India: opportunities for children through sport
In the northeast of India plagued by crises, Sport brings children together whose families have been hostile to each other for decades.
"I'm proud of my daughter," says Hechin's father, "she plays football so well!" Hechin is 14 years old and has been kicking for two years. They play here in mixed teams: girls and boys, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and children of traditional religions, long -established and new people. Hechin particularly loves the "Circle": "After training, we sit down in a circle and talk: How we felt when someone did not give up the ball in time or a pass has gone next to it. We apologize when someone is angry. And then everything is fine. We are a team! "
Your support for strong children!
“We're talking. And then everything is fine. "
This is not a matter of course in northeastern India: conflicts between the state and ethnic groups, between religions, between immigrants and locals have been smoldering for decades. Thousands of families have lost relatives in the fights. Distrust and fear shape the neighborhoods. Everyone loses: the economy stagnates, people are bitterly low. Children and adolescents have little chance. The schools are poorly equipped, there is a lack of books and teachers, rooms and toilets. Many break school at the age of 12 or 13 and are looking for work.
“We apologize when someone is angry. And then everything is fine. We are a team! "
ANT's Terre des Hommes project partners – Action Northeast Trust – are now providing better prospects: 48 schools are offering teacher training to make lessons more engaging and child-friendly. School libraries encourage reading. Career counseling offers young people guidance. And a sports program has been established: 25 teams of 20 children each play soccer or Frisbee. 200 girls are being trained by ANT to become coaches. Hechin is one of them. Soon, she will coach a team of younger children. "Before, only boys could play soccer. Now we girls are involved too!" she says, adding: "Sport makes us strong, all together!" During her training, Hechin is learning not only the rules of the game, but also how to speak in front of groups, motivate others, and resolve conflicts. Her mother is convinced that soccer is a wonderful thing: "The children no longer loiter. They come home from school, eat something, and off they go to practice. Now they have a goal!"