Productive Youth Development through Sport in Africa - English

Summary

The Jacobs Foundation and the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace organized a forum at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, to explore the potential of sport as a tool for youth development in Africa. With Africa's rich examples of sport contributing to community development, the forum gathered 70 experts, practitioners, decision-makers, and role models like the Kenyan marathon champion. Discussions covered integrating sport with Millennium Development Goals and addressed challenges faced by youth, particularly in impoverished areas like Nairobi's slums. Sports initiatives such as the Mathari Youth Sports Association illustrate how sports impart life skills, leadership, and community involvement among young people. The forum concluded with recommendations to enhance sports as a development tool through increased awareness, better evaluation methods, stronger network building, and collaboration across sectors, aiming for sustainable impacts.

Highlights

• The forum was held in Nairobi to explore sports as a tool for youth development. 🌍
• Around 70 experts gathered to share insights on how sports aid community growth. ➕
• Role models like Kenyan marathon champions inspired youth through sports. 🏃‍♂️
• Programs in Nairobi's slums use sports to teach life skills and provide education. 📚
• Eight key recommendations were formulated to strengthen sports initiatives in Africa. 🏅

Key Takeaways

• Sports can be a powerful tool for youth development, especially in challenging environments. ⚽
• The forum spotlighted Africa's successful use of sports to foster community and personal growth. 🏆
• Sports not only provide physical activities but also teach life skills like leadership and teamwork. 🌍
• Collaborations and partnerships are crucial for sustaining sports development programs. 🤝
• Educational support through sports can open new opportunities for underprivileged youths. 🎓

Overview

The Jacobs Foundation, alongside the United Nations, organized a forum in Nairobi to delve into the role of sports in fostering productive youth development in Africa. This event was particularly significant given the continent's vast examples of sports enhancing community development, especially ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Sports role models and experts shared insights on leveraging sports to teach life skills and support personal growth among young Africans.

Participants, including decision-makers, professors, and sports role models, discussed how integrating sports into youth programs can achieve broader goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals. Emphasis was placed on how sports can motivate, teach team skills, and help adolescents engage with their communities. Successful initiatives like the Mathari Youth Sports Association demonstrate sports' potential in shaping leadership and promoting health education among youth.

The forum's lively discussions culminated in eight recommendations focused on raising awareness about sports' importance, improving evaluation methods, fostering partnerships, and securing financial support to advance youth development through sports. Establishing networks and collaborations among governments, NGOs, and private sponsors were highlighted to sustain these efforts throughout Africa, ensuring that the momentum continues well beyond the forum.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to the Yobs Foundation's Mission The chapter introduces the mission of the Yobs Foundation, emphasizing the importance of fostering productive youth development. The foundation aims to unlock young people's potential by promoting both personal and professional growth. The chapter discusses the challenges of achieving these goals globally and highlights the effectiveness of integrating fun and playful activities into learning processes.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Forum on Sport as an Instrument for Youth Development The chapter titled 'Forum on Sport as an Instrument for Youth Development' focuses on a forum organized by the Yobs Foundation and the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace. The forum's objective was to explore the potential of sport as a tool for youth development. It was held at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The choice of location was due to Africa's numerous exemplary cases where sport significantly benefits youth and communities on a daily basis.
• 01:00 - 01:30: The 2010 FIFA World Cup and Sports Role Models The chapter focuses on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and its influence on sports role models. It discusses an event that brought together around 70 practitioners and experts, including decision-makers, university professors, and notable sports role models like the Kenyan Marathon Champion TLA L. The venue served as a platform for these individuals to critically analyze the potential of sports in youth development and to devise strategies for leveraging sports as a developmental tool.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Analyzing Sport for Youth Development The chapter explores the role of sport as a tool for youth development, focusing on the exchange of resources, information, and findings across various regions, including Africa. It discusses the potential of using sports to achieve numerous Millennium Development Goals globally.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Linking Sport to Millennium Development Goals The chapter discusses the connection between sports and the Millennium Development Goals. It emphasizes the motivational role sports can play in achieving these goals. Furthermore, the chapter highlights the importance of team sports in imparting life skills. The significance of sport is underscored, particularly in engaging adolescents and children, thereby suggesting that sports can be a powerful tool in reaching developmental objectives.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Sport's Role in Team Activities and Community Involvement The chapter discusses the role of sports in team activities and community involvement. It highlights how sports provide a platform for enjoyment and learning, while also fostering community participation. Special attention is given to initiatives in Nairobi, particularly in the slums of Bera and Mathare, where sports projects have been started. These projects were observed by Ved Lker, a special advisor to the UN Secretary General, and Christian Yobs, chairman of the Yobs Foundation.
• 03:00 - 03:30: Sport Projects in Nairobi The chapter discusses the role of sport projects in Nairobi, highlighting their significance in youth development. Amidst challenges such as poverty, disease, conflict, and limited opportunities, sports serve as a tool to engage young people. Through sports, youngsters can partake in team activities that instill positive values and provide a constructive outlet for their energy.
• 03:30 - 04:00: Sport as a Tool for Positive Values and Skills The chapter discusses the multifaceted role of sports in promoting positive values and essential life skills. It highlights how sports can contribute to identity formation, self-awareness, and the enhancement of social skills. Moreover, the chapter emphasizes the use of sports for developmental purposes globally, where the focus extends beyond mere physical activity to include training in various crucial areas. There is an emphasis on educating young people about health issues such as HIV/AIDS prevention and drug misuse, showcasing the project's value in teaching youth about important health matters.
• 04:00 - 04:30: Education and Opportunities through Sport The chapter discusses the role of sport as a powerful tool for providing education and opportunities for children and adolescents, highlighting its potential to keep them away from harmful behaviors such as alcohol consumption. The focus is on using sport as a strategy to create a new social culture aimed at giving young people hope and a better future.
• 04:30 - 05:00: Mathari Youth Sports Association's Impact The chapter discusses the challenges faced by young people and the ease with which they can be led astray. It emphasizes the importance of organized activities, like sports, as a tool for guiding youth in the right direction. The focus is not on supporting isolated projects, but rather on using sports as a method to unite young people and enhance their participation and development.
• 05:00 - 05:30: Principle of Community Contribution The chapter titled 'Principle of Community Contribution' describes the Mathari Youth Sports Association (MYSA), founded in 1987. This organization aims to integrate and include youth from the Mathari slum through sports training. Beyond merely teaching sports skills, MYSA involves these youngsters in leadership development, environmental cleaning, and HIV/AIDS education, exemplifying the broader role of sports in community building.
• 05:30 - 06:00: Education Support for Girls in Slums The chapter titled "Education Support for Girls in Slums" discusses the fundamental principle followed by MSA in their initiatives. The principle is based on mutual action and responsibility: "if you do something, I'll do something; if you do nothing, I'll do nothing." This has been the core ideology in all awareness programs and community service activities aimed at supporting girls' education in slum areas.
• 06:00 - 06:30: Role Models and Encouragement in Sports The chapter discusses the importance of giving back to the community in sports organizations, specifically how the MSA teaches young athletes this invaluable lesson. The model of reciprocity is highlighted, stressing the concept that one must contribute positively to the community to gain from it. Additionally, the chapter touches on the role of sports organizations like MSA in aiding educational pursuits by subsidizing school fees, which is particularly significant for female athletes like Biha Osong. This support bridges gaps for young girls who might otherwise face limited opportunities due to socioeconomic constraints, illustrating the broader impact of sports beyond physical prowess.
• 06:30 - 07:00: Personal Growth and Development through Sports The chapter focuses on the personal growth and development experienced by individuals who engage in sports, particularly those from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds, such as slums. It highlights the difficulties faced by young girls in these areas, such as being forced to stay at home or entering into early marriages due to financial constraints. However, the chapter emphasizes the transformative power of education and sports in enabling these girls to aspire to higher goals, using Behati as an example who dreams of becoming a doctor. The narrative underscores the importance of encouragement and support for younger generations facing similar challenging circumstances.
• 07:00 - 07:30: Forum Recommendations for Advancing Sport in Youth Development The chapter discusses strategies for using sports as a tool for the positive development of youth, particularly in slum areas. It highlights the issues faced by young people in these communities, such as involvement in drugs and theft, due to a lack of better opportunities. To combat this, the chapter suggests encouraging their participation in sports and other constructive community activities to improve their lives. It emphasizes the role of older teenagers as role models, who are taught to impart knowledge and values to younger children by setting positive examples.
• 07:30 - 08:00: Building Networks and Partnerships for Ongoing Development The chapter discusses the importance of building networks and partnerships for ongoing development, specifically emphasizing the role of sports activities in productive youth development. It highlights an example of how participation in sports has profoundly impacted the lives of youth, particularly girls, by helping them develop their talents and fostering self-awareness.

Productive Youth Development through Sport in Africa - English Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] the mission of the yobs foundation is to Foster productive Youth Development by unlocking young people's potential and promoting their personal and professional development in many areas of the world achieving such aims presents a tremendous challenge in many youth projects learning can be more effective and efficient if it is integrated with activities that are playful and fun such
• 00:30 - 01:00 as sport that is why the yobs foundation and the United Nations office on sport for development and peace decided to organize a forum its objective was to investigate the potential of sport as an instrument for Youth Development The Forum was held at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi Kenya for two reasons in Africa there are many good practice examples of how sport is helping Youth and the community on a day-to-day basis what is more in
• 01:00 - 01:30 2010 all eyes will be on sport in South Africa during the FIFA World Cup The Forum brought together around 70 practitioners and experts with experience in this domain these included important decision makers University professors as well as Sports Role Models such as the Kenyan Marathon Champion TLA L the venue provided an excellent opportunity for participants to critically analyze the potential of sport in the development of young people people and to formulate methods and
• 01:30 - 02:00 approaches for the exchange of resources information and findings the discussions included numerous examples from Africa as well as other regions of the world how can we use Sports worldwide as a tool to achieve I would say nearly all the Millennium development goals I can see many many
• 02:00 - 02:30 links between sports and the Millennium development how can we achieve this goal through Sports we should really put more emphasis on Sports being a motivation if you talk about team sports you are already in life skills um uh and that is one reason why we wanted to have this conference I think sport is very important because one can achieve a lot with sport especially with adolescence and children sport gets them involved in
• 02:30 - 03:00 team activities they can enjoy themselves have time to play and at the same time they learn something and they are also doing something in which the whole Community can take part The Forum also gave Ved lker special advisor to the UN Secretary General and Christian yobs chairman of the yobs foundation an opportunity to see some of the sports projects that have been started in Nairobi Bera and mathari slums in
• 03:00 - 03:30 Nairobi are among the biggest in Africa in areas such as these where young people face compounded challenges related to Poverty disease and conflict and lack opportunities for advancement sport has a unique capacity to advance productive Youth Development by arousing the interest of the youngsters through sport it is possible to get them involved in team activities that help them to acquire more positive values sport provides them with an opportunity to release their energy in a less
• 03:30 - 04:00 aggressive Manner and can enhance identity formation and self-awareness as well as improve life and social skills we use sport for development purposes worldwide we don't just get the young people to play football there are other areas in which they are trained and that is what makes this project so valuable it is about teaching the youngsters about health matters Aids HIV prevention drug misuse and that we don't want them
• 04:00 - 04:30 to get involved with alcohol we want to keep children and Adolescence away from alcohol we want to give them hope future through sport sport is a means to an end a way to lead them to a better future the objective must be where possible to create a new social culture if this new social culture isn't created
• 04:30 - 05:00 for young people then it's very easy for them to take the wrong path and there are many traps they can fall into that's what we find so fascinating to observe here not the individual projects or that it's possible to organize football matches our aim is to do more than just support a single project or a number of single projects here in Africa sport is definitely the right approach one prime example of how sport is bringing youngsters together and improving their ability to take part in
• 05:00 - 05:30 community building is meer the mathari Youth Sports Association this organization founded in 1987 provides children from the mathari slum with sports training its programs exemplify Sports capacity for integrating and including the youth that have been traditionally excluded the lessons they learn go far beyond the skills needed to kick a football MSA gets the youngsters involved in leadership training environmental cleaning HIV AIDS
• 05:30 - 06:00 awareness programs and other community service activities well the most important is the founding principle of MSA and that's the one that I started off with with the kids that if you do something I'll do something and if you do nothing I will do nothing and uh and that's now basically the the fundamental principle
• 06:00 - 06:30 of the organization which is if you do something Mya will do something and uh that's a good lesson for Life uh if you're going to get something from the community you need to put something back in the community MSA also helps the youngsters involved in its Sports programs to improve their education by supplementing a sufficient amount for their school fees this is particularly valuable to girls like biha osong who otherwise have few options open to them as parents in
• 06:30 - 07:00 the slums rarely have enough money to send all the children to Secondary School young teenage girls often either end up staying at home to help their mothers or marrying very young by enabling the girls to continue their education they are able to set themselves Much Higher Goals and like beha can even plan to study to become a doctor we have to encourage others who are younger than I because of many situ that they going through out there like
• 07:00 - 07:30 in the slums they include thems in many things activities like drugging anything things like being stealing others people property so we have to encourage them to be in M or being a member of something which can improve their life that is why the older teenagers are taught to become role models to the younger children and pass on their knowledge and values by setting a good
• 07:30 - 08:00 example they too can make an important contribution to the productive youth development of the Next Generation VHA and the other girls in her team are very aware of how participation in the sports activities has changed their lives waa has helped me a lot first and foremost it has helped me build my talent and know all about myself
• 08:00 - 08:30 it has helped me know that I can play football it has also build my self-esteem during the course of the two-day Forum the participants put together eight recommendations for the advancement of sport as an instrument for productive Youth Development these included increasing General awareness of sports importance and improving methods of evaluation knowledge exchange and Leadership expertise another focal area of the recommendation was to build up
• 08:30 - 09:00 participation financial support strategic Partnerships and advocacy on all levels especially by expanding the role of governments and their collaboration with Nos and private sponsors the Lively event also laid a strong foundation for new networks throughout Africa and Beyond after 2010 after the final I can already see them with the cup what happens then we have to achieve something there too something has to be developed in the next 12 months that can
• 09:00 - 09:30 be continued throughout Africa what the for has made us all realize is that the various organizations must work more closely together we have to build up a network for the organizations we need to share information we have to share expertise and knowhow I believe that after we leave here we will continue to work together and I am delighted about that
• 09:30 - 10:00 fore spe