All you need is a ball, some space, and a bunch of kids. The game, loved world over, has been used by not-for-profits to help kids from less-privileged backgrounds. Some of the kids who are a part of the programmes go on to take up the sport professionally, either as players or coaches. Most are benefited in ways that go beyond the game: their energy is channelised towards a positive goal, their sense of self and body image improves and they are more likely to stay in school longer, say these leaders who use the universal appeal of the game to try and make a change. Most programmes start early, at 8, and go upto high school.
Slum Soccer
In 2002, when Vijay Barse, a professor at a college in Nagpur began the venture, football wasn’t all that it is today. He was also one of first to recognize its potential. He himself had come from a less-privileged background, and wanted to make a difference in the lives of children. In 2007, his son, Abhijeet Barse took over as CEO, dissatisfied with a life in the US as a post-doctoral scholar.
Today, Slum Soccer has 7 programmes and just his year will impact 35,000 children across 40 schools (mostly government) in 6 states. The challenges are many: “We get told that children will be better off spending time studying in the classroom rather than playing on the field,” he says. Surprisingly, this comes not just from parents, but also teachers and funders. But the organisation persists. “A number of the children who we worked with are now programme managers and work closely with me. There have been young boys whose fathers were alcoholic, and who have now found their voices and are leaders,” says Abhijeet. The programmes talk about everything from life skills to child rights, hygiene and sanitation. “It’s possible to do this in a fun way through soccer. If I want to talk about gender, all I do is get the girls and boys to play together,” he says.
Just For Kicks
Founded in 2011 by Vikas Plakkot, in Pune and Neha Sahu in Mumbai, this NGO believes that life skills feed into the broader idea of empowerment. Both got the idea when they were Teach for India fellows and they saw huge gaps in learning and life skills. They felt that the latter could help with the former too. Both were into sport when they were younger and realised its potential to help kids develop as individuals. “We were exploring sports proven to be effective in giving lower-privileged kids an advantage. Globally, the most used sport was football that encouraged international citizenship too,” says Plakkot.
Today they work in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Dharwar, with government and low-budget private schools across 48 sessions a year. Like other organisations working in this segment, they conduct sessions with parents and help children with awareness about nutrition, menstruation, hygiene. “Coping with emotions and stress, thinking critically, making logical decisions, developing team-playing abilities -- these are the gaps we hope to bridge,” says Plakkot. Their coaches are professionals or people who have been into the sport and will commit to a year of training. They are proud to say that one of their kids got selected in the FIFA Football with Friendship tournament this year and that a child from one their first batches is now a pro coach with them and other teams.
Other NGOs that work with football:
Indian Football Foundation founded by Bhaichung Bhutia works through its own network and that of other NGOs
Yuwa works with girls in Jharkhand through football, to help change the way the community views women
The Football Link has a scholarship fund to support talented, underprivileged players through coaching and kits
