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Call for Sport & Health projects - Educating, supporting and raising awareness among young people about healthcare issues through sport in Africa

Project

Project start date
Status

Ongoing

Project duration
2 Years
AFD financing amount
40 000 €
Country and region
Africa
Location
Africa
Type of financing
Grant
Beneficiaries
14 winners of the call for projects
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AFD has partnered with FIFA, the European Guild and the Sport en Commun platform to finance and support sports initiatives that provide solutions to problems in health, education and social cohesion that have been exacerbated by the global pandemic.

Context

The benefits of sport for physical well-being, mental health and the personal development of all individuals are well-recognized. Medical research has shown that sport reduces the risk of many diseases and strengthens the immune system.

Since 2020, many sports personalities and organizations have worked together to provide an immediate response to the health crisis: promoting protective barrier measures, mobilizing funds to support caregivers or to finance the provision of medical equipment and supplies, communicating on the benefits of sport during the periods of lockdown. Once the crisis is over, sport will play an essential role in raising awareness and supporting young people in terms of health issues.

Description

In 2019, AFD and FIFA signed a partnership agreement that symbolizes the first meeting of the worlds of soccer and development financing. Its main objectives are to promote the empowerment of women through soccer and the use of soccer for educational purposes.

In August 2020, as part of this agreement, the call for “Sport and Health” projects was launched via the Sport en Commun platform to finance projects that predominantly focus on sexual health education, hygiene and psychological health and, to a lesser extent, access to healthcare and issues relating to disability and chronic illnesses. The 14 African or French organizations selected are eligible for financing ranging from €20,000 to €40,000 per project and are supported by the NGO The European Guild.

Examples of projects:

  • Watoto Wasoka (Uganda): using a fun and educational approach to change hygiene and sanitary behaviors through soccer
  • Milédou - LYSD (Togo): increasing the resilience of girls in rural areas through sport during a pandemic
  • Angaza (Kenya): educating and raising awareness among nearly 5,500 adolescents, in particular about sexual health, through soccer and a number of other educational games

Impacts

  • Improving well-being and social cohesion among young people  
  • Establishing a Sport & Development ecosystem in Africa
  • Mitigating the effects of the health and social crisis