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Tracking 'Sport for Development' worldwide |
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| Tracking ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D) worldwide |
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| Facts and figures of ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D). Photo © GIZ |
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| Teaming up for Gender Equality |
by Catherine Daraspe
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| Speaking about menstrual hygiene remains a taboo in large parts of the world, including Senegal, despite it being a monthly reality for most women and girls of a certain age. The consequent lack of information and awareness has wide-ranging implications for their health, mental wellbeing, and social participation. |
| In 2021, GIZ’s ’Sport for Development in Africa’ (S4DA) project teamed up with ApiAfrique, a Senegalese social enterprise that manufactures reusable and chemical-free sanitary pads and sensitises girls and women on the menstrual cycle and hygiene management. Photo © GIZ |
| The cooperation started off with the organisation of safe exchange spaces with female programme participants at SOS Children’s Villages, Don Bosco Centers, and Olympafrica Foundation Centers across the country to distribute hygienic kits, sensitise on their use and answer a multitude of long-held questions. |
| Activities during the team meeting. Photo © GIZ |
In March 2022, S4DA facilitated a 3-day ApiAfrique team training, to bring on board a dozen of new colleagues, strengthen communication and cooperation, and exchange on topics related to menstruation, positive masculinity, and gender equality.
And there is more: S4DA and ApiAfrique are currently developing six web-based infotainment episodes aimed at teenage girls, their peers and families. Following a group of friends in their daily lives, the series addresses topics around adolescence, health, personal development through sport, female role models and positive masculinity. Stay tuned…
Contact:
catherine.daraspe@giz.de |
| ‘We practice, we gain more’ |
by Asma Mrad
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| With our partner in Tunisia, the ministry of youth and sport, we developed an educational manual on ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D), in which 60 activities were included and simulated. Now we are on the ground in 6 youth centres located in 4 different governorates all over Tunisia: Le Kef, Jendouba, Bizerte and Tozeur. |
| Youth become aware that in a team all roles are complementary, working as a team allows us to achieve a common goal. Photo © Asma Mrad, Abdelhedi Hamzaoui |
| Bearing in mind that each region has its specificities, our S4D activities reached more than 300 young people in 3 weeks. The piloting of these activities is done in parallel until June with the young people in the 6 regions. |
| Helping each other and being supportive strengthens our relationships whether at play, with family, at school or in professional life. Photo © Asma Mrad, Abdelhedi Hamzaoui |
In some of those youth centres we have organised exchanges between youths from different regions, allowing young people to explore new avenues of thought and new challenges for the future.
By practicing the S4D pedagogical approach in the field, 30 animators and inspectors gain more experience, strengthen their coaching skills and their relationships with youths, while young people become better integrated into their community and develop life skills to promote employability and prevent violence.
Contact:
asma.mrad@giz.de
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| 'Don't go out, it's raining!' |
by Catalina Prieto and Karina Frainer
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'It was impossible to approach the door without hearing that command from the other side of the house. Where I lived it had never stopped raining, I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I had seen blue sky'.
‘Don't go out, it's raining!’ is an illustrated book that tells several life stories of children, youth and adults who through sport have developed important social principles, changing their lives and that of their communities. It recognizes the benefits and impacts of the use of sport as a tool for social transformation and can be used as a pedagogical instrument in ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D) trainings.
The rain is a symbolical element to represent the existence of the armed conflict in Colombia. Perhaps ’the rain’ can be found in many other countries that are confronted with all-day violence. Sport is shown as a way to keep many of the characters away from the rain and allow them to live a life different from that offered by the leaders of illegal groups. |
| An illustration from the book 'No salgas, está lloviendo!'. Photo © book 'No salgas, está lloviendo!' |
The story of the book is based on reality and elements were selected in the contest of life stories: ’LET'S TELL SPORTS STORIES‘, in which teachers, coaches, trainers and other professionals practicing the ‘Sport with Principles’ method were invited to tell their own story. This contest was an exercise in recognition of life experiences and sought to make memory through the art of writing.
Further information:
Find the book » here
Contact:
karina.frainer@giz.de
catalina.prieto@giz.de |
| Launch of Impact Study in North Macedonia and Albania |
by Monika Veljanoska and Viviane Raub
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Can ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D) contribute to the development of teenager’s skills that are relevant for the tasks they face when graduating: Choosing a career, knowing their strengths, finding the right job?
In March 2022, the Sector Programme ‘Sport for Development’ kicked off an impact study in North Macedonia and Albania in order to find answers to this question. 560 Macedonian and Albanian students between the age of 15 and 17 filled out a digital self-assessment developed by the Sector Programme. The aim of the impact study is to a analyse a possible contribution of S4D on SDG target 8.6 on employability (Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training).
More specifically, the impact study will measure possible behavioral changes with regards to the competences ‘Communication’, ‘Cooperation’, ‘Self-Confidence & Trust’ and ‘Goal Orientation’ before and after a four months S4D intervention in Vocational Education and Training (VET) and high schools.
By conducting this impact study, GIZ and its partner, the German Sport University Cologne, hope to gain valuable insights into the impacts of S4D and the link between S4D and the SDGs.
Contact:
monika.veljanoska@giz.de
viviane.raub@giz.de |
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| Dance for Gender Equality |
by Veronique Sprenger
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| 'When I got my period for the first time, I told my uncle.' Something you don’t often hear women say, especially in contexts where it is a taboo to speak about menstruation. The 'Dance and Gender Equality training' at the 'Technical and Vocational Training Institute' in Addis Ababa helped the participants open up about these types of topics. |
| Dance is also part of the 'Sport for Development' activities. Photo © GIZ |
There is no other sport in the world that is as widely, equally, and sometimes unconsciously practiced by everyone like dance. It is therefore the perfect sport to use in 'Sport for Development' activities focused on creating awareness on gender equality. While dancing, the weight of topics like menstrual health management, gender equality, and body positivity is immediately reduced. The transformation of the participants during the training was evident. Participants went from being giggly about the topics to talking seriously about why they have the right to be treated equally. A video of the training where you can see the beautiful dances of the participants on the different topics can be found below.
About the training:
From the 28 February to 4 March 2022, the regional project Sport for Development in Africa (S4DA) organised a 10-day extra-curricular multiplier training at the Technical and Vocational Training Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The training took place at the multi-purpose court that was built by the S4DA project. Each 2 days, the training emphasised a different sport with a different topic, for example: football and safeguarding, volleyball and public speaking, and dance and gender equality. The participants were all current students of the institute with a 50/50 gender distribution. The goal of the training was to help establish the sporting culture at the institute, to enable participants to identify and understand soft skills they need for future employment and to create awareness on gender equality and safeguarding.
Further information:
» Dance for Gender Equality video on YouTube
Contact:
veronique.sprenger@giz.de |
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How partners build capacities with 'Sport for Development' |
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| Future Leaders in Football – Female Edition Workshop in Amman |
by Paula Zücker
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| In the context of the Football World Cup in Qatar, the second edition of the Future Leaders in Football (FLF) Workshop was held from 18 till 22 March in Amman, jointly organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the Sector Programme ’Sport for Development‘ (S4D) and the Regional Programme in Jordan. This year's course focused on empowering women leaders in sports, which is why an all-female edition was conducted. From 13 different countries across the Middle East and North Africa, 26 women took part in this intense 5-day leadership workshop. Under the slogan ’Developing Skills to tackle Challenges in Sport and Society‘ the participants got hands on methods to lead change in their organisations and to design sport that contributes not only to the development of sport itself but to each person’s development. |
| 26 women from 13 different countries at the Future Leaders in Football Workshop in Amman. Photo © GIZ |
The days were fully packed with insightful lectures on leadership challenges, guest speaker inputs, practical sessions, teamwork activities in Amman and, most importantly, an energetic group of participants. It was truly enlightening to see these young women enjoying the intense and challenging program, always laughing, eager to learn and exchanging experiences. To get a better impression of the atmosphere during the workshop two follow-up interviews were conducted with one of the participants, Fatima Zahra Benfares from Morocco, and one of the moderators, Haneen Alkhatib from Jordan.
What were your expectations for the workshop and how were they fulfilled?
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| Fatima Zahra Benfares from Morocco took part in the workshop. Photo © GIZ |
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Fatima: It’s hard to have expectations when you sign up for an entirely new programme, going through an experience that’s different from anything you have been through before. I was especially looking forward to learning from experts on leadership. The experience as it happened, ended up beyond my expectations. The way the programme was constructed, kept us engaged and interested throughout the entire time. Because what often happens during workshops is that the brain just loses energy, and you cannot concentrate anymore. But this programme was very well balanced between practical and theoretical interactive session, listening to guest speakers and fun activities. |
| Haneen Alkhatib from Jordan was one of the moderators. Photo © GIZ |
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Haneen: Having 26 participants from 13 different countries was a big challenge for the preparation as we had to put a lot of effort into understanding the context of the different cultures. But at the same time, this was extremely enriching for us, the moderators, and I had the feeling we learned a lot by doing this. Furthermore, it was a very valuable experience for me to work with the GIZ sector programme and German Football Federation, as I got more insights into their work and was able to make new contacts. We had a very diverse group of participants, some working as young leading administrators in football federations, some being football players themselves, some working for sports NGOs. These diverse personalities were covering so many different aspects of leadership and complemented each other very well.
What were your personal highlights of the workshop?
Fatima: One of my highlights was the DISC-test, as I got the chance to learn more about myself. It reminded me that change has to start with me: first, I have to work on myself to become a good leader, and then a change in my organisation and eventually in society will happen. This was my first time attending a workshop that was all female. I did not know what to expect but I was so overwhelmed by the amount of support and the sense of female community from this group. It was so touching for me, when I realised that we all go through similar challenges and we all can relate to each other’s experiences in one way or another. We, the participants, are already discussing S4D collaborations that we could do with our different organisations. This community, which I am sure off will stay with me for the rest of my life, was one of the most precious things that I am going to take away from this workshop.
Haneen: For me, the greatest highlight was the panel discussion. I was really impressed by the guest speakers, Princess Lara, Rana Husseini and Sawsam Qadomi, even though I already knew them from my community, but the way they shared their personal experiences and challenges in the sports field was extremely encouraging and motivating. I think this was also reflected in the reaction of the participants who were so actively participating in the discussion and asking many questions. And, of course, the panel discussion was also a very personal highlight for me, as I was so nervous to moderate it, but when I saw that everyone enjoyed it, I knew I was doing a good job.
How do you want to use the skills and knowledge learned during the FLF in your regional context/job?
Fatima: It was my first time during this workshop that I have studied the methodology of 'Sport for Development' more comprehensively and even planned such a S4D session myself. With this knowledge, I would like to be more involved in planning and developing the training sessions at the LEAD Academy in Morocco. I want to teach other coaches the S4D method and integrate such training sessions on a regular basis in our programme.
Haneen: In our regional project in Jordan, we have this youth leadership project where we coach young women and men to become youth leaders in their communities and sports federations (football, handball, basketball, frisbee). We are now planning on integrating the leadership methods we taught during the FLF in the next youth leadership workshop, as we think the participants would benefit from them a lot. |
| The participants after a practical session. Photo © GIZ |
These statements speak for themselves and clearly emphasize the success of this workshop. The biggest surprise of the workshop was the visit of H.E.Mr. Ayman Riad Saeid Almuflih, Minister for Social Development in Jordan, who came by together with the Programme Director Nasser al Khoori of Generation Amazing to greet the participants and to express his words of appreciation for the workshop. Even though time flew by way too fast and saying goodbye was not easy, neither for the participants nor for the organisation team, this was certainly not the last time this group saw each other. What will remain is a strong network of female leaders, collaboratively striving for social change and with the message of Rana Husseini in their hearts: ’Fight together, not against each other. This way you can achieve anything.’
Further information:
» Get some more impressions with a video from the workshop on YouTube
Contact:
paula.zuecker@giz.de |
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| GIZ teams up with UNESCO’s sports-based Flagship Programme ‘Fit for Life’ |
by Anja Frings and Susanne Gaerte
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On 15 November 2021, UNESCO launched its sport flagship initiative ‘Fit for Life’. The new initiative is led by UNESCO’s Sport Section and aims to create a global compact using sport as high-yield investment for transformative change.
New UNESCO data revealed that physical inactivity, mental health problems and social inequalities are intersecting crises that have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and have had a disproportionate impact on young people, changing or even destroying their learning careers and life perspectives. Existing inequalities were exacerbated, especially affecting women, young people, girls and children with disabilities. According to OECD, anxiety and depression increased by 200% amongst youth and 70% of teachers reported that physical and mental health of students worsened. |
| Fit for Life: impacts of COVID-19. Graphic © UNESCO Digital Library |
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GIZ’s 'Sport for Development' (S4D) programme is proud to be part of the flagship initiative and member of the ‘Fit for Life’ partners consultation group consisting of, among others, the World Health Organization (WHO), UEFA, the Commonwealth Secretariat, Yunus Sports Hub, Nike, and the Global Observatory on Women and Sport. The consultation group members advise and co-design a road map for an integrated data ecosystem combining insights from sport, physical education and physical activity, support Member States’ capacities for inclusive sport and the efforts to scale public and private investments.
The core topics for the cooperation between GIZ and UNESCO will be evidence-based monitoring & evaluation, capacity development and youth empowerment through tailor-made trainings. S4D will further bring in its existing Impact Indicator frameworks and the results of the ongoing impact studies in Albania and North Macedonia, Northern Iraq, Colombia, Tunisia, and Morocco.
Being part of ‘Fit for Life’ will bring S4D closer to UNESCO’s huge network and programmes, create synergies between approaches and activities, strengthen sport as a tool for development and unleash potential for the global programme to come. Against this background, we are looking forward to further elaborating the partnership in the ongoing key partner consultations to contributing to the operationalization of global standards and the development of the champion country change programme to jointly bring about transformative change through sport.
Further information:
» Fit for Life: using sport to drive health, education and equality outcomes
» The Global Observatory on Women and Sport has been established as an incubating association in Lausanne, Switzerland
» Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO, discusses how UNESCO is using sport to tackle three intersecting global challenges worsened by COVID-19: physical inactivity, mental health issues and inequality.
Contact:
anja.frings@giz.de
susanne.gaerte@giz.de |
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| 'Sport for Development' meets Kyrgyzstan for Youth Employability! |
by Luise Haunit
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When you mention sport in Kyrgyzstan, you mainly mean competitive and professional sport. That really raises a concern on whether the beneficiaries will be able to have another outlook on sport and to be able to use it for development goals. It was a challenge that two international experts and GIZ Kyrgyzstan took on.
Between November 17 and November 21, 2021, a 4-day training with 30 sport schools, clubs and academy coaches from different sport codes (football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, gymnastics) and from all-over Kyrgyzstan was successfully delivered in Bishkek by two 'Sport for Development' (S4D) expert instructors. Their experience was quite positive and interesting as they watched coaches tuning-in and becoming more aware of the power of sport outside the context of professional and competitive sport! |
| Interview with Samia Khatib (left), S4D Consultant and Moritz Janke (right), Lernort Stadion, at the workshop. Photo © GIZ |
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The S4D expert instructor coming from Lebanon, Ms. Samia Khatib conveyed to the coaches the essential information on S4D’s 5 principles as well on different methods to communicate with youth about employability and teach them the necessary skills and competences to promote the local youth’s employability on the pitch and outside the pitch.
Mr. Moritz Janke, the VfB Stuttgart football trainer, coming from Germany, also supported the theoretical teachings in the training and conducted the practical sessions with the coaches in the gym, transferring many ideas of games and pedagogical activities to the coaches that can be used during training sessions to promote employability skills with children and youth.
To know more about their experience, we’ve asked them three questions about the workshop that they delivered in Bishkek:
Spo(r)tlight on!: What were your specific roles in the training which took place in Bishkek?
Samia: My role was that of the lead expert in this training of trainers (ToT) by putting together the agenda and the content (questionnaires and educational materials, presentations…), delivering mainly the theoretical materials of the workshop and working in tandem with Moritz on the group activities and practical sessions. Together we conveyed to the coaches the S4D essentials through lecturing, group work, play and learn activities.
Moritz: I was mainly responsible for the practical part in the ToT. During 3 practical sessions, my specific role was to show the participants how to use soccer for employability in an S4D context, along with supporting the theoretical content with Samia.
Spo(r)tlight on!: What did you like most about the training?
Samia: I liked that there were different backgrounds and expertise in the group - different sports, different understandings of employability and S4D - which really enriched the workshop, created a positive atmosphere and a cohesive yet diverse group. Even though there was a language barrier we were still able to joke and talk about different things like cultural differences, sports in different settings, and food.
Moritz: To see how the participants developed an understanding of S4D during the 4 days of the training.
Spo(r)tlight on!: What would you describe as something specific Kyrgyz/Central Asian in your S4D experience?
Samia: Traditional and school games are really context specific and women’s involvement in sport is quite low.
Moritz: The polite feedback culture and the welcoming kindness of the participants and organisers.
Spo(r)tlight on!: Thank you very much for taking the time, Samia and Moritz.
Going forward:
It was a very positive experience for both experts in the Central Asian region as well as for the participants who expressed their willingness and their wishes to participate in more trainings to build their capacities in S4D (as per their responses on the survey) and to support the topic of employability. Going forward it is good to see that despite sport being only competitive in Kyrgyzstan, the coaches were able to take on this new approach for development. Also, it is valuable to note that the GIZ and beneficiaries can definitely gain more by working in S4D in sports like volleyball, athletics, and martial arts and traditional games instead of football alone, in such a diverse and rich cultural and sporting background to be able to reach a bigger number of youth and young women in marginalised areas and rural regions.
Contact:
luise.haunit@giz.de
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| Women around the World - Changemakers and Game Changers |
by Eleonora Hoffmann, Franziska Mühler, and Mark Grasy
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We want to be loud, speak up and raise our voices, and tell our stories. We want to show what we do and why the issue of "breaking the bias" concerns us all.
On 8 March 2022, the International Women’s Day was celebrated with the theme ’Break the Bias‘. The GIZ Sport for Development (S4D) sector and regional programmes used this day and the GIZ Gender Week to highlight our female-oriented activities. The incredible women we highlighted stand up for gender equality worldwide, live the change, and are inspiring changemakers. These women draw attention to themselves in their fields and make an essential contribution to breaking the bias for others. |
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| 'Sport for Development' encourages young women achieving gender equality. Photo © GIZ |
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The week started by demonstrating that stereotypes and fixed roles are still predominant in sport and need to be broken down by strong women like Mariam and Veronique. Young Moroccan and Senegalese women continued the campaign on Tuesday with their strong voices on gender equality and S4D. We could see and hear that their experiences in sport; their activities make them more confident and help develop their personality. The Kenya Deaf Basketball Federation (KDBF) presented themselves and their approach to gender equality and inclusion. Miriam Opondo, the President of the KDBF, supported the female team until they could compete on the international level like the male team does. In Thursday’s video strong changemakers from Morocco speak up about their experiences with discrimination when participating in sports. They find themselves in a position where they must deal with objectification and reduction to certain roles due to gender-based stereotypes.
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| 'Sport for Development' supports young women in many ways. Photo © GIZ |
| How can Sarah keep boxing? |
by Eleonore Hoffmann, Mariam Ibrahim, Mark Grasy, and Veronique Sprenger
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Many young women overcome the initial obstacles to joining sports. All over the world, girls convince their parents to let them participate in what they are passionate about. But, as girls grow up, obstacles can get bigger and more challenging to overcome. Sarah is a young woman who enjoys doing sports, but she faces major challenges. She is inspired by her heroes, superstars like Christine Mboma (Namibia), Faith Kipyegon (Kenya), Amy Sène (Senegal), the Dibaba sisters (Ethiopia), and Ines Boubakri (Tunisia) who have come before her as trailblazers overcoming the loneliness at the top.
Sarah is a 13-year-old girl from 'Maleistan' (your neighbouring country) who wants to practice boxing. In society’s eyes, boxing is a sport for men. Sarah’s family has their doubts about a girl boxing. Luckily her family is different from many other families. Her father, a strong advocate for the benefits of physical education, convinced her mother that boxing is more about fitness and less about aggression. Her brother, a passionate football player with a broken leg, knows the burden of not being able to follow one’s passion. On crutches, he took Sarah to the boxing gym for the first time where she meets Axel, the trainer. He had trained a champion before, who started with him when she was Sarah’s age. So, Axel knows. He knows about the obstacles in Sarah’s way to participating in training, starting with society’s perception of the sport, the fears of a family for their girl, the opinions of others in the gym, and the biological and financial aspects of participation. |
| Male allies play an important role in achieving gender equality. Photo © Veronique Sprenger |
Although Sarah is supported by her family, she will still have to overcome many more obstacles in boxing. As she turns 14, she starts menstruating. Her parents educated her well on menstrual hygiene and the developments her body will experience over the coming years. However, her family is not very wealthy, and she has limited access to the products she needs to deal with her menstruation. Axel had already observed her outstanding talent and supported her with boxing gloves, but she cannot go to him for menstrual products. She talks about it with the only other girl in the boxing gym, who is older than her. The girl realises that Sarah needs a sustainable solution and introduces her to the menstrual cup. A silicone cup that will last Sarah many years and will help her through her menstrual cycles comfortably.
As Sarah turns 15, her body starts developing. She gets growing pains and considers quitting boxing. She realises she needs more supportive clothing, but unsure how to find and pay for it. Over the years of training, she has encouraged younger girls to join the boxing gym and become their role model. As such, she has started helping at the boxing gym. Now her coach recognises that she needs more financial independence and asks her to start coaching the younger girls as a side job. Sarah is ecstatic about this opportunity. It allows her to take her position as role model more seriously. Now she can afford better sports clothes, including a sports bra. |
| 'Sport for Development' provides a safe, enjoyable, and inclusive learning environment for all. Photo © Tom Völkel |
How can we help Sarah keep boxing? We need to know the obstacles and conditions that impact female participation in sport. Through her coach’s encouragement, through the younger girls looking up to her, and through her new financial independence, Sarah was able to thrive in the sport she loves. The male allies in Sarah’s story encourage women and girls to participate in sport, feel safe, supported, and welcomed. To have more of these allies, we must raise awareness foster tolerance. Building these community support networks goes hand in hand with peer-to-peer mentorship and financial independence.
Contact:
eleonora.hoffmann@giz.de
mariam.ibrahim@giz.de
mark.grasy@giz.de
veronique.sprenger@giz.de |
| Setting the Stage for Women in Sports |
by Catherine Daraspe
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On 22 March, Dakar hosted the first edition of the Sport Impact Awards (SIA), bringing together representatives from civil society, governments, international organisations, and the world of sports, to celebrate the engagement and achievements of initiatives on the African continent committed to changing lives through sport.
Earlier that same day, a remarkable group of female professional athletes, coaches, sports executives, and administrators from Senegal and France came together on a rooftop in the old city center, following an invitation from Sport Impact in cooperation with the French Embassy, the French Development Agency (AFD) and GIZ’s ’Sport for Development in Africa‘ project. |
| Women in sports get together. Photo © sportencommun / makosiprod |
Basketball players Diandra Tchatchouang and Astou Ndiaye, boxer Estelle Mossely, footballer Laura Georges, track and field runner Gnima Faye, and traditional wrestler Eveline Diatta had cleared their schedules to meet and exchange with female students from the National Sports Institute (INSEPS) and participants from Special Olympics.
Openly sharing some of the biggest challenges and greatest achievements of their careers, the sportswomen testified to the positive impact of sport on their lives. While they did stress how much determination, resilience, and hard work are necessary for a woman to succeed in this line of work, they also firmly encouraged their young audience to ’go out there‘ and own the (sports) space, stating that ’the sky is just the beginning!’.
Contact:
catherine.daraspe@giz.de |
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| Good Start into 2022 for the S4D Learning Lab – Gender Equality and Workshops in Arabic |
by Anja Frings
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| The ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D) Learning Lab is in full swing. A total of 465 (184 female and 281 male) participants have taken part in 16 web seminars and workshops since January 2022. Among the most popular courses is the workshop on gender equality. 33 participants (18 female, 15 male) met in the February workshop which saw a wide spread of countries amongst them the Philippines, Lebanon, Austria, Namibia, India, Burundi, United States, Bangladesh, Kenya. Participants discussed how sport can contribute to SDG5 (Gender Equality) and how to implement sport sessions to convey gender-focused competences and skills. There were vivid discussions on gender-related aspects like safe-guarding, child protection, masculinity, and the Do-No-Harm approach. The participants are now able to use existing resources and implement gender-related contents in their own working context. |
| Excerpt Workshop Padlet of the Workshop 'Sport for Gender Equality' 9-11 February 2022. Photo © GIZ |
We were very curious to see how the workshops in Arabic would be received. They were met with a great response. In February and March, the German Sport University Cologne (GSU) and GIZ ran two introductory web seminars and two workshops on employability and health. A total of 102 participants (40 female, 62 male) from various countries like Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq attended the events. The participants were very engaged in S4D. They appreciated and promoted a multicultural exchange since Arab countries have on many levels great differences and similarities alike. There was some debate on gender roles in the framework of employability as well as a strong demand for a workshop on the matter. Therefore, we decided to add a workshop on sport for gender equality in Arabic to our portfolio. Most probably it will take place in June, dates to be determined.
Further information:
» Check the S4D Learning Lab calendar in May for more Arabic web seminars on monitoring and evaluation and for another workshop on Sport for Gender Equality in June.
Contact:
anja.frings@giz.de |
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| Overcoming COVID-19 – Some personal Insights and Impressions from an ‘Sports for Development’ Athlete |
by Timothy Engel
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In early February 2022 I got infected with COVID-19. As a vaccinated marathon runner, I assumed that I would get through the infection at best symptom-free. After all, many ‘Sport for Development’-work colleagues had gotten COVID-19 and been back at work after just two days. It was not to be: From day one the infection felt like a flu, heavy limbs, headache, fatigue. A week after my positive test, I tested negative and returned to work. However, on the second day back at the office, I was so tired and plagued by headaches that I called in sick again and stayed mostly in bed for the next two days.
Two weeks after infection I finally felt like myself again and even ventured on a very slow jog and, eventually, a 1.5-hour bike ride. Another week later, the COVID-19 symptoms came back and knocked me back to square one, in terms of recovery. Frustrated, I turned to two other ambitious amateur athletes, in this case road cyclists. Both had taken a two-month break from sports after infection – an unfathomably long time when you are in a decent training rhythm! |
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| Timothy Engel is a dedicated marathon runner. Photo © GIZ |
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Talking to them helped me a lot as I realised, I am not the only one who can’t get right back into action after infection. After five weeks, I began training again, using a heart rate monitor as safety measure, and this time there was no rebound of COVID-19 symptoms. Nonetheless I had to abandon the idea of running a marathon in April and instead signed up for one in October.
It’s important for coaches and athletes to know that COVID-19 infections can be completely different for everyone. A trained athlete with a rest pulse of 40 can feel just as ill as a self-professed couch potato. Coaches should encourage recovered athletes to:
- listen to their body, monitor their heart rate while working out, and take as much time off as they need.
- not view a negative test as an automatic 'go ahead' and rush back to training. After all, the people lying on intensive care units also test negative 14 days after infection.
- speak with other athletes who are struggling so they understand they are not the only ones.
- see a doctor three weeks after infection and, if possible, perform an abdominal ultrasound and lung capacity test
As I write this, it has been 2 months since infection and only now do I feel like I can really train properly again. The two athletes I interviewed are back in shape and at the top of their game – a long process, but with a clear endpoint. As sport (for development) promoters we should always put the health and well-being of our target groups first – without forgetting about our own.
Contact:
timothy.engel@giz.de |
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by Hannes Utescher and Tim Birnbrich
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Environmentally friendly mobility concepts, inclusion and integration, sustainable sporting events, fair merchandising or education for sustainable development - all these are great examples from sport organisations as well as sport-related actors from business and civil society that already make a significant contribution to sustainable development.
To showcase these examples and provide a platform for exchange on sustainability matters, German development cooperation together with its partners is currently implementing the 'Let’s change the game'-series . Sport takes on responsibility for the future and addresses related topics around sustainability – this is the key message. In five cities in Germany, the focus will be on the commitment of sport, sport-related business and civil society. Stops are planned i.a. with Lernort Stadion and the German Football League Foundation in Berlin, Viva con Agua in Hamburg and at the Munich based European Championships. |
| Let's change the game for more sustainability. Photo © GIZ |
The first event will be a sustainability matchday jointly planned by 1. FC Köln. The sustainability matchday will take place on 23 April on the occasion of a home game from 1. FC Köln against Arminia Bielefeld. Under the motto ’live sustainably‘ various measures are planned around the event. This includes a S4D workshop for local coaches of sports clubs, compensation of CO² emissions as well as activities of 1. FC Köln in and around the stadium together with its fans such as waste collecting. To honor the partnership with 1. FC Köln the BMZ’s Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Kofler will join the event.
Contact:
hannes.utescher@giz.de
tim.birnbrich@giz.de
sv-sfe@giz.de |
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