Missions

Afghanistan

Area of intervention

We intervene in the educational sector in conjunction with a neighbourhood community, schools, a teacher training institute, and the department of sports at the University of Kabul. Sport Without Borders trains physical education teachers, educators, coaches, provides athletic equipment, and rehabilitates various infrastructures.


Aim

To enable, through Physical and Sports Activities (PSA’s), the integration of children and youth (and, in particular, girls) with damaged self-confidence into Afghan society.

Local context

In this country affected by nearly 30 years of war, groups of already marginalized people have become increasingly fragile. This is particularly the experience of children, women, and ethnic minorities...

For example, 80% of Afghan women are illiterate; the compulsory burka is a persistent issue for nearly all women; and out of six million children in school, only 35% are girls. The Afghan population is extremely young (44.6% is under 15), which is why education is so crucial. In this context, sports (and games) can provide solutions. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why the Ministry of Education rendered sports activities mandatory in schools.

A means of mobilization, sport can provide a sense of structure for those young people who have been left to their own devises, and draw them back to school. Given the accompanying psycho-social dimension, sport can provide an outlet for aggression that may have developed over years of violence. Finally, used as a pedagogical tool, sport can play a part in the development and the integration of the individual into their environment and into society, especially for those most underserved.
 

Key figures

Capital : Kabul

Area : 647,500 km2 (Metropolitan France 551 500 km2)

Population : 31,889,923

Life expectancy : 44 yrs (77 yrs in France)

Literacy rate : 28.1%

GDP per capita : 900$ per capita (32 600 per capita in France)

Human Development Index : 0.346, 171st place out of 177 countries

 

Source: The World Fact Book, 2007

 

Programmes implemented

For four years, Sport Without Borders has contributed its expertise by developing several coherent programmes that adhere to the Afghan government’s strategic guidelines for education. We intervene primarily in the province of Kabul.

Multi-sport platform for the Hazara community of Darcht-e-Barchi (Deh Qabel district, Kabul)

The Hazara community constitutes a vulnerable and discriminated against fringe group of Afghan society. The children are particularly affected by this precariousness. Most contribute to both the economy and to the survival of their family through daily labour : carpet-making, begging, collection of objects for re-sale, street vending… They are often illiterate and do not attend school.


Since May 2007, in partnership with the NGO Enfants du Monde Droits de l’Homme and with the Hazara community in Darcht-e-Barchi, we have established a multisport platform that offers a diversity of sports structured by professional educators trained by SSF.

The public that benefits from these activities is as diverse as is the neighbourhood of Darcht-e-Barchi itself : street children, school boys and girls from the neighbourhood, youth, adults. Approximately 74 individuals per day take part in the structured activities (volleyball, basketball, handball, recreational and occupational games, bodily expression, traditional Afghan games).

Development of school sports

As a result of extremely limited human and material resources, very few schools to date are able to offer Physical and Sports Activities - despite their having been deemed mandatory in all school programmes.
Although development of the whole child is a priority in Afghan educational politics, sports education is not part of their teacher training. Similarly, when sports are taught in more specialized areas (i.e in the faculty of sports), notions of pedagogy are neglected.
 
In response to these needs, we developed complete training modules for the teaching of sports and physical education.  In 2008, 70 students from the Teacher Institute of Parwan (in the city of Charikar) and from the sports specialization of the education faculty of Kabul were trained.

A dozen school teachers (male & female) sponsored by our partner AFRANE (Amitié Franco Afghane) took part in sports education training workshops, as well as follow-up activities.
As a means of securing the place of sports in schools, we also aim to build a sports facility for Zuleikha girls’ school (Kabul).

Development of female sports

The issue of female sports is complex in Afghanistan. Indeed, the very idea comes up against a number of socio-cultural obstacles : the ban on promiscuity between men and women, strict norms with regards to clothing, from opposition to outright hostility in more conservative political or religious circles...

 

It is, at the same time, an issue that cuts accross all of our programmes. Accordingly, a gender-based approach is integrated into all of our training content, whethter aimed at male or female educational professionals. e also develop training programmes directed at women's organizations in kabul. Another goal is to create adequate spaces for the practice of female sports - ones that are behind closed doors and out of view.
We renovated the Darcht-e-Barchi platform by simply raising the walls at the community's request, to allow greater access for girls.
Thanks to a local advocate, we are also able to open a university gym for female sports.

Actions since the opening of the mission

2004-2007
Rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Jardin des Femmes de Kaboul gym (Bagh’e Zanana).
Over a period of 3 years, 365 women benefitted from daily physical and sports activities as well as from sports events open to the public.
 

2005-2006

- Sports-based programme focusing on the paractice of karate, as part of efforts to rebuild the psychology and social skills of vulnerable children : child prostitutes, beggers, street children.

 

- Social worker training in an attempt to ensure that PSA’s are incorporated into the necessary structures over the long term.

 

NGO partners: Afghanistan Demain, Enfants du Monde Droits de l’Homme, Children In Crisis, Aschiana.

 

Actions aimed at the school system

 

2006

- Establishment of a physical and sports education option at the Parwan Teacher Institute (in the city of Charikar), as well as the construction of a basketball court.
- Construction of two multi-sport platforms in two schools in the province of Panshir
Training and follow-up of 2 teachers currently employed by these two schools. Approximately 1500 school boys and girls in Rokha and in Dashtak will now benefit from regular PSA’s.

 

2007 

Training of an Afghan APS trainer at the Parwan Teacher Institute (Charikar).