Play International, one of the first NGO’s in using sports for education and social change, just received a donation from Swatch who decided to support its Playdagogy program which offers children opportunities to learn and develop life skills through play.
Two of our Girineza children, Joseph and Audrick, feature in the Play International/Swatch campaign. In this photo they were cheering for their team during sports activities in Buterere, Bujumbura, with Play International animators.
“UNICEF estimates that 120 million children around the world are defined as street children. In Burundi, particularly in Bujumbura, this phenomenon is very important, because there are 2000 children there that find themselves in this situation. Given this situation, PL4Y International was asked to teach and present Playdagogie to the professionals that were opening the centers to better improve the living conditions of these children. 20 people from five associations were trained, of whom were certain assistant animators of Pl4y International and a NGO partner from the Congo.
Started in September 2014, this project was completed in late February with the certifications given to all the trained participants after 6 months of training.
The objective of this training was to provide additional keys to these professionals, so that they, through the game, could find other ways to convey educational messages to these children.
Faced daily with violence and the dangers of the street, these children develop aggressive behavior and lose all social baring. Sport and play thus appear as particularly efficient means to renew social ties and contribute to the reintegration of these children in the community.” (quote from Play International’s website)
Here a video that explains Playdagogy with children with handicap:
For more info on Play International’s activities in Burundi and in other countries, click here.
GIRINEZA 