On April 19-21, streetfootballworld will team up with Slum Soccer to host a 3-day workshop at Chitnavis Centre in Nagpur. The workshop is set to bring together 16 organisations that empower disadvantaged girls and boys through sport and will include representatives from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Supported by the International Sports Promotion of the German Federal Foreign Office, the event aims to foster the exchange of knowledge and encourage cooperation in the region.
All 16 organisations use sports to positively impact the lives of their participants. On the field, they teach disadvantaged young people about fair play, inclusion and respect – lessons directly transferable to life in general. Off the field, they leverage their passion for sports to get them into social development programmes – and keep them there.
Social change means different things to different communities: from promoting safe water, sanitation and good hygiene to integrating homeless people; from tackling gender inequality to fostering peaceful coexistence. Regardless of geographic region or social cause, sport has proved a versatile tool for changing lives.
The most promising joint projects developed by participants during the workshop will be supported through a special funding programme for Sport for Development in South Asia, initiated by the International Sports Promotion of the German Federal Foreign Office.
Slum Soccer, a long-standing member of the streetfootballworld network, runs football programmes for the most disadvantaged members of Indian society. It began with football leagues for the homeless and slum dwellers, many of whom were involved in crime, violence, or drugs. The decrease in these harmful activities and the improvement of the participants’ lives inspired Slum Soccer to expand its programmes. Slum Soccer programmes now exist in over 15 cities and address HIV/AIDS infection, personal hygiene and environmental protection. Moreover, Slum Soccer has organised marches and an India-Pakistan bicycle rally along the disputed border to promote peace in the region. It is currently creating a community development centre to offer participants housing, education and vocational training.
Participating organisations for the workshop include:
Azad Foundation – Pakistan
Childreach – Nepal
CREA – India
Dream a Dream – India
Eastern Youth Sports Club – Sri Lanka
Magic Bus – India
Mercy Corps – Nepal
Mifalot Education and Society Enterprises/Lalitpur Sports Academy Center – Israel/Nepal/Germany
OSCAR Foundation – India
PDP Foundation – Pakistan
Right to Play – Pakistan
Sudhaar Society/Kick for Tolerance – Pakistan/Germany
WASH United – India/Germany
Youth Football Club Rurka Kalan – India
YUWA – India
Feel free to get in touch for more information:
Abhijeet Barse (Slum Soccer): abhijeet.barse@slumsoccer.org
Catherine Daraspe (streetfootballworld): daraspe@streetfootballworld.org
