Sport for Development in Africa: Partners with Concepts!

Project description

Project title: Sport for Development in Africa (S4DA) Regional Project
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Multi-country project in Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Senegal
Lead executing agency: National and regional ministries of education, youth and sport
Overall term: 2019 to 2022

Context

Africa is a continent of opportunities, dynamic development and youth. Half of the 1.2 billion residents of Africa is under the age of 25. Soon, the continent will be home to more than two billion people; one quarter of the global population. For this young generation to be a driver of sustainable development it needs peace, access to education and prospects. The young generation often only has limited access to qualitative, participative formal and non-formal education offers and development opportunities. Sport is an effective means to promote education, peace, violence prevention, gender equality, and health. Young people engaging in sports acquire important life skills such as communication, collaboration and leadership skills that increase their confidence and better qualify them for the labour market.

Objective

Development perspectives of children and youth with regard to education, employment, health, gender equality, and peaceful coexistence are improved through sport.

Approach

In close collaboration with governmental and non-governmental partner organisations, with the private sector and academia, The Sport for Development in Africa (S4DA) project: 

• consults governments and other partner organisations on promoting development perspectives for youth through sport, for example by integrating Sport for Development in national agendas and curricula
• creates safe spaces for disadvantaged children and youth by constructing or renovating grassroots sports grounds and facilitating its sustainable usage and maintenance
• trains multipliers such as teacher, coaches or social workers in offering quality sports-based activities that promote education, peace, violence prevention, gender equality, and health
• promotes private sector engagement to foster corporate social responsibility in achieving development goals

The partners include ministries, schools, technical and vocational colleges, municipalities, universities, national sports associations, local and international non-governmental organisations.

Results

The first phase of the project between 2014 and 2019 recorded a total of 130 grassroots sports grounds that were built or rehabilitated in 12 countries, benefiting more than 651,000 children and young people. 90 per cent of the organisations running the sports facilities have a booking plan that promotes the sustainable use of the grounds. More than 90 per cent of all the partner organisations with sports facilities have strategies to integrate the Sport for Development approach into their offers. Roughly 650 trainers have been trained to integrate the Sport for Development approach into their trainings. They have an important part to play as role models for children and young people, both on and off the field. Almost all the Sport for Development trainers receiving support have shown to provide high-quality training in line with pre-defined standards. More than 190 instructors have received training on the Sport for Development methodology. They act as multipliers to train other trainers. Around 15,000 children and young people regularly take part in trainings promoting life skills, education and prevention of violence.

In Namibia, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Sport are integrating the Sport for Development approach into national curricula for secondary schools.

In Ethiopia, the Sport2Work method has been developed. Trainers use the method to teach children and young people at vocational schools skills that they will need on the labour market. State-run vocational colleges are beginning to set up sports departments for the first time.

In Kenya, the Football Kenya Federation has incorporated the Sport for Development approach into its training for trainers to disseminate it across the country. A gender quota has also been established.

In Mozambique, the Pedagogical University in Maputo has integrated Sport for Development into its training for physical education teachers. University graduates can apply their new knowledge directly in internships in schools and municipalities.

In Togo, the National Institute for Youth and Sport (INJS) at the University of Lomé integrated Sport for Development in its curricula. The trained physical education teachers and social workers carry the approach to schools and social institutions across the country.