FIFA to inject Rwf100bn in football among Rwandan schools
World football governing body (FIFA) has allocated a staggering USD 100 million (over Rwf100 billion) budget to ensure a successful implementation of the “Football for Schools (F4S)” programme in Rwanda prior to its official launch on Monday, March 13, in Kigali.
The programme’s official launch comes just 72 hours before the 73rd FIFA Congress convenes in Kigali on March 16.
The project seeks to make football more accessible to both boys and girls around the world by incorporating football activities into the education system, in partnership with relevant authorities and stakeholders for it to contribute to the education, development and empowerment of children.
The programme, which targets to reach out to more than 4,000 schools in Rwanda with the aim to contribute to the education, development and empowerment of around 700 million children around the globe.
The launch day will contain more than 100 kids and 40 teachers/coaches in a very visual event. A lot of FIFA stakeholders including the Director of the Program, Fatimata Sidibe, will be in attendance.
The Football for Schools Programme has been designed to promote targeted life skills and competencies through football and contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other priorities.
In April 2019 in Kigali, FIFA delegates held a meeting with then Sports Minister Esperance Nyirasafari together with the State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education at the Ministry of Education and discussed the football development program.
In Rwanda, the program will be implemented through a partnership between MINISPORTS/MINEDUC and Rwanda’s football governing body (Ferwafa).
Why schools?
Schools remain the most effective and efficient avenue in which to engage young people in sport. While FIFA, and its Member Associations, provide support to countless local associations and clubs that compete in leagues, FIFA, in collaboration with UNESCO, is committed to ensuring that children at school receive opportunities. This is especially important in countries that do not have an effective club structure.
The F4S Programme aims to ensure that football is accessible to all learners, without discrimination. Anyone who wants to play football must know that it is possible to do so through their school or community, using the facilities available in the country. While the main remit of this programme is to support the provision of football coaching and equipment to schools, FIFA encourages its member associations and in-country partners to recognise the importance of engaging with out-of-school youngsters.
Given that many schools lack equipment and qualified personnel to deliver football activities, FIFA will provide equipment (footballs) through its MAs as well as this online learning platform and a mobile application that provides easy-to-use content for training sessions. It is hoped that the platform will help educators, coaches and parents to better support, deliver and manage F4S activities in their schools and communities.
The Football for Schools Programme can enable schools to tackle a range of social issues, while providing an attractive vehicle in which to engage and educate learners, and even motivate educators too.
The Programme is not designed to detract from teaching or classroom time, and it is in fact intended to complement the efforts of educators and advance education outcomes, thus assisting governments. Football is capable of playing a vital role in the education system and acting as a “school of life”.
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