Nishi Kumar is working as an intern at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF throughout the Fall. This is her fourth post for Fieldnotes.
For me, the sport of soccer evokes memories of a suburban childhood: freshly laundered uniforms and energy drinks, grass stains and post-game pizza parties. Never once during the many years of weekend tournaments and afternoon practices did I consider the children across the world enjoying the same sport, in dusty streets and alleyways instead of newly sodded fields. And I certainly never considered the many children denied the fundamental right I took for granted each day—the right to play.
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| © UNICEF/NYHQ2009-1231/Giacomo Pirozzi |
| A boy balances a soccer ball on his head outside a UNICEF child-friendly space in Antananarivo, Madagascar |
UNICEF has always recognized the critical role that sports and recreation play in a child’s life, not only as a form of enjoyment and exercise, but also as a developmental tool that can help improve the lives of children, families and communities. In countries both at peace and at war, UNICEF uses sports festivals and games to promote good health; teach important values and leadership skills; encourage girls' education; and warn about the harmful effects of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse. We also use the cohesiveness of team sports to reach and include children who traditionally face discrimination—such as former child soldiers, children with disabilities and diseases, orphans and refugees.
UNICEF programs across the world strive to give every child the right to play. They also use sports and games to make other initiatives more enjoyable and interactive. In May, for instance, we supported a contest called “GameChangers” within Ahimsa, an international network of social entrepreneurs, to design innovative projects that used sports to solve the social problems facing women and girls. One of the winning projects that I found particularly compelling trains Nepalese women to be trekking guides—opening up education and employment opportunities that had traditionally been denied to them in rural areas.
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| © UNICEF/NYHQ2007-0920/Olivier Asselin |
| Girls play football at Savelugu Junior Secondary School in the town of Savelugu, Ghana |
Last week UNICEF launched a program in Windhoek, Namibia in partnership with the Namibia Football Association, to get more girls involved in soccer, the sport that played such a strong role in my own childhood. In a country where girls and women face huge social obstacles and stereotypes on a daily basis, the ability to participate in something as simple as a game of soccer can make a huge difference in their lives. The program, known as “Galz and Goals” will use soccer in conjunction with new education curriculums to teach girls the importance of individual health and HIV prevention, help them fight gender discrimination, and give them the leadership skills and motivation to reach their own goals. The project will eventually benefit thousands of girls in primary and secondary schools across the country, and is a great example of how sports can be used as a tool to create lasting social change. UNICEF imagines a world where every child can experience the pure joy and exhilaration of making that game-winning goal.
