SPORT AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT IN GEORGIA
Mar 27, 2015
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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL FOR ENHANCING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
2001-2003
launching partnership programme
Children & Youth Football Championship on the President’s Cup
in Georgia
UNICEF
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
WHY FOOTBALL
Most popular sport in Georgia
Very useful tool to: attract public interest
mobilize partners
build alliances
UNICEF
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL FOR ENHANCING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Championship - annual event
Engaging more children & youth in sport activities and
Promoting Healthy Lifestyle & preventing risky behaviour (alcohol, drugs) among children & youth
UNICEF
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL FOR ENHANCING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Special teams of HIV/AIDS advocates & popular singers attending & delivering IEC sessions on HIV for players & fans
WAD 2003 Theme – Stigma & Discrimination
UNICEF
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL TO REACH THE MOST DISADVANTAGED
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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL TO REACH THE MOST DISADVANTAGED
~ 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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL TO REACH THE MOST DISADVANTAGED
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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
UNICEF
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
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
Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
Is there a better outcome?
THANK YOU