Sport for Life Newsletter | July 2019
Uff! It has been almost one year since the last newsletter – an eventful period!
Our Annual Report 2018 is out, with key developments and lessons from Timor-Leste, Cabo Verde and Mozambique, and priorities for the future.
In January SportImpact created the Sport for Life Africa Office in Cabo Verde, leveraging the strong partnership with the Cabo Verde Olympic Committee (COC). Its first 6 months were intense:
- Visited Senegal to explore launching Sport for Life, in preparation for the Youth Olympic Games 2022 in Dakar
- Organized the 1st Sport for Life Forum, in Sal (Cabo Verde), on June 16th, during the 1st African Beach Games (and a Sport for Life event in Santa Maria)
- Participated in the SDG to Youth Festival, including the organization of a sport event with the support of AIESEC Cabo Verde and the Cabo Verde Olympic Committee, to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
In Mozambique, graduates from last year’s train-the-trainer are adopting Sport for Life’s values and approach in their organizations.
In Timor-Leste, Virginia, Silvina and colleagues launched WE LEAD (women empowerment program).
Following her field visit one year ago, Celeste Abrahams, from the University of Cambridge, published her dissertation on Sport for Life in Timor-Leste.
Sport for Life volunteers continue spreading good Sport for Life values around the world:
- Virginia as Singapore Summit Young Societal Leader, and in the US for the Global Sports Mentoring Program
- Silvina’s in Jakarta with the Special Olympics!
- The zero-dollar approach featured on Aid for Aid workers on a podcast episode with Virginia and Nuno
And more!
SportImpact Annual Report 2018
We published our Annual Report 2018: Passing the Sport for Life baton, summarizing activities last year and identifying key lessons and priorities for continuous improvement. It includes an analysis of our impact and our financials.
Check out the Annual Report 2018
KEY LESSONS: Launch Projects require more work on the ground and solid follow up, according to local conditions. Key success factors for project multiplication are committed local partners, a Sport for Life Coordinator, and regular meetings. We need to continue emphasizing the importance of regular sport practice and motivating volunteers to report activities. Financial sustainability is critical to develop the Africa Office, and should be enabled by paid Launch Projects.
PRIORITIES: In collaboration with the Cabo Verde Olympic Committee, we will create the Sport for Life Africa Office, aiming to launch Sport for Life in new countries in Africa and to enhance existing projects.
Sport for Life Africa Office launched with the Cabo Verde Olympic Committee
In January we launched the Sport for Life Africa Office in the city of Praia, in partnership with the Cabo Verde Olympic Committee (COC).
Sport for Life has been present in the country since 2016, with a strong presence in all islands through consecutive sport-for-development projects such as VerdeOlympics, M-Olympics and Olympic Clubs. While SportImpact coordinated the launch in 2016, COC took charge of the project in subsequent years.
This new office in the COC headquarters in Praia is a milestone in Sport for Life development because it represents the first support office in any continent. Its mission is to spread Sport for Life in Africa, with a focus on West Africa. To date there are more than 20 countries which have expressed interest in launching Sport for Life, with whom the Office is discussing initiatives in the coming months and years.
The Sport for Life Africa Coordinator, Léo Moreau, stated in an interview to the Cabo Verde Olympic Committee that this is an important step for Sport for Life because it will guarantee the “development of privileged contacts in the African Olympic Network” and also to build “new relationships with potential partners in Africa”.
SportImpact in Cabo Verde – Photo by Inforpress
Sport for Life field trip to Senegal
Léo Moreau, Sport for Life Africa Coordinator, visited Senegal, aiming to meet several potential partners to explore implementing Sport for Life there. This country is a high level priority for SportImpact due to the fact that it will host in 2022 the Youth Olympic Games (check out the page from the IOC’s website).
Leveraging the kind collaboration of Cabo Verde Olympic Committee and Olympafrica International Foundation, Léo spent one week in Dakar (27/Feb-4/Mar), meeting organizations such as Olympafrica International Foundation, UNESCO Regional Office in Dakar, Enda Tiers-monde (Youth in Action), NGO SEED Project, Embassy of France in Senegal and the National Olympic and Sport Committee of Senegal.
During his stay in Senegal, Léo was invited by the Olympafrica International Foundation to visit its center in Somon, where he watched training sessions and met several volunteer coaches.
This was a positive trip, promoting Sport for Life and engaging potential partners for launching in Senegal. All the stakeholders showed interest to collaborate with the Sport for Life Africa Office.
Activities in Somone
First Sport for Life Forum in Sal
During the 1st African Beach Games in Sal island (Cabo Verde), SportImpact organized, together with the Cabo Verde Olympic Committee and with the support of Olympic Solidarity, the first Sport for Life Forum, focused on social impact & sustainability through sport.
The Forum’s objective was to build awareness of the role of sport in the promotion of sustainability and human development, especially among African National Olympic Committees’ leaders. It included speakers from the Cabo Verde Olympic Committee, Cabo Verde Olympic Academy, International Olympic Committee, Spanish Olympic Committee, OlympAfrica International Foundation and SportImpact.
Participants came from sixteen different countries: Cabo Verde, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Portugal, Spain, Senegal, Sudan, Switzerland, and Uganda.
Léo Moreau, Africa Coordinator, was the Forum Director and presenter (including analyses on Africa). SportImpact’s Directors were two of the speakers:
- Loïc Pedras on “The Development Compass: Directions for and via Sport”
- Nuno Delicadoon “Sport for Life: Human Development through Sport”
The full list of speakers and downloadable presentations are available on the Forum’s webpage.
Nuno Delicado at the Sport for Life Forum
On the day after the Forum, June 17, local volunteers (thanks, Julio Rocha!) organized a Sport for Life event where about 75 children practiced five different sports (Beach Football, Beach Handball, Karate, Boxing and Frisbee) at Santa Maria’s beach, in the Arena 1 of the African Beach Games.
The event was covered by the national TV of Cabo Verde, featuring an interview with Léo (in Portuguese).
Thanks to all volunteers and participants who contributed to make it a great success!!
Sport for Life event at Santa Maria Beach, Sal, Cabo Verde
Sport for Life at the SDG to Youth Festival in Praia
SportImpact participated in the SDG to Youth Festival, organized by AIESEC Cabo Verde on April 1-5 in Praia, Cabo Verde. The festival aimed to show the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations to young cape-verdeans, through speeches, forums and sport activities.
SportImpact participated in the 2nd day, on an event called Sports for Change focusing on sport as a way of human development. We also participated in the last day of the festival, on the Youth Speak Forum, in which Léo Moreau, Africa Coordinator, had a keynote speech about Sport for Life.
At the end of the festival, on April 6th, with the support of AIESEC Cabo Verde and the Cabo Verde Olympic Committee we organized a Sport for Life event in the district of Pensamento, Praia, to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Peace and Development. Almost 300 children practiced more than 10 different sports.
Sport for Life event in Pensamento
Mozambique: Sport for Life adopted by several organizations
In Mozambique, Sport for Life has been adopted by several organizations, through the work of graduates from last year’s Sport for Life Launch Project.
A key one is Ícones Produções, an association engaging 600 children from primary and secondary schools in the district of KaMavota, Maputo in sport, culture and art activities. The president of this association, Licínio Maholela, is a graduate of last year’s train-the-trainer.
The organization offers the opportunity for kids to practice six sports (football, gymnastics, golf, volleyball, futsal and athletics), to develop skills in modern and traditional dance, to read books from a mobile library, and to join in arts activities such as embroidery and paper art using recycled materials.
Together with Okhaliha, our local partner in Mozambique, Sport for Life was introduced into Ícones Produções to help youth facing issues such as the shortage of materials and opportunities. According to Licínio Maholela, due to the success of the Sport for Life approach, children’s engagement in the activities has been growing exponentially, leading to the expansion of the movement into more schools.
Besides Ícones Produções, other organizations in Mozambique have been also benefiting from Sport for Life’s values and methods:
- Rui Panguana recently founded ACACI*, who organized a Sport for Life event on 4/Oct (reported in local news) and has included Sport for Life as a key component of its 2019 plan
- Alcides Dombe applies Sport for Life lessons in an inclusion project for people with disabilities at Universidade Pedagógica
- Patrício Madzima created the ‘Associação Desportiva da KaTembe’, using adapted sport equipment in activities
- Aurélio Manhiça is part of Moz Kids Soccer (sport-for-development association) and has organized football tournaments using adapted material
Sport for Life Event in Mozambique
Virginia da Graça in the US for the Global Sports Mentoring Program
Virginia da Graça was selected for the 2018 edition of the U.S. Department of State’s Global Sports Mentoring Program. Together with 15 other women using sport for impact around the world, Virginia spent six weeks in September/October in different parts of the United States, taking part in a series of training and mentoring sessions to boost her ability to promote women empowerment through sport. She was individually mentored by Jean Merrill and Amy Wilson at the National Collegiate Athletic Association headquarters in Indianapolis.
On Oct 30 the group reconvened in Washington D.C. for final presentations of each participant’s Action Plan. Virginia presented her plan to launch and spread ‘WE LEAD’ to use sports-based empowerment workshops to create female leaders around Timor-Leste (video).
Virginia presents the WE LEAD Action Plan in Washington DC
Timor-Leste: “WE LEAD” launched for women empowerment
Following Virginia’s participation and Action Plan in the Global Sports Mentoring Program, the first ‘WE LEAD’ course and event in Timor-Leste took place in Dili in February!
The program’s main goal is to promote female leaders, and to include women and girls in society through sport.
Silvina and Virginia facilitated this program, learning a lot with each other. They felt extremely satisfied with the participation of 17 young women in this first course and look forward to seeing them implementing what they learned. Several Sport for Life volunteers also helped organize.
WE LEAD participants
Academic dissertation on Sport for Life in Timor-Leste
In July 2018, Celeste Abrahams, a student from the University of Cambridge, spent three weeks in Timor-Leste, Dili, to study the Sport for Life project. In April she published her dissertation on Sport for Life in Timor-Leste, with the title “A slum dunk or bouncing off the backboard”.
In her dissertation, Celeste relates and analyzes the critiques of several authors (Kwauk, Hayhurst, etc.) on Sport for Development and Peace programs on topics such as gender inequality, education and development landscape, with the impact generated throughout the years by SportImpact in Timor-Leste.
SportImpact appreciates Celeste’s choice of Sport for Life in Timor-Leste as the topic for her dissertation and the depth of analyses that provide us excellent food for thought!
A slum dunk or bouncing off the backboard
Our Zero-Dollar Approach Featured on Podcast for International NGO Professionals
Check out this episode of the Podcast on Aid for Aid workers in which Virginia da Graça, Sport for Life Master Coordinator in Timor-Leste, alongside Nuno Delicado, SportImpact Director, talk about Sport for Life’s Zero-Dollar Model.
In 2014, first year of operations, SportImpact revenues were $75,000. At the end of 2015 we had zero budget for the following year. So we had to find a way to minimize operating costs through creative solutions, such as using local resources (bamboo, plastic bottles, cardboard, etc.) instead of buying new sport equipment; taking public transportation instead of renting a car, staying with relatives and friends instead of at guest houses, etc.
Virginia and Nuno explained in this episode how we faced the challenge of lack of funding and addressed the challenges of the zero-dollar approach.
Silvina at Special Olympics training in Jakarta
Last December, Silvina (Master Facilitator in Timor-Leste) participated in a Special Olympics* training in Jakarta, designed to teach kids with mental disabilities and Down Syndrome about the importance of sports, music, reading and writing.
Silvina enjoyed her experience and was thrilled with the chance of working with Special Olympics, intending to implement a youth activation project aimed at people with mental disabilities and Down Syndrome.
*Global movement to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities through training and competition
Silvina at the Special Olympics training in Jakarta
Virginia da Graça as Young Societal Leader at the Singapore Summit
Virginia da Graça was Timor-Leste delegate in the Singapore Summit Young Societal Leaders Programme (September 12-15). As founder of Centro da Graça and coordinator of Sport for Life in Timor-Leste, Virginia joined 21 other young Asian leaders with demonstrated success shaping the future of their societies.
Over four days the group took part in an intense programme including field trips, guest talks and discussions, and moments to connect with each other. On the last day, they attended the Singapore Summit at Shangri-La.
Thanks, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Temasek Foundation for this fabulous opportunity!
Guest Speaking events on Sport for Life
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- Virginia da Graça participated in the International Basketball Foundation’s Youth Leadership Seminar, organized a 3×3 tournament in Dili, and took the winners to an international event in Bali;
- Nuno Delicado on 10/Nov/2018 in Lisbon (Portugal), presented Sport for Life at “3 Milhões de Nós” (a conference to inspire the youth): watch it in Portuguese
- Nuno Delicado on 11/Nov/2018 in Almada (Portugal), presented and discussed Sport for Life with a group of Portuguese young leaders participating in Academia Ubuntu – a leadership training program focused on inclusion
- Nuno Delicado on 7/Dec/2018, in Estoril (Portugal), presented Sport for Life at the MEMOS Convention, the gathering of graduates from the Executive Master in Sport Organizations Management from all over the world
- Loïc Pedras on 7/Dec/2018, presented his PhD work “‘Organizational responses to multi-level complexity” at the MEMOS Convention
- Léo Moreau on 04/Apr/2019 was interviewed by Record TV Cabo Verde about Sport for Life in Cabo Verde, in celebration of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace – watch here
- Nuno Delicado on 9/Apr/2019, in Lisbon (Portugal), presented SportImpact’s social enterprise development journey to students of a Social Entrepreneurship course at CATÓLICA-LISBON
- Loïc Pedras on 16/Jun/2019, presented on “The Development Compass: Directions for and via Sport”at the 1st Sport for Life Forum, in Sal
- Nuno Delicado on 16/Jun/2019, presented on “Sport for Life: Human Development through Sport” at the 1st Sport for Life Forum, in Sal
- Léo Moreau on 17/Jun/2019 was interviewed for Cabo Verde national TV on the Sport for Life event in Sal Island, Cabo Verde – watch here
About SportImpact & Sport for Life
SportImpact is a social enterprise that promotes human development through sport, with projects in Timor-Leste, Cabo Verde and Mozambique, and looking for partners and sponsors to launch Sport for Life in new countries.
Sport for Life is a volunteer movement of youth empowering themselves to take charge of their lives, their communities, their countries and the world. Through sport, we are creating a world where everyone is empowered to fulfil their potential, their purpose, their dreams.
The Sport for Life project is composed of two key activities:
- Youth-led Sport for Life courses and train-the-trainers plus practical project roles where youth gradually develop as managers, facilitators and leaders
- Youth-organized multi-sport, multi-theme activities allowing kids to sample different sports and experiences that teach positive values and habits.
Contacts/more information: www.sportimpact.org/sport4life | www.facebook.com/sportimpact.org | Annual Report 2017 | press@sportimpact.org | SportImpact TV on Youtube