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SPORT AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT IN GEORGIA. ♦ Facts: Over 54% of the pop. lives below the poverty line; ♦ Secessionist regions: Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Shida Kartli); ♦ ‘Rose Revolution’ in Nov 2003 bringing a lot of hope… but situation remains volatile;. AT THE BEGINNING.
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♦Facts: Over 54% of the pop. lives below the poverty line;♦Secessionist regions: Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Shida Kartli);♦‘Rose Revolution’ in Nov 2003 bringing a lot of hope… but situation remains volatile;
AT THE BEGINNING • UNICEF Georgia started to actively use sport for development purposes in 2001 Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL FOR ENHANCING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE • 2001-2003 • launching partnership programme • Children & Youth Football Championship on the President’s Cup in Georgia Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
WHY FOOTBALL • Most popular sport in Georgia Very useful tool to: • attract public interest • mobilize partners • build alliances Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL FOR ENHANCING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE • Championship - annual event • Engaging more children & youth in sport activities and • Promoting Healthy Lifestyle & preventing risky behaviour (alcohol, drugs) among children & youth Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP School-based national wide tournaments > 45000 children from 2,000 schools, age 12-15 Strong social mobilization tool for healthy lifestyle - involvingdifferent partners: local governments, business leaders, children Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - 2003 • Involving girls for first time…. • Held under aegis of World AIDS Day Campaign – UN Theme Group • Raising awareness on HIV/AIDS among youth Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL FOR ENHANCING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE • Special teams of HIV/AIDS advocates & popular singers attending & delivering IEC sessions on HIV for players & fans • WAD 2003 Theme – Stigma & Discrimination Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL FOR ENHANCING HEALTH LIFESTYLE • 45 000 young people, including girls participated & received knowledge on HIV • Yet, lessons learned: too ambitious - focusing project scope to specific regions & make tangible changes in supply & rehabilitation of sport playgrounds Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL TO REACH THE MOST DISADVANTAGED • 2004: Football Championship organized jointly by UNICEF & NGO SOCO headed by the First Lady • Chiatura - one of the poorest regions of west Georgia; No employment and no income (i.e. shoes) Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL TO REACH THE MOST DISADVANTAGED • Aim - provide disadvantaged children opportunity to play football as a part of their ‘right to play’- an opportunity they wouldn’t have had otherwise (providing equal opportunities). • Link with MDGs: Poverty. • Extraordinary opportunity for advocacy & communication on life-skills & health promotion Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL TO REACH THE MOST DISADVANTAGED • ~ 500 children from 25 schools in Chiatura involved – UNICEF provided football uniforms, shoes, balls & other sports equipment for football • Major sport playgrounds in Chiatura equipped with football nets, flags, etc. Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
FOOTBALL TO REACH THE MOST DISADVANTAGED • The First Lady invited the 2 winner teams to a weekend excursion to recreational place in Southern Georgia • UNICEF awarded winner teams - school-in-a box & football kits. • Sport supplies - chess, badminton gifted to all 25 participant schools Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
SPORT AS A SCHOOL FOR LIFE • Additional funds mobilized to expand initiative to five regions in 2005 - Dutch NatCom • Creating child-friendly environment & promoting healthy lifestyle in 50 schools of 5 regions of Georgia - rehabilitation of sport playgrounds, basic sport supplies, IEC for children & youth Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
WHAT IS NEXT (1) • Incorporation of sport programming in our strategic planning: mainstreaming of sports activities in country programmes. • UNICEF’s experience was instrumental in advocating for inclusion of ‘Sports’ in the UNDAF Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
WHAT IS NEXT (2) • In-house capacity building in sports programming • Enhancing partnerships; • Developing M&E framework & Indicators for evaluating sports programming Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia
“Before I knew little about AIDS, I have never been a winner. Through playing football I learned a lot about this disease and about myself. Now I know that I can really change things. I scored a goal and brought a victory to my team. I am so happy.” 15-year-old George, participant of Georgia 2003 football school tournament From the horse’s mouth
Is there a better outcome? Sport as a Tool for Development in Georgia