Special Project Champions for Children

Champions for Children is honoured to be selected as a beneficiary for the Goal4africa Campaign. With over 60 years of combined professional experience in sport development, youth sport and sport psychology, Champions for Children has a deep understanding of the power of sport in order to contribute to an environment of social change on a global scale.

The educational value of sport cannot be underestimated. At its most fundamental level it teaches teamwork, fair play and responsibility to others. But building sporting fields, courts and organising competitions is simply not enough. Champions for Children believes in sport as an instrument to overcome social challenges in the areas of Children’s Rights & Values Education, Anti-Discrimination & Social Integration, Health Promotion and Peace Building. Through sport, fundamental values are being communicated to inspire positive change among both individuals and communities which leads to a better quality of life.

For more information on the education through sport projects completed by Champions for Chidlren.

Goal4Africa Funds
Champions for Children will use the funds generated from the Goal4africa campaign to build education through sport projects commencing with the ‘Best Practice’ project in South Africa.

Background
In 2007, Champions for Children provided support to a project completed by the Echnaton school in Almere, Amsterdam in Holland. This school, where Clarence Seedorf studied, has received recognition from the European Community for creating a project where sport is an important and active part of the children’s education.

Called “the Multi Purpose Playground”, the project consists in the construction and management of a sport and recreational complex, where children are supported in a variety of sports including football, volleyball, basketball and tennis, combined with their school studies. For a map of the playground area, please link to the map as provided with other photos of this project for the foundation profile pages. The youth are also introduced to the use of computers as well as the internet. Underlying the programme is the support of a nutritional programme given the critical link between nutrition, sport and education.

Independent research reports conducted in 2008, show very high levels of popularity of the playground, while the Ministry of Police report that already crime levels have decreased by 31% in Almere since the playground’s introduction. Champions for Children now aim to create its own educational model based on the Almere project where sport will have a dominant role, through pedagogical, social and psychological programmes.

Objectives
The objective of the Champions for Children project is to build the most appropriate education through sport model given all the environmental factors that impact the critical elements of life. Without such a model, this critical path would impede the value of education that is gained through life, such as family, schooling, university and other institutions.

The main activity will be the creation of social integration courses through sport with particular attention to the youth, especially those who are in risk of social exclusion.

Project Phases
1. Analysis, modeling of the project playground. For a sample presentation of the model, please This presentation will be provided by July 7th once fully designed.
2. Identification of the environment in which Champions for Children can apply the model including: mapping of the area, census of the current education methods to be involved, survey and understanding of formative needs.
3. Project planning & distribution of the final plan of engagement in order to share and promote the playground project.
4. Monitoring, evaluation and verification in order to adjust the original plan where necessary.

With the results of this ‘Best Practice’ project, Champions for Children plan to apply this model to as many communities as possible across the continent of Africa. And with your help we can!

Special Project Mannenberg

Mannenberg, Cape Town
Mannenberg is an area of Cape Town with a population of one million people, who are mostly living very poor conditions. It is an area that is infiltrated with gangs and drugs and there is little or no hope for the children of the area to achieve a strong education.

Project Mannenberg will bring together expertise from the Champions for Children foundation, the Echnaton School in Amsterdam and the University of the Western Cape into a single pilot project involving the construction of a similar multi purpose playground to the one built in Amsterdam. (See sample lay out of the playground in the Netherlands.)

The project will also provide training and development facilities as part of an overall education programme managed in partnership with the University of Western Cape. The nature of the project is a concept that combines sport and education so that the children attending the school accept the importance of education through sport. Within this system, morals, values, lifestyle and choices are taught to the children and it becomes a positive alternative for the children to a life provided by drugs and gang membership. It is expected that two schools in the Mannenberg area will be selected for the pilot.

The Budget
Champions for Children requires funding in the sum of 82,650 Euro to cover the set up and project planning costs for the first 6 months of the project’s life from January through to June 2008. It is important to point out that the funds to manage the project itself (approx 800,000 Euro) will come from the funds generated by the Goal4Africa Initiative and are separate to this funding request. The funds for the project-planning phase will cover the delivery of the following key planning elements:

Formulation and costing of the project to allow commencement by July 1, 2008.

Liaison with local government officials and Echnaton to finalize the project plan.

Assessment and selection of schools to participate in the pilot project.

Development and appointment of Professors at the University of Western Cape who will develop the curriculum and execute the education elements of the pilot.

Liaison with the South African Education board, in curriculum development and costing of the playground.

Presentation to sponsors to generate financial support for the project.

Development of future strategies for this and other projects within Africa made available from the Goal 4 Africa funds.

Conclusion
Without projects of this nature and organisations like Goal4Africa, there is little or no hope for children in these areas to avoid being drawn into the gang and drug world. Many of these children have a wealth of untapped potential if only they were given the opportunity for education and a normal life like the millions of children in Europe.