The Favela Street Foundation creates a new generation of role models with the power of street football in deprived neighborhoods around the world. This new generation of role models will change their neighborhoods into a more positive and safer place. Although our programs targets 20 to 30 young people per program, we are convinced that the entire community can be reached. We base this on the social network theory. Within six steps (six degrees of separation) the whole world knows each other because acquaintances of yours know others. So within three to four steps our participants quickly reach the entire community with a positive change. We want to bring a culture change and that require... read more The Favela Street Foundation creates a new generation of role models with the power of street football in deprived neighborhoods around the world. This new generation of role models will change their neighborhoods into a more positive and safer place. Although our programs targets 20 to 30 young people per program, we are convinced that the entire community can be reached. We base this on the social network theory. Within six steps (six degrees of separation) the whole world knows each other because acquaintances of yours know others. So within three to four steps our participants quickly reach the entire community with a positive change. We want to bring a culture change and that requires more. It's therefore important that we "touch" people so that they too start to believe in a positive change. Studies of cultural changes - and in particular influencing current stereotypes - show that a critical mass (percentage of people who disagree with the current standard) of 30% is necessary to bring sustainable change. For Favela Street, this means not reaching the entire neighborhood, but showing 30% of the people within our reach that things can be done differently. Favela Street programs target young people facing social exclusion as they grow up in deprived neighborhoods. Because of this social exclusion, they are less likely to receive good education, work or prospect of a positive future. Society says to these young people "you are not participating". In addition, they grow up in neighborhoods where they often have to deal with negative influences such as drugs, gangs, police violence and poverty. These factors can have a huge impact on the self-image, well-being and mindset of young people. By focusing on the development of young people, we ensure sustainable positive change in the neighborhood. Because we believe in the strength, talent and potential of these young people, we have created a program that supports them towards a positive (er) future. We teach them practical skills, how they can organize sports activities as a coach for their neighborhood. They develop their (psycho) social skills, they learn to take responsibility for and direct their future, they are better able to make conscious and sensible choices, they are less negatively influenced. In short, a new generation of role models is emerging. This new generation ensures a lasting positive change in the neighborhood. Because we want to make sure that our program actually makes a positive change in the lives of young people and their neighborhoods, we have developed a special measuring instrument. This was done by research agency XOET, the measuring instrument provides insight at two levels: 1. In the objectives and progression of our participants. 2. In the impact of the individual progression of participants on their communities. We believe that you can only bring sustainable (cultural) change in young people and their communities if you apply a qualitative and personal approach for a longer period. By comparing results at different times, we - and the young people themselves - gain insight into their progress, which provides even more motivation to keep moving forward. In addition, we can determine whether the program really works. Because we want to know whether our program is causing a culture change within the community, gaining insight into our impact is part of the measuring instrument. Based on principles from social network theory, we find out whether we are achieving sufficient "critical mass" to bring a cultural change in the neighborhood. We do this through the young people we train in our programs, but also through the activities organized in the neighborhood.
Each of GlobalGiving’s nonprofit partners is required to send quarterly donor reports detailing the impact of their work. Here are some of their recent updates: