Like Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, and other heroes before them, the ten brave men and women of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team remind us how sports can be a powerful force for social good.
At GlobalGiving, we're proud to support vetted, high-impact nonprofits using sports to improve their communities. Like the Maasai leaders in Kenya who are replacing traditional lion hunts with an Olympics of their own. Or the children with disabilities who are breaking out of isolation through wheelchair basketball in Russia.
With your support, the six projects below can achieve something even greater than Olympic gold – they'll change lives.
Maasai Olympics: Ending Lion Killings In Kenya
a project by Big Life Foundation USA
Wild African lions have declined by 75% in 20 years. In Maasai culture, it is custom for males to kill lions as a rite of passage. Maasai leaders asked for assistance from Big Life to end the lion hunts. In response, the Maasai Olympics were created to provide a transformative alternative.
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Children in Motion: Together is Better
a project by Regional Society of Disabled People Perspektiva
In Russia, children with disabilities (CWD) are still isolated in their homes, segregated in special schools, and excluded from their communities. The disability NGO Perspektiva aims to improve this situation by offering inclusive youth sports opportunities.
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We Own Our Future
a project by El Desafio Foundation
Children living in poverty and social exclusion in Argentina can profit from sports and learn life skills needed to face their present and start dreaming a better future. Through football (soccer) and field hockey we can prevent criminality, avoid truancy, make sure kids have a healthy lifestyle while having fun.
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Cycling & Sports for Palestinian Children in Gaza
a project by Middle East Children's Alliance
Gaza is one of the most densely populated places in the world and there are few places for children to play, especially in the refugee camps. Social restrictions further impede girls' access to outdoor sports.
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Basketball Clinic for 500 Kids in Nigeria
a project by Timeout for Africa
Providing youth with school supplies, basketball and life skills will provide a platform for them to become model citizens. Children will learn that education and team sports can help their social attitudes towards working together for the betterment of selves and their community.
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Empower 200 Girls in India Through Sports
CREA's "It's My Body!" campaign will inform 200 adolescent girls in India about their sexual and reproductive rights through the medium of sports. This project will ultimately embolden these young girls to affirm their sexual rights so as to combat child marriage and son preference.
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As always, thank you for your generosity and we hope you enjoy the rest of the games!
Warmly,
Will Frechette + the GlobalGiving Team
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