1 minute read
The Year in Review
2017 was a remarkable year for PlayOnside. We have taken giant leaps as an organization, and we have expanded our reach both internationally and locally. We have gone from four to nine staff, and are now reaching out to more and more children and communities. Our success is a result of a lot of hard work, passion, dedication and a vigorous believe in what we do.
PlayOnside is a result of teamwork and respect. Respect for each other and for the communities we work in. We strongly believe that we are capable of achieving greater things when we work together than when we work by ourselves.
Advertisement
The legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly famously said
‘The socialism I believe in, is everybody working for the same goal and everybody having a share in the rewards. That’s how I see football, that’s how I see life.'”
This is how we feel in PlayOnside as well. We Are Football. We Are PlayOnside
Sports & Development
Over the past two decades, the ‘Sports for Peace and Development’ field, with its focus on support for vulnerable young people worldwide, has grown into a movement, encompassing numerous organizations and initiatives globally. This encompasses sport in many development settings which are now being included in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
Children and youth living in a migrant community are in a precarious position. Some have experienced the uncertainty, stress and anxiety associated with fleeing from violence, while others are struggling with the challenges the migrant life brings like poverty, uncertainty about the future, and the lack of feeling of belonging.
Sports in general, and football in particular is well adapted to address these issues, to improve the physical and mental health of these children as well of addressing other individual challenges these children are facing. For girls and young females, football can create a space to participate where the opportunities were non-existent, widening the horizons of the communities and giving them the chance to acknowledge the girls.
The role of sports in development, and the impact of organizations like PlayOnside, with a long-term, culturally adapted, sustainable and inclusive program cannot be underestimated..
