Summer 2009 has been an active and inspirational season for Coaching for Hope. With three coach training courses, the first annual staff meeting, new recruitments, and networking opportunities, Coaching for Hope has been buzzing. Read on for more details on some of the highlights of the past four months.

Training courses

In June, Coaches from Brighton and Hove Albion FC and Hull City FC joined CFH South Africa Staff to deliver the third Coaching for Hope South Africa Course! With 16 local coaches returning to receive their level two certification, and 20 new coaches gaining skills in the delivery of integrated football and sexual health and substance abuse awareness education.

Mali hosted CFH’s largest ever coach training course this year! A total of 85 Malian coaches shared football and social education learning, working together to overcome problems such as HIV and AIDS, and discrimination of people with disabilities and women. 45 new coaches from our partner organizations joined 25 returning coaches moving up through to level 2 and 3 of the curriculum. 20 coaches were able to participate in the second year and official pilot of CFH’s new curriculum: Adapt It! A coaching resource for including people with disabilities in football coach sessions. This is also the first course that has been officially supported by the Malian Football Federation. The National Technical director has co-signed all football coaching certificates. Birama Konate, CFH program assistant in Mali says: “This is a breakthrough for Coaching for Hope in Mali! The support of the Federation, and more women and people with disabilities participating than ever before shows that the tides are shifting towards more inclusive football and the family is growing stronger!”

Not to be outdone by its neighbor, Coaching for Hope Burkina Faso, demonstrated exceptional ingenuity in the delivery of a Coaching course run with the local Peace Corps. This is the first CFH course to be entirely facilitated and delivered by local coaches, demonstrating that the sustainable model of coach training is paying off. A total of 30 Burkinabé coaches, accompanied by 20 Peace Corps volunteers participated in the training. Over the course of eight days the coaches were introduced to how to plan and deliver a football training session, with the emphasis on safety and fun rather than winning, and also introduced to different methods and styles of communication and learning important in youth coaching. On top of that, they received training in how to deliver Coaching For Hope’s eight in-depth workshops on sexual health, which all coaches have pledged to deliver at least twice to the football teams they work with. Wandaogo Omarou from the small village of Peila said of the training: “is the greatest experience in training in my career. Words fail me to explain. Once I get to my place I will do my planning forms and start activities!”

adidas sponsored Leagues

CFH had the opportunity to initiate a league style championship with three local partners in Mali. Each partner facilitated a championship league that addressed the needs of specific communities of people who don't normally have access to football competition, specifically young men, people with disabilities, and young women. The championship not only gave opportunities for quality competition, it opened discussion about the role of women, people with disabilities and young men in public football, enabled CFH to identify some room for improvement in local grassroots football, and harnessed support for further initiatives. “This was a great opportunity to play and feel important playing” said one player in the FEMASH league, “I hope we can do this again soon!” The Malian minister of Youth and Sport even showed up to support the cause, and didn’t leave before stating to the public “CFH is setting an example; we should all strive to do what they are doing!”

The Burkina Faso Bobo Dialoso league began in early September. This league has not only brought Coaching for Hope closer to the Burkinabe Football Federation, who are running the league, it is offering much needed opportunities for young teams in villages to compete regularly.

CFH Staff meeting

The first annual CFH staff meeting, held in July 2009, was a great success. Members of staff from all four country offices came together during this meeting to review the work we have done over the past four years and look into the future with a clear strategy across the program. Highlights of the meeting included across the board dedication to build our monitoring and evaluation system, an action plan for approaching the world cup and beyond, and identification of areas of work for the next several years.

New Recruitments

On 3rd August, Mme Bantandian Sidibe Diabate started her new role as Coaching for Hope's Country Program Manager in Mali. Bana Sidibe, as she is best known to most of us, joined Skillshare International's Coaching for Hope program in Mali as the Finance and Administration Officer in November 2008. Bana has been a part of the Coaching for Hope team since last year. Since then she has built success upon success, assuming greater responsibilities in the Mali office, coming up with innovative solutions to local problems, and establishing meaningful partnerships with grassroots structures and government bodies. The respect she shows to others and demands in return has permeated the Coaching for Hope family. “I see this as an opportunity for her to demonstrate her creativity, diplomacy, and program management experience while integrating ever more into Skillshare." Says CFH International Program Manager, Sheylan Yearsley

Two new Development Workers have been recruited to support the use of CFH strategies with partners in Lesotho and South Africa. Lucy Mills has been appointed to work with CFH partner SCORE as the Football And Life Skills Program Facilitator. Lucy will work with SCORE to support the implementation and coordination of sports projects, incorporating CFH strategies into the SCORE approach. She will establish systems to support and mentor community based sports leaders who have been trained in football coaching and life skills training. Julie-Anne Savarit Cosenza has also recently been appointed to work with the Olympafrica Youth Ambassador Programme (OYAP) under the Lesotho National Olympic Committee. Julie-Anne will be supporting OYAP with the implementation of the first CFH life skills and HIV education interventions in Lesotho and helping OYAP deliver the CFH component of the Big Lottery Fund project to support people living with HIV and AIDS.

Brighton and Hove Albions’ Jacob Naish has recently returned from six months in Bamako, Mali as CFH’s first official Development Worker. While in Bamako, Jacob kept supporting CFH local staff and partners on Football and Social Education delivery, the implementation of a three partner Inclusion League, and the development and delivery of the brand new Young Leaders course with support from the Football For Hope foundation. The young leader’s course was a great success, with 15 young people from all over Bamako building friendships and common goals through an eight week football and communication, and leadership course. We hope that Jacob will be available to help build the next steps of this course and continue!