Tuesday 6 July 2010

Afghan Girls Soccer - CHANGING THE PERCEPTION OF A WOMAN'S PLACE IN SOCIETY

Afghan Girls Soccer

CHANGING THE PERCEPTION OF A WOMAN'S PLACE IN SOCIETY

Under the Taliban rule in the mid 1990s, most Afghan children had no opportunity to play sports. So in the summer of 2004, after the fall of the Taliban, Awista Ayub, who had grown up in Afghanistan, brought eight Afghan girls to the United States for a soccer clinic.

In her newly published book, Kabul Girls Soccer Club, Ayub tells her own story and how these eight girls found the strength in each other, in teamwork, and in themselves, to take risks to obtain the kinds of freedoms that many of us take for granted. Fifteen teams now compete in the Afghanistan Football Federation, with hundreds of girls participating.

Ayub was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. In 1981, at the age of two, her family brought her to the United States where she thrived through organized athletics. She was determined to make a difference in her home country someday, and after September 11, 2001, she was inspired to start the Afghan Youth Sports Exchange, an organization dedicated to nurturing Afghan girls through soccer.


Get ready to vote for the winning solutions in the Changing Lives Through Footballcompetition from July 27 to August 18.


"While the field of sports and development is still relatively young, evidence is growing that sports can play a key role in creating a safe space for women outside of the home and even go so far as to change the role of women in society long-term," Ayub said. "Sports as an instrument for empowering women and girls in developing countries has engendered increased interest and support within the international development community in recent years."

Until the Soviet invasion in 1978, Afghanistan's larger cities, particularly Kabul, were progressive, as men and women had near equal opportunity and access to education and athletics. Throughout the 1970s, Kabul University had co-ed classrooms, and girls' basketball and volleyball were common throughout the city. Even though men dominated the athletic arena during this time, women's participation in sports was strong.


"During the next 20-plus years, both genders had limited access to sports," Ayub said. "Brutal warfare dramatically changed the cultural landscape of the country, which regressed from a veritable 'age of liberation' in the 1970s to the age of social repression during the civil war in the early 1990s and under Taliban rule in the mid 1990s. Most Afghan children had no opportunity to play sports much less receive the proper training and coaching necessary for a high level of success in athletics."


Currently in Afghanistan, sports have become a more acceptable activity for women and girls. Gender-segregated arenas and gymnasiums are a way to ensure that women can play sports in a female-only environment, ensuring the safety of young female athletes. Dedicated women coaches, trainers, and referees for women's sports events and practices also are a way to respect current cultural traditions.



When boys see girls in a new, action-oriented role, they learn about the strengths and capabilities that girls and women possess.



In Kabul Girls Soccer Club, Ayub writes about one girl, Robina, who after taking up soccer, rediscovers herself:


"Now, after playing soccer seriously for months, Robina is aware of her body in a new way. Before, it was her hands that were necessary to her: to carry water up the mountain to their house, to scrub the floors, or to write out her lessons. But in soccer, they are useless. Now she's discovered her legs, her balance, the speed with which she can run. And her forehead, which she uses to butt the ball."


"Before soccer, her legs and feet simply got her places, or kicked at rubbish or stones in her way. Now she knows each part of her foot intimately, the way it curves on one side, perfectly contoured to the side of the ball. She knows the strength of the broad, smooth sweep leading up to her ankles, and the dense, solid circle of her heel, perfect for pivoting."


Ayub believes that girls' athletics can also change the perception that men and boys may have of appropriate roles for women in Afghan society. When boys see girls in a new, action-oriented role, they learn about the strengths and capabilities that girls and women possess.


A portion of the books sales of Kabul Girls Soccer Club will be donated to the non-profit organization Women Win, which supports the empowerment of girls and women worldwide through sport. Awista was a Featured Commentator in the Gamechangers: Change the Game for Women in Sport competition.


Read The Evolving Role of Afghan Female Athletes published in by the Middle East Institute in Summer 2010

Website: www.awistaayub.com

A.C.E (Aspiring towards Character Excellence) Youth Football League - Singapore

Summary

Using football as a means and medium to keep children and youth off the streets by developing a programme that has a strong foundation on positive youth development, character building and life-skills building. A strong on the process and the motivation to enjoy football and build character excellence, instead of striving purely on results and achievements.

We also aspire to eventually make this football league a league run for youths, by youths (by grooming youths with character excellence to become facilitators, assistant coaches and character ambassadors). It will be run by a team of dedicated social workers acting as life coaches, in collaboration with various government bodies providing participants with unique experiences and innovative resources to help youths develop, grow and upgrade themselves so that they will be able to become assets in the community while engaging in football.


What makes your idea unique?

It will be Singapore's first youth football league that lays its emphasis mainly on strong youth development and character building.

It will be Singapore's first youth football league that aims to reach out to at-risk children and youths by providing them with a platform to engage in football while at the same time, go through a comprehensive programme where they will have the opportunities to be exposed to other areas of life-skills, youth development, character building and unique exposures that enrich their lives, build their inner resiliency, discover their strengths and potential as well as be groomed to become character ambassadors and contribute back to the community. A football soccer league for youths, by youths.

It will not be run by football coaches but by social workers trained in youth work and life coaching. Each football team in the league will be managed by an appointed social worker who will not only engage participants in football but provide mentoring, life-coaching, processing and positive role modelling so as to groom and develop each player to his maximum.

Being a football league with a social work flavour, we will be the first league to develop a creative approach to training and life-skills/character building. Our training packages will allow participants to learn and practice character building and positive values. While strategy and tactics remain important, the emphasis will be on teamwork, discipline and strong character instead.

We also aspire to collaborate with community partners to allow players in the football league to be exposed and undergo various unique and enriching experiences other than playing football. This includes engaging in community service; exploring career guidance, undergo health and wellness programmes, cultural exchanges and educational trips.

Players with character excellence will be groomed to become ambassadors & be engaged in local & overseas exchange of their experience & sharing to new players.


Project By: Teo Benjamin
Webpage: http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/node/81680
Country: Singapore

Read more about A.C.E (Aspiring towards Character Excellence) Youth Football League on the entry's page at Changemakers.com

Monday 5 July 2010

Girls Kick It Chicken Project (Gweno Project) - Uganda

Girls Kick It Chicken Project (Gweno Project) - Uganda








Summary

Girls Kick It aims to develop a poultry micro-enterprise, that will be manged by girls and women living in the Paicho community within the Gulu District of Northern Uganda.

The business will simultaneously provide management training for the girls and women who will manage the micro-enterprise in order to achieve long-term, locally-run sustainable economic opportunity.

Read more

What is special about your idea? What is your differential?

As a locally run, non-governmental organization and project Girls Kick It hopes to establish public-private partnerships in order to expand our micro-finance projects.

Creating relationships with local private sector (i.e. small business owners) who are looking to purchase poultry and other local agri-goods can go a long way in sharing best practices and in reaching the goals of the our "Gweno Project."

Ultimately, this approach could reduce the dependency of Girls Kick It on donors from outside of Uganda, and forging strong allies within Uganda for the long-term. We also see these relationships as great way to convey the power of sport to the local business community who would see the impact sports are having in the lives of young women in Northern Uganda.

Moreover, we would hope to further the partnerships with the local small businesses by including them in local and regional soccer tournaments as sponsors, participants, etc...

Read more

Project By:
Anna Phillips
Webpage:
http://www.girlskickit.org/
Organisation: Global Youth Partnership for Africa, Girls Kick It
Country: Uganda

Read more about Girls Kick It Chicken Project on the entry's page at Changemakers.com

Project Candy: Good for Ball, Best in School

Project Candy





Summary

The project was implemented in 2005, the District of Padre Viegas - Mariana, MG.


The project began with the participation of a retired by INSS, through volunteering in the community, using their labor to coordinate
a social project that would initially only

sports (soccer) for children of that community. Thus emerged the project Candy: Good for Ball, Best School!


Today, beyond the sport, we have added other activities such as crafts
from recyclable materials by example and teach music (choir), reading room with donated books and digital inclusion.

Read more
What is special about your idea? What is your differential?


What we consider important and distinctive in our project is to interface with other areas of the football industry. this way, we can reach both
children and their parents.


Our idea is to make the Project NeilB a bridge between school, community
and family in a two-way street, which may be the shortest path to form in addition to students, also citizens of fact, aware that responsible citizenship promotes the strengthening of

ethical values, civic and moral. So even now we can take some kids to do tests on the football team from Belo Horizonte-MG.


But for that we have criteria that involve the effective participation of the kids, good grades, the
particapacao parents and monitoring of the boys not only in design but in the community. The gap in projects like this is actually the ability to "contamination" that he may have in order to get people involved and see that together we are, and with very little we can do much for our children.




Read more
Project By:
Neimar Gonçalves

Webpage: http://www.projetobombom.com.br/
Organisation: Ass Community Padre Viegas - Mariana-MG
Country: Brazil, MG

Read more about Project Candy on the entry's page at Changemakers.com

Sunday 30 May 2010

Guidelines for Entry





Changing Lives Through Football


With 2 weeks to go and over a 110 entries, the race to win a share of the $90,000 prize fund is very close. On May 11th, two innovators who are already affecting social change through football won our early entry prize:

Fútbol con Corazón – Colombia Fútbol Con Corazón is a grass-roots social change model that utilizes soccer's calling power to provide new life opportunities for 1,800 vulnerable boys and girls, aged 5-16, in Colombia's Caribbean coast, who live below the poverty line.

Team Iraq - Team Iraq uses the power of football to bring together young people from all ethnic, religious and social backgrounds, through a number of football-related initiatives with emphasis on creating local youth led programs to help develop and empower and ultimately employ young people.

When submitting an application, the focus needs to be on:

  • Innovation: This is the knock-out test; if the work is not innovative the judges will not give it high rankings. The application must describe the systemic innovation that it is focused on. The innovation should be a unique model of change demonstrating a substantial difference from other initiatives in the field with the possibility for large-scale expansion.
  • Social Impact: It is important that the innovative idea provides a system-changing solution for the field it addresses. Some innovations will have proven success at a small level, while others will have potential to grow, engaging millions of people. Still others will achieve their impact quickly, while some will seed change for the long term. Regardless of the level of demonstrated impact, it is important to see that the innovation has the ability to be applied. Social Impact will be judged by considering the scale strategy, ability to be replicated, and the entrant's ability to formulate a clear "road map" to reaching larger goals.
  • Sustainability: For an innovation to be truly effective it must have a plan for how it will acquire financial and other bases of support for the long-term. Entries should describe not only how they are currently financing their work, but also how they plan to finance their work in the future. The most successful entrants go beyond discussing whether or not they will charge for services and describe a business plan. They should also demonstrate that they have strong partnerships and support networks to address an on-going need, and to aid in scalability and the maintenance of a clear financial strategy.

Additionally, it is important that the application is written well, using straight forward and clear language. Applications can be submitted in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese.

Please complete the entire entry form http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/node/80898/edit
and submit by June 11, 2010, 5PM US EST. All decisions of the judges will be final.


Monday 24 May 2010

Fútbol con Corazón




On May 11th, two innovators who are already affecting social change through football won our early entry prize: One of those entries is called Fútbol con Corazón. Colombia Fútbol Con Corazón is a grass-roots social change model that utilizes soccer's calling power to provide new life opportunities for 1,800 vulnerable boys and girls, aged 5-16, in Colombia's Caribbean coast, who live below the poverty line.

Here's their story

The cement on the perimeter of the playground was still fresh when children began streaming out of nearby dwellings. Word had gotten out that a swing-and-slide set was being installed at "the construction site," and the kids could wait no longer. Within minutes, youngsters of all ages and sizes surrounded the area, eager to test the new equipment. Workers had difficulty keeping them at bay, a rush of energy and euphoria overcoming the site. When the green light was given, no fewer than 60 children lined up for a turn at the modest slide and swings.

This telling scene is taking place days before the inauguration of the fifth program site of "Fútbol con Corazón." The Galapa project encompasses a regulation soccer field, a mini-field, a kiosk, the playground, and a building housing a kitchen, dining hall, classroom space, and bathrooms. Here, the 450 children enrolled in Fútbol con Corazon will participate in "soccer for peace" training and hands-on values workshops, and will eat balanced meals while learning proper nutrition habits. Their families will take advantage of periodic workshops, community-wide tournaments, health fairs, and counselling. Kids ages 5-16 will have a safe haven during their time away from school.

Yet now all that matters is the swing set, evidence that "Futbol con Corazon" augurs hope for the neighbourhood.

Carruajes is a barrio of nearly 2,000 in the municipality of Galapa, south of Barranquilla, Colombia. The youth population totals over 900. Carruajes has never had a playground, let alone a modern building. Many of its homes lack proper sewage systems and electricity. In short, progress has not yet come to this isolated corner of Galapa. Poverty, combined with the lack of mentors and excessive free time, creates a high-risk environment for the children.

Fútbol con Corazón sought to fill this void in structured extra-curricular programs by partnering with local business, the federal government, and municipal leadership to identify a site and obtain funding for the project. In addition, FCC teamed up with nutrition specialist Fundación Nutrir, a full partner in running the site. A "socialization" process ensured buy-in from local education and neighbourhood leadership.

On February 20th, Galapa came out to celebrate the opening of its very own site. Activities are fully underway. Thus, the hope to change the world, one goal at a time, has begun in Carruajes.

Tuesday 18 May 2010

Changing Lives Through Football













Nike and Ashoka's Changemakers have teamed up to demonstrate that football can be more than just a game – it can be a forum for empowering youth, strengthening communities, boosting development and scoring actionable change. Changing Lives Through Football emphasizes innovative solutions that use football's collaborative powers to:

  • Unleash young people's potential through programs that empower them and activate their participation in civic affairs
  • Develop ground-breaking initiatives that use football for developmental education
  • Develop ground-breaking initiatives that improve health awareness and practices, and strengthening communities
  • Amplify social change globally through football-based programs
  • Fight effectively against HIV/AIDS

The Changing Lives Through Football competition is open to all individuals and organizations (charitable organizations, private companies, or public entities) from all countries. The scope of the competition is to identify innovative solutions that use football to strengthen community, accelerate development and drive social change. The winners of this competition will be those entries that show true innovation, prove they will deliver real and long term positive social impact, and prove that their business models are sustainable.

Got a proposal for sparking change through football? Go to http://www.changemakers.com/football to submit an entry, or recommend innovators whose efforts inspire you. There will be 3 global winners, with the winner receiving $30,000 and 3 regional winners with the winners each receiving $10,000. For information on guidelines, criteria and prizes go to http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/football. Timescales for submissions and voting are listed below.

  1. Online competition submissions are accepted until June 11, 2010 at 5PM US EST
  2. Online Review and Judging, June 11 – July 26, 2010
  3. Voting, July 27 – August 18, 2010
  4. Global and Regional Winners Announced– August 25, 2010

On May 11th, two innovators who are already affecting social change through football won our early entry prize:

  1. Fútbol con Corazón – Colombia Fútbol Con Corazón is a grass-roots social change model that utilizes soccer's calling power to provide new life opportunities for 1,800 vulnerable boys and girls, aged 5-16, in Colombia's Caribbean coast, who live below the poverty line. Please see this special report by ESPN about their social impact through soccer. This extra-curricular holistic program focuses on three areas:
    • Athletic training using the "soccer for peace" methodology
    • Values-based experiential workshops focusing on gender, conflict resolution, and tolerance among other crucial values
    • Well balanced nutrition

  2. Team Iraq - Iraq is living through a period of violent ethnic and religious conflict. Many of its young population, 60% of Iraqis are under 25, lack positive opportunities. Yet research and experience shows that to prevent future violence and extremism, young minds need to be nurtured towards a positive role in civil society. Team Iraq has begun to turn this situation around. It uses the power of football to bring together young people from all ethnic, religious and social backgrounds, through a number of football-related initiatives with emphasis on creating local youth led programs to help develop and empower and ultimately employ young people.