal skills and, in some cases, even vocational skills.

Project activities

  • Recruit staff to manage the multi-sports pitch, allocate time slots, supervise training sessions, coach participants and resolve conflicts.
  • Establish sports programmes for young refugees and local children.
  • Organise a variety of sports activities and coaching sessions, fostering personal and professional development.
  • Organise football tournaments and other special sports events on a regular basis.

Expected results

  • It is expected for around 1,200 young refugees and local children to regularly participate in the various sports programmes each year.
  • Refugees at the community centre will get to know more people in the local area.
  • Girls and young women who do not want to play sport in public will have access to special sessions and a protected space on the rooftop.
  • Participants will benefit from personal development (e.g. learning how to manage their frustrations).

Partner

Child Safeguarding Certification Programme for Sport-for-Good Practitioners

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Europe
Start date 03/31/2021
End date 03/31/2022
Cost of the project €207,130
Foundation funding €207,130
Project identifier 20200898
Partners Streetfootballworld
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Employability - Personal development

Context

Sport-for-good (SFG) practitioners work with children on a daily basis. However, according to a streetfootballworld network assessment, only 50% have a basic or intermediate knowledge of safeguarding and only 45% have a basic or intermediate understanding of children’s rights and the rights of child athletes. 85% want to receive proper safeguarding training and with 80,000+ adults working with vulnerable groups in the SFG sector, the need for training on this topic is evident.

Project content

The UEFA Foundation for Children and streetfootballworld (sfw) will take the lead in the sector by launching a safeguarding certification and capacity-building programme to ensure children’s fundamental rights across the world are safeguarded. The programme will benefit from regional, contextual, and cultural expertise by engaging five football-for-good (FFG) organisations working closely with children in their communities. Ultimately, the online safeguarding certification programme will be made available, through the UEFA Foundation for Children, to all SFG practitioners around the world.

Objectives

The overall goal of this programme is to minimise intentional and unintentional harm to vulnerable groups. UEFA’s previous safeguarding efforts will be used to develop a certification course for all practitioners working with children and at-risk youth and adults within the sport-for-good sector.

Project activities

  • Implementing an online knowledge/training certification programme for FFG/SFG organisations.
  • Identifying and working with five organisations (diversified globally and UEFA Foundation 2020 grant awardees) to co-create content and review it contextually and culturally.
  • Training 75 staff members (15 per organisation) with the course.
  • Involving 150 local parents in assessment of the contents.
  • Together with the UEFA Foundation for Children, engaging in advocacy for sector-wide policy on training/certification of FFG practitioners.

Expected results

  • One online course on safeguarding for SFG practitioners.
  • 75 coaches and staff members from the five FFG/SFG organisations will gain a qualification in safeguarding in the SFG sector and build knowledge and skills regarding protecting children and at-risk youth.
  • 150 parents will provide feedback to ensure local receptivity to the content.
  • Evidence will be collected from the pilot programme to reflect, adjust, and advocate for a standardised approach at a policy level.

Partner

Promoting inclusion through sport for street children in Pointe-Noire

Location and general information

Closed
Location Republic of Congo, Pointe-Noire
Start date 01/01/2021
End date 12/31/2022
Cost of the project €792,382
Foundation funding €150,000
Project identifier 20200759
Partners Samusocial International
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Personal development

Context

The number of street children in the Republic of Congo is increasing. Homeless, without family for support and stigmatised by others, they are socially excluded and do not have access to basic health and social services. The health, economic and social crisis caused by the global pandemic has had a very significant impact on street children. It has reinforced their situation of extreme vulnerability and made it even harder for them to survive on the streets, as they face more stigmatisation and more violence and it is more difficult to access care. The structures that support street children have also been strongly affected by the health crisis.

Created in 2006 with the support of Samusocial International, Samusocial Pointe-Noire assists street children, offering them holistic care. It has developed various services, including mobile teams who carry out street rounds, an emergency shelter and a day-care centre. Samusocial Pointe-Noire also works with partners to build and strengthen a continuum of care, including assistance for street children and young people in their plans to leave the street.

 

Project content

Samusocial Pointe-Noire aims to strengthen its approach to care by using sport as a means of social integration, enabling children and young people who are lost in life on the streets to find direction. The organisation’s approach consists of medical and psychosocial care reinforced by the practice of sport, helping children to develop the personal and social skills necessary for social integration.

Objectives

The overall objective is to contribute to the social inclusion of street children in Pointe-Noire.

The specific objectives are to ensure street children’s access to medical and psychosocial care and to promote their re-socialisation through the practice of sport.

Project activities

  • Carrying out street rounds to provide medical and psychosocial care to street children.
  • Providing accommodation for street children and supporting them in their plans to leave the streets.
  • Creating a football field at Samusocial Pointe-Noire’s shelter.
  • Organising monthly training sessions and annual competitions for street football and Nzango, a popular local sport.
  • Training sports facilitators.
  • Raising awareness of the problems that street children face.
  • Participating in a consultation taking place between NGOs and public bodies for the promotion of street children’s rights.

Expected results

  • 600 street children per year have access to medical and social assistance, through 300 street rounds.
  • 200 street children per year are accommodated at the shelter.
  • 60 street children per year are supported in leaving the streets.
  • 1 football field is created.
  • 60 street children, including 20 girls, participate in sports activities.
  • 12 street football and Nzango training sessions are carried out per month.
  • 2 street football and Nzango sports competitions are held.
  • 8 sports facilitators are trained.
  • 400 people and 15 professionals are made more aware of the problems that street children face.

Partner

Playing for Equality: Making Equality a Reality

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Cambodia, Phnom Penh
Start date 01/01/2021
End date 03/31/2022
Cost of the project €23,450
Foundation funding €23,000
Project identifier 20201165
Partners Indochina Starfish Foundation (ISF)
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

As Cambodia continues to recover from the impact of the Khmer Rouge’s destructive regime, corruption and inequality remain prevalent. 44% of children in Cambodia live in multidimensional poverty, experiencing barriers to childhood development such as malnutrition and poor sanitation. As a result, access to education and organised sports in disadvantaged communities is limited. This is especially the case for vulnerable groups such as girls and disabled children, who experience pervasive discrimination that often prohibits them from accessing their right to attend school and practice sports in safe environments. ISF Cambodia believes every child has the right to education, healthcare and play.

Project content

To challenge discrimination and promote the inclusion of minorities in sport, ISF Cambodia will partner with 15 schools and NGOs to provide football-for-good lessons to 300 children, including deaf and HIV-positive players. ISF’s experienced coaches will deliver ISF’s social outreach curriculum by using football-based activities to educate young players on gender equality, disability rights, and children’s rights. The project will culminate in a football festival that celebrates diversity and inclusion in sport.

Objectives

  • Increase youth access to sport across all genders and abilities.
  • Improve attitudes towards equal societies and inclusion in sport.
  • Provide a safe space for young people to explore social issues such as children’s rights, gender equality, disability and inclusion.
  • Empower girls and people with disabilities and HIV.

Project activities

  • Training ISF’s experienced coaches in ISF’s adapted social outreach curriculum, covering gender equality, disability rights, and children’s rights.
  • Delivering three sessions to 15 groups of 20 players – one group from each of the nine schools and six NGOs ISF will partner with.
  • Assessing changes in knowledge and attitude using comprehensive monitoring and evaluation tools.
  • Hosting a fun and celebratory football festival for all 300 players.

Expected results

  • 15 coaches will increase their capacity to deliver football-for-good sessions to players with a range of abilities.
  • 300 players will have greater access to organised sport activities.
  • 300 players will have a better understanding of minority rights and improved attitudes towards the inclusion of minorities in society and in sport.

Partner