Sport for Development in Africa (S4DA)

Presentation of the programme

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is using sport to create better opportunities for children and youth and to contribute to designated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as good health, quality education, gender equality, employment, social inclusion or peaceful coexistence. For that matter, together with partners, GIZ jointly designs and implements projects in different regions of the world to include Sport for Development (S4D) methodologies into policies and national curricula, builds individual and organisational capacities, promotes (vocational) education and employability through sports and constructs or renovates sport grounds as safe spaces for all. All projects are tailored to local needs following do-no-harm and safeguarding principles. Since 2007, several GIZ programmes in varying set-ups have been dedicated to S4D.

Up to December 2020, GIZ together with its partners has reached over 1,2 million children and young people through 50 development projects in almost 40 countries and trained more than 7,500 trainers and facilitators. Around 150 sports grounds were built or renovated in partner countries, mainly on the African continent. The joint knowledge created with partners is available on the Sport for Development Resource Toolkit, a knowledge platform accessible for all.

Overview

German development cooperation aims to enhance S4D among and with a variety of partner organizations and stakeholders such as civil society, governmental institutions, the private sector, intergovernmental organizations, and international development agencies. Key activities include:

• advising governments and other partner organizations on promoting development perspectives for youth through sport
• creating safe spaces for disadvantaged children and youth by constructing or renovating grassroots sports grounds
• training multipliers such as teachers, coaches or social workers in offering quality sports-based activities
• promoting private sector engagement to foster corporate social responsibility in achieving development goals
• developing inclusive sport-pedagogical approaches, value-based educational materials, standards and guidelines and monitoring & evaluation tools
• utilizing major sporting events to promote sport as a tool for social development
• advocate for S4D as an effective approach and enabler of sustainable development, emphasizing on cooperation and partnerships applying multi-level approach while contributing to relevant development agendas

Partners Countries in Africa

In Côte d’Ivoire, the S4D approach has been integrated, in collaboration with the GIZ ProFERE project, in the training curricula of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions as an innovative teaching methodology for promoting personal and social skills of learners.

In Ethiopia, S4D is used as a tool to teach young people at TVET colleges skills that foster their employability prospects. The main aim is to sustainably embed the S4D approach at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MoSHE), in regional vocational training authorities as well as in state-run vocational colleges. In cooperation with the Ethiopian Technical University (ETU), curricula will be enriched with the S4D approach and teachers will be trained in the application of S4D.

In Ghana, a collaboration with the GIZ E-Waste project has led to the development of an integrative usage and maintenance concept for the renovated sports grounds and technical training center at the Agbogbloshie Old Fadama Scrap Yard Site. The S4D activities in Ghana promote social cohesion, employability, gender equality and the well-being of children and young people.

In Kenya, the Football Kenya Federation has incorporated the S4D approach into its training of trainers and CAF license courses to disseminate it across the country. A safeguarding in sport policy is being developed with the Kenya Academy of Sports, while an inclusive Physical Education and Sport policy for Basic Education is being formulated with the Ministry of Education and the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO. Within the displacement context (Kakuma), GIZ and its partners apply the S4D approach focusing on violence prevention and peace promotion, fostering peaceful coexistence amongst refugees and host communities.

In Morocco, the social and economic integration of young people is enhanced through S4D trainings and specific projects on Sport for Employment. Coming from diverse backgrounds, the S4D trainers act as role models, inspire children and youth and support their personal development and psychosocial wellbeing through physical and educational activities.

In Namibia, GIZ is supporting the University of Namibia in integrating S4D in their PE teacher education programs through PE4Life teacher guides with a focus on health and gender equality. On a national level, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Sport are integrating the Sport for Development approach into national curricula for secondary schools.

In Senegal, the S4D approach is being integrated at academic level in the qualification of PE teachers. In cooperation with NGOs, TVET schools and other GIZ projects, S4D trainings and activities are implemented to strengthen the personal and social skills of young people and thus improve their employment perspectives.

In Tunisia, the S4D approach is used in cooperation with the GIZ Youth Project and the Ministry of Youth and Sports in youth centers in four pilot-regions to foster employability and prevent violent behavior. S4D programming to enhance well-being and prevent violent extremism is planned to be launched in in Tunisian prisons.

In Uganda, the “Athletics for Development (A4D)” project supports disadvantaged children and youth in their personal development and uses athletics as a tool for improved health, education and inclusion in school and out-of-school contexts. In close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Training and Resource Network (TRN), the project aims at embedding the methodology within the educational system and in the training curriculum of teachers.

S4D Programme is also deployed by GIZ in several other partners countries (outside Africa) such as Indonesia, Colombia, Jordan and in the Western Balkans.

For more information about the methodologies deployed by the S4DA programme, please check the  guides prepared by the SD4A program.

@photo credit : GIZ