TEAM Project

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Scotland
Start date 04/01/2024
End date 03/31/2025
Cost of the project €139,620
Foundation funding €73,782
Project identifier 20230913
Partners Big Hearts Community Trust
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Vulnerable children affected by trauma, poverty, cultural barriers and mental health challenges are at particular risk of struggling with the transition from primary to secondary school. The need for increased support has been clearly evidenced in communities in Edinburgh, Falkirk, Paisley, Motherwell and Greenock. Football can be used to improve the resilience and social connectedness of children at this critical life stage.

Project goals

  • Children aged 10 to 12 benefit from: new friendships and social connections, better connections within the community, better physical health and increased confidence and well-being
  • 250 children intensively supported each year
  • More than 80% of those children see improvements in their confidence and overall well-being, and enjoy better relationships with their parents and guardians.
  • Model and lessons learned can be shared with and rolled out in other communities around Scotland in the medium to long-term

Project content

The project comprises weekly football sessions alongside confidence and resilience-building activities. Healthy snacks will also be served.

It will target marginalised children living with multiple disadvantages, including poverty, trauma, isolation and having English as a second language – young people who often miss out on positive experiences and opportunities – helping them to feel less excluded, better integrated in their communities and more confident about the transition from primary to secondary school.

Partner

Future Ball – Football and Education for Sustainable Development

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Germany
Start date 03/01/2023
End date 09/30/2024
Cost of the project €125,508
Foundation funding €52,000
Project identifier 20230801
Partners Spirit of Football e.V.
Categories Access to Sport - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Spirit of Football takes young people’s concerns about climate change seriously by connecting football to environmental concerns. Especially within the context of schools, clubs, community centres and stadiums, this NGO tries to make the necessary changes with fun and interactive methods to strengthen people’s motivation and make it clear that it is more effective to act, preferably as a team, than to be overwhelmed by seemingly unsolvable problems.

Project goals

Spirit of Football aims to call young people’s attention to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals through workshops in schools and stadiums with interactive, fun and inspiring methods, especially focusing on SDGs 5, 12,13 and 17. This means that everyone should have equal chances in sport and elsewhere, responsible consumption and production, and climate action should be practised in everyday life. It is also important to show that change is only possible through strong, committed and creative partnerships.

Project content

  • 2 train the trainer sessions for teachers and trainers, to provide them with methods combining football and education for sustainability
  • 24 workshop days in schools and stadium education centres on sustainability and sport, including team-building methods, role-play, fair play football and communal murals at two sites
  • A 30-day Future Ball Tour through Germany by train and bicycle during EURO 2024, holding mini-workshops, collecting signatures for a more climate-neutral lifestyle, and attracting media attention on football and education for sustainability.

Partner

Kick for Hope

Location and general information

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

Context

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

Project goals

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

Project content

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

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

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

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

Partners

Football for All

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Lebanon
Start date 03/01/2023
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €95,000
Foundation funding €63,500
Project identifier 2023001222
Partners Tawazon
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Lebanon has been hit by a succession of economic, health, social and political crises since October 2019, exacerbated by the huge explosion at a Beirut port in August 2020. Football for All aims to help Lebanese children affected by this crisis by providing them with access to football training centres.

 

Project goals

  • Create safe spaces where young people can play football
  • Give disadvantaged children access to structured football training sessions so that they can spend their free time on the pitch instead of falling victim to the dangers and vices that surround them.
  • Teach children football skills and instil in them its core values (working together, team spirit, fair play, mutual aid and community) while shielding them from political, religious and sectarian conflicts
  • Promote the personal development social integration of the country’s young people

Project content

Former members of the Lebanese national team, qualified as coaches, deliver three training sessions each week at five training centres across the country, each in a different region. A coordinator liaises and organises matches between the centres.

Partners

Info @thletes

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Montreuil, France
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €90,000
Foundation funding €90,000
Project identifier 20230979
Partners Libraries without Borders
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Digital technology is advancing at such a rate that it has become essential to help the younger generation understand how to use the tools required to navigate the world around them. Managing our digital identities is crucial in today's interconnected world, and childhood is the most opportune time to teach children how to behave online, spot fake news and avoid the dangers of social media.

This project capitalises on the power of sports in education, using sports clubs as a forum for talking and sharing and as an opportunity to teach children about safe and responsible digital participation through fun educational activities, as a complement to their classroom learning. The project will be implemented in partnership with two football clubs: CSM Île-Saint-Denis and Red Star FC. Red Star FC is actively involved in the local community in Saint-Ouen, and in 2008 set up the Red Star Lab, which offers free cultural, artistic and social events and activities for its young players during the school holidays.

Project goals

  • Introduce children to media and information literacy to help them better decipher information and behave appropriately on social media
  • Get young people to think critically about digital citizenship and disinformation spread online
  • Turn sports clubs into media and information literacy resource hubs
  • Develop innovative ways to teach good digital habits through sports
  • Train sports coaches in the issues surrounding media and information literacy so that they are able to support young people

Project content

  • Adapt Libraries without Borders’ existing media and information literacy resources for use in extracurricular settings and football training
  • Create the ‘Info @thletes’ education kit in partnership with football coaches, integrating resources, activities and guidance on mediation through sport
  • Provide football coaches with training and support to roll this kit out during training sessions
  • Develop exercises, games and workshops that can be integrated into football training sessions (especially during the warm-up) with the help of coaches from partner clubs
  • Hold workshops, training sessions and fun learning activities alongside major events in the club calendar (e.g. tournaments) and throughout the year to educate young people and their families about media and information literacy, teach parents how to talk about and respond to the difficulties faced by their children online, and ensure that media and information literacy is also addressed at home with the help of trusted adults outside the family
  • Widely share the ‘Info @thletes’ kit – created in an easily adaptable open-source format – with other football clubs in the region and within the networks of the two participating football clubs

Partners

We Welcome Young Refugees

Location and general information

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

Context

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

Project goals

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

Project content

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

Partners

Sustainable future for all

Location and general information

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

Context

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

Project goals

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

Project content

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

Partner

SMS – “Sportsmanship in a Multicultural Society”

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Israel
Start date 02/21/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €49,513
Foundation funding €29,871
Project identifier 20230231
Partners A New Way (ANW)
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Israeli society is riven by widening gaps among different population groups. Of these, the tension between the State’s Jewish and Arab citizens is acknowledged as the most significant. One cause of this tension is the fact that Jews and Arabs have few opportunities for positive, meaningful interaction. Israel’s divided education system exacerbates these gaps, preventing meaningful encounters, reinforcing fears and misconceptions, and thwarting the creation of a basis for future collaboration. “A New Way” (ANW) acts as a unifying force and challenges the existing rifts in Israeli Jewish-Arab relations.

The October 7th attack and the war that ensued has thrust us into uncharted territory, amplifying the importance and urgency of our work. Now, more than ever, we must begin healing and reconciling Israeli society by mending the intricate fabric of Jewish and Arab relations. By creating a critical mass of individuals dedicated to working together, we can pave "A New Way" forward—a path towards a more peaceful future for Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Project goals

  • Promote a peaceful, tolerant and inclusive society.
  • Create a good first experience of multicultural collaboration among Arab and Jewish school students developing their desire and ability to work together.
  • Bring knowledge regarding the ‘other’ society and promote shared values and ideas that will foster understanding a more tolerant and sustainable future for Israeli society.
  • Strengthen Israeli society and promote a new generation that, through collaboration and joint action, will improve Jewish-Arab relations.

Project content

Project Structure: In the schools where we operate, ANW holds educational programs and multi-year processes that allow children and their teaching staff to meet and get to know their counterparts from the ‘other’ community, learn and be exposed to the neighbours’ culture, develop a common dialogue, find shared values and work together towards common goals and objectives. As part of the educational process and in order to enable students to work together, there is an essential need to hold workshops that will prepare the children and help them to develop the necessary skills and basic ability to act together and engage in real multicultural cooperation. Recognizing the power of sport to create collaboration between children from different groups and sectors, our organization chose to focus on tools from the world of sports and use them to build the ability to collaborate during the initial stages of the program. The project presented here is aimed precisely at addressing this need. As part of the project, we will hold unique workshops that create collaboration using tools and methods we have developed with our partners. This collaboration phase is built on three different activities to maximize our flexibility and ability to adjust each day of activities to the unique nature, age, needs, and level of development of the different participants in our educational process.

• “Challenges in Nature” day in collaboration with "Rikmae Enoshit" (Human Texture in English) - a local group of experts that develops collaboration workshops based on sports and outdoor challenges. “HUMAN TEXTURE - A house of meaningful group activity. We specialize in group bonding activities which include sports and outdoor challenges, leading to cooperation, teamwork, leadership development, initiative, imagination and creativity. We believe in passing on a message through experience, allowing close communication and inviting the participants to go through a thorough and meaningful process in a joyful and accessible way.”

• Acro-Yoga: The activities and tools used during this workshop were built with the assistance of “The Association for the Development of Circus Arts in Israel.” Circus and acro-yoga are non-verbal art forms that can overcome the barrier of language, while simultaneously reducing fears and building trust. The joint physical activities necessitate mutual acquaintance and trust, and in a human pyramid everyone is equal, without differences of race or religion. Moreover, acro-yoga requires that participants must work with each other and learn to know and trust one another. Just one day leads to remarkable changes in the way Israeli Jewish and Arab school students relate to each other.

• Fair-Play Football: The fair-play football workshop was built with the assistance of Iddo Diamant, former director of activities in "Tzav Pius", a leading specialist in educational development through sports. "Iddo has an MBA in Social Leadership from Ben Gurion University and has vast experience in the field of education both as a program manager and a content developer. Iddo believes in working in an interdisciplinary way to merge sports and education as a single field bringing together his experience as a basketball coach, educator and academic.”

Partner

Football as a tool for social integration !

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Lithuania, Vilnius
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €66,450
Foundation funding €42,000
Project identifier 20230125
Partners Vilnius Social Club
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Lithuania has faced significant tensions in recent years: stress and anxiety have soared as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine has led to strained relations with the Russian community and an influx of Ukrainian migrants, and inflation and rising poverty have exacerbated inequalities. Football is not accessible to vulnerable children and young people because of the high fees and a focus on performance rather than participation.

Project goals

The focus of this programme is on bringing about qualitative change in the life of each participant, rather than achieving sporting results. The key aims are to help young people to develop the skills and qualities they need to broaden their options for the future, including social skills, independence, communication, teamwork, problem-solving and a sense of responsibility, and to raise awareness of the unique method used. The project aims to promote social integration, equal opportunities and a sense of belonging for all members of the community.

Project content

The programme consists of football training sessions where children of all genders, nationalities and communities are welcome, ensuring inclusivity and equal access. Over the course of the programme, participants learn how to work as a team, manage their emotions, solve problems constructively, interact with peers and adults, and reflect on their experiences. The Vilnius Social Club informs the wider community about its unique approach to social integration by distributing documentation and producing publications, sharing success stories, providing training, collaborating with other organisations and making use of digital platforms.

Partner

Inclusive Sport and Life Skills

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kenya, Nairobi
Start date 02/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €82,474
Foundation funding €10,886
Project identifier 20231046
Partners Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA)
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Mathare slum is one of the poorest and most densely populated slums in Africa, where drugs and crime are ever-present. A lack of adequate sports facilities and organised grassroots sport for children and teenagers in informal settlements means that many turn to crime, substance abuse and all kinds of vices. There has been an increase in gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies and new HIV infections owing to poverty and a lack of knowledge and information.

Project goals

  • Promote behaviour change among children, teenagers and women, to help reduce the issues affecting youth
  • Create a social support structure for marginalised groups, including the urban refugees, and facilitate acceptance in their host communities to promote peaceful coexistence
  • Mainstream gender in sport and address issues affecting young women and girls in sport
  • Create a safe space for marginalised groups including urban refugees

Project content

  • Sports for All football league: We will run an inclusive football league in the community that we serve, where everyone will be allowed to participate, irrespective of their social economic status, religion, education background, gender, sexual orientation and culture.
  • Capacity-building: We will enhance the skills of our community coaches, teenagers and children through capacity development training.
  • Life skills education: We will provide training in life skills for children, teenagers and women living in informal settlements in Nairobi.
  • Coordinated meetings: We will hold monthly meetings with the stakeholders to check on project progress.
  • Community outreach: We will conduct community outreach to raise awareness of issues affecting their communities, g. sexual reproductive health, substance abuse, etc.
  • Monitoring and evaluation: We will evaluate the progress of project activities every three months.

Partner

Génération Sportive – The Athletic Generation

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Morocco
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €200,534
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20231154
Partners Tibu Maroc
Categories Access to Sport - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

In the target regions of the Génération Sportive project, the lack of adequate sports facilities and physical activity opportunities for children is a major issue. This not only affects their physical health but also their social and cognitive development.

Project goals

  • Encourage 12,000 children to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle through fun and educational sports activities
  • Develop children's motor, cognitive and social skills
  • Raise awareness among children about the importance of a balanced and healthy lifestyle
  • Foster the overall well-being of children, taking account of their physical and mental health
  • Ensure that all children take part in regular physical activity

Project content

The project addresses the issues by providing schools with sports resources (people and equipment) and raising awareness of the importance of sport for children's growth and well-being. This initiative is essential for promoting a healthy and active lifestyle from a young age in these regions.

  • Regular fun sports sessions to develop motor skills
  • Interactive workshops on healthy lifestyle habits, including a balanced diet, personal hygiene and sufficient sleep
  • Educational activities focused on the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals to inspire engagement with the environment and society
  • Teacher training on running sports activities independently and promoting a healthy lifestyle

Partner

Enhancing left-behind children’s social resilience through sports

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Yunnan Province, China
Start date 03/01/2024
End date 03/31/2025
Cost of the project €100,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20230441
Partners Plan International Hong Kong
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Nearly 70% of middle school students in Jinping County, Yunnan Province, China are classified as ‘left-behind children’. These children are disproportionately vulnerable to emotional disturbances, psychological distress and other related challenges that have an impact on their physical and mental well-being and their academic performance. Girls are particularly disadvantaged thanks to ingrained gender stereotypes.

Project goals

The main objectives of this project are to help middle school students to develop their social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, to challenge gender stereotypes in sports and to bring about transformative change among girls and boys as well as their families, schools and communities.

Project content

To achieve the objectives, the following activities are planned in ten schools:

  • Conduct capacity-building training with SEL modules for school sports teachers
  • Train peer educators to build SEL skills through sports activities
  • Help and guide peer educators to organise club-based sports activities for school students with a focus on building SEL skills
  • Organise events raising awareness of gender issues among teachers, students and parents
  • Conduct girls’ football tournaments among schools, with SEL integration

Partner

FootSteps of Hope

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location India, Nagpur
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €50,821
Foundation funding €36,011
Project identifier 20230438
Partners Krida Vikas Sanstha
Categories Access to Sport - Personal development

Context

The COVID-19 lockdown caused havoc to the vulnerable psyches of disadvantaged slum children. Many became embroiled in antisocial or illegal activities, and then spent time in young offender institutions before returning to unsavoury disruptive habits on their release, which in turn often has a detrimental effect on their peers. The reason? Neither the young offender institutions nor the slums in which they live offer a conducive environment for healthy reformative activities. Consequently, these children are stigmatised and lose their self-esteem.

Project goals

  • To promote the social reintegration and rehabilitation of 350 young participants who have a history of antisocial activities or are considered to be at high risk of delinquency by giving them a safe space to play
  • Equipping the participants with basic life skills such as teamwork, communication and good health and hygiene habits to foster their personal development and self-esteem
  • To provide a platform for children to learn and play football and take part in grassroots tournaments for 350 participants

Project content

The programme uses the Sport for Development pedagogical approach to impart life skills through football training. Participating in a team sport gives delinquent and at-risk children a new focus and a better way to channel their energy, helping them to regain their self-esteem and reintegrate into society as law-abiding citizens.

Partner

Her Voice. Her Choice.

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Nepal, Lumbini Province
Start date 03/01/2024
End date 02/28/2025
Cost of the project €120,000
Foundation funding €25,000
Project identifier 20230020
Partners Atoot
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

In rural villages of southern Nepal, women and girls have no voice and are effectively excluded from life. Girls are isolated in their communities and given no decision-making power. From birth, they are expected to be nether seen nor heard, and to obey the boys and men. Their sole purpose is to become wives, mothers and homemakers.

There is an urgent need for safe, empowering spaces for these marginalised girls facing intergenerational inequalities, discrimination and injustice. The following problems in particular need addressing:

  • Child marriage: Kapilvastu district has one of the highest rates of child marriage in Nepal. 62% of girls get married between the ages of 10 and 19. The national average is 41% (Nepal Census, 2011).
  • Gender-based violence: Kapilvastu has one of the highest rates of gender discrimination and gender-based violence in the country (Nepal Census, 2011).
  • Early school dropouts: Girls’ need for education is systematically ignored and school dropouts are rampant among girls aged 11 to 14 (UNICEF). They work in servitude to their families, preparing to serve their future husband and his family.
  • Dowry system: Although it is illegal in Nepal, the dowry system is one of the most pressing issues facing girls in Kapilvastu. From birth, a girl child is seen as a burden and a liability due to the high price of dowries and, although unreported, female foeticide/infanticide is common.
  • Girls have no voice: Girls are isolated in their communities and given no decision-making power. They have no say in their own lives.

Project goals

  • Help girls break out of the vicious cycles that trap them, enabling them to make their own life choices
  • Provide multiple platforms for girls who have never had a voice to gain confidence and form empowering relationships
  • Create multiple safe spaces where girls can come together in a progressive environment to play, learn, and surround themselves with positive peers

Project content

  • Football sessions: Atoot conducts football sessions five times a week. These inclusive sessions give girls an opportunity to play sport and to meet, connect with and learn from their peers in a fun, encouraging and thought-provoking environment. The sessions focus not only on football skills but on a plethora of soft skills, offering an empowering safe space in which to be bold, take chances and gain mental, physical and emotional strength together. Girls learn about self-worth, leadership, conflict resolution, fair play, teamwork, time management, taking responsibility for themselves and their team-mates, and holistic, long-term capacity building.
  • Educational classes: Atoot organises extra classes in English, Nepali and arts & crafts five times a week to supplement the girls' studies at understaffed, often poorly taught public schools. The classes are specially designed to cater to children with different levels of literacy and continuous in-class assessments are conducted to help Atoot staff tailor the lessons to the girls’ needs. The educational classes and football sessions are intertwined, so that the girls can practise what they encounter in the classroom and on the pitch. They learn literacy, awareness, language skills, overall comprehension and alternative ways of thinking in a fun, caring and nurturing environment, increasing their educational capacity exponentially, which then encourages their families to give them more opportunities and keep them out of childhood marriage.
  • Life skills workshops: Atoot conducts life-skills workshops two to three times a week on various personal, cultural and societal issues directly affecting the project beneficiaries, as identified in discussions with the girls themselves. Topics include the girl child, gender-based violence, child marriage, human trafficking, savings, children’s rights, female empowerment, hygiene, environmental issues, etc. By broaching topics otherwise not discussed or taught in schools, families or the community, the girls bolster their capacity to break down norms ingrained in the local society.
  • Community engagement: Regular community engagement builds trust within communities and helps raise awareness and promote advocacy around the grave social and societal issues affecting the girls. We ensure that local voices are heard and opinions are valued, promoting greater acceptance in the community.

Partner

Football for All

Location and general information

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

Context

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

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

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

Project goals

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

Project content

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

Partner

Canchas Libres, Fields of Freedom

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Costa Rica
Start date 05/01/2024
End date 03/31/2026
Cost of the project €250 204
Foundation funding €97 846
Project identifier 20230483
Partners Fundación GOLEES
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

After four years of creating spaces where we have reduced the rates of violence against girls and women through football, it is time to go a step further and use football to promote new forms of leadership, where the players, who were initially recipients of the methodology, now become promoters of it. They will start self-managing and replicating the sports and psychosocial spaces while promoting equal educational opportunities in a community where girls barely ever have access to university studies.

 

Project goals

  • Empower leadership through the acquisition of sports and psychosocial skills and knowledge as promoters of sports for peace.
  • Increase educational and job opportunities for the players by advocating for the right to university education and promoting future economic autonomy to break the cycle of social exclusion.
  • Initiate organisational self-management processes, so that the players begin to plan, organise, and implement sports and psychosocial spaces.

 

Project content

We aim to take action that encourages recognition of the youngsters’ interests, knowledge, and desires. This process will enhance greater leadership in sports and psychosocial matters, turning them into promoters of sport for peace and agents of personal, family and community change in terms of gender equality through football, using this sport as a bridge to university studies and a dignified future job, creating a better future for themselves and their communities.

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