SPORT AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT IN GEORGIA. Facts: Over 54% of the pop. lives below the poverty...

SPORT AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT IN GEORGIA

♦Facts: Over 54% of the pop. lives below the poverty line;♦Secessionist regions: Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Shida Kartli);♦‘Rose Revolution’ in Nov 2003 bringing a lot of hope… but situation remains volatile;

UNICEF

Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia

AT THE BEGINNING

UNICEF Georgia started to actively use sport for development purposes in 2001

UNICEF


FOOTBALL FOR ENHANCING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

2001-2003

launching partnership programme

Children & Youth Football Championship on the President’s Cup

in Georgia

UNICEF


WHY FOOTBALL

Most popular sport in Georgia

Very useful tool to: attract public interest

mobilize partners

build alliances

UNICEF



Championship - annual event

Engaging more children & youth in sport activities and

Promoting Healthy Lifestyle & preventing risky behaviour (alcohol, drugs) among children & youth

UNICEF


FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

School-based national wide tournaments

> 45 000 children from 2,000 schools, age 12-15

Strong social mobilization tool for healthy lifestyle - involving different partners: local governments, business leaders, children

UNICEF


FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - 2003

Involving girls for first time….

Held under aegis of World AIDS Day Campaign – UN Theme Group

Raising awareness on HIV/AIDS among youth

UNICEF



Special teams of HIV/AIDS advocates & popular singers attending & delivering IEC sessions on HIV for players & fans

WAD 2003 Theme – Stigma & Discrimination

UNICEF


FOOTBALL FOR ENHANCING HEALTH LIFESTYLE

45 000 young people, including girls participated & received knowledge on HIV Yet, lessons learned: too ambitious - focusing project scope to specific regions & make tangible changes in supply & rehabilitation of sport playgrounds

UNICEF


FOOTBALL TO REACH THE MOST DISADVANTAGED

2004: Football Championship organized jointly by UNICEF & NGO SOCO headed by the First Lady Chiatura - one of the poorest regions of west Georgia; No employment and no income (i.e. shoes)

UNICEF



Aim - provide disadvantaged children opportunity to play football as a part of their ‘right to play’- an opportunity they wouldn’t have had otherwise (providing equal opportunities).Link with MDGs: Poverty. Extraordinary opportunity for advocacy & communication on life-skills & health promotion

UNICEF



~ 500 children from 25 schools in Chiatura involved – UNICEF provided football uniforms, shoes, balls & other sports equipment for football

Major sport playgrounds in Chiatura equipped with football nets, flags, etc.

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UNICEF



The First Lady invited the 2 winner teams to a weekend excursion to recreational place in Southern Georgia

UNICEF awarded winner teams - school-in-a box & football kits.

Sport supplies - chess, badminton gifted to all 25 participant schools

UNICEF


UNICEF


SPORT AS A SCHOOL FOR LIFE

Additional funds mobilized to expand initiative to five regions in 2005 - Dutch NatCom

Creating child-friendly environment & promoting healthy lifestyle in 50 schools of 5 regions of Georgia - rehabilitation of sport playgrounds, basic sport supplies, IEC for children & youth

UNICEF


WHAT IS NEXT (1) Incorporation of sport programming in our strategic planning: mainstreaming of sports activities in country programmes.UNICEF’s experience was instrumental in advocating for inclusion of ‘Sports’ in the UNDAF

UNICEF


WHAT IS NEXT (2)

In-house capacity building in sports programming Enhancing partnerships; Developing M&E framework & Indicators for evaluating sports programming

From the horse’s mouth“Before I knew little about AIDS, I have never been a winner. Through playing football I learned a lot about this disease and about myself. Now I know that I can really change things. I scored a goal and brought a victory to my team. I am so happy.”15-year-old George, participant of Georgia 2003 football school tournament

UNICEF


Is there a better outcome?

THANK YOU

SPORT AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT IN GEORGIA. Facts: Over 54% of the pop. lives below the poverty...

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