Sport Brazil Project #70664

Promoting Education and Opportunity through Rugby

by Associacao UmRio OneRio

Promoting Education and Opportunity through Rugby

Project Report | Feb 20, 2026
Level the Playing Field

By Robert Malengreau | Founder & CEO

At the start of 2026, UmRio continues to expand its reach across Greater Rio de Janeiro. Our programmes currently operate in seven partner schools, delivering more than 70 hours each week of sport, learning and personal development opportunities for children and young people from underprivileged communities.

This year marks an important phase of growth. In the coming months, we will launch in an additional partner school, extending our work to a new community. We are also introducing two new initiatives: a Museum Learning programme, connecting students with art museums to strengthen creativity and critical thinking, and a Secondary School Entrance Exam preparation programme, helping students from low-income backgrounds access higher-quality public education and broaden their future opportunities.

Recent months have also brought important achievements and recognition. Our young rugby players took part in their first national competition, while our robotics team proudly finished second in the Brazilian National Robotics Championship. In addition, UmRio was honoured with an award at the 2025 BrazilFoundation Gala, recognising the impact of our work with young people in vulnerable communities.

Beyond our direct delivery, we are supporting local partner organisations to develop data collection systems to monitor the mental health impacts of periods of community violence, enabling earlier identification of risks and more effective support.

Early 2026 data continues to show positive trends in mental health, confidence and sense of belonging.

Thank you to our GlobalGiving supporters. Your generosity makes this progress possible and helps create safer, stronger futures for young people across Rio.

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Oct 24, 2025
Leveling the Playing Field with Associacao UmRio

By Carlyn Rodgers | Public Relations & Fundraising Officer

Since the start of 2025, UmRio has continued expanding its reach and deepening its impact across the greater metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. Today, our programs operate in seven partner schools, offering over 72 hours of extracurricular learning, sport, and development opportunities each week to children and young people from underprivileged and marginalized communities across Greater Rio. Guided by our Five Pillars of Programming - Rugby, Education, Healthcare, Employability, and Social Welfare - we have provided holistic support that meets our participants’ needs both inside and outside the classroom. Alongside our ongoing activities, our specialized campaigns have addressed critical community challenges, from hunger and lack of access to essential healthcare to educational exclusion and growing illiteracy.

Since the launch of our GlobalGiving campaign, UmRio’s 2025 mid-year data has shown meaningful improvements across essential participant indicators, including mental health (+13%), self-esteem (+9%), resilience (+6%), self-confidence (+4%), and sense of belonging (+2%) - all of which show important positive trends. Students have also reported greater communication skills and improved financial literacy, reflecting the growing strength of our education and employability pillars. These results reaffirm our integrated approach, where rugby serves as both an entry point and a catalyst for lasting personal and social transformation.

The past three months have also marked major milestones for UmRio as an organization. In August, we installed official rugby posts on our pitch, marking the favela of Morro do Castro, our longest partner community, as having the only official rugby pitch in the state of Rio de Janeiro. This development represents a major investment in our students and their futures, creating a dedicated, safe, and inspiring space for learning and growth. In October, UmRio was featured on Globo Esporte - a subsidiary of Globo, Brazil’s largest television network - which showcased the transformative impact of our work. These achievements reflect not only our commitment to our students, but also the growing recognition of UmRio’s model as a blueprint for inclusive youth development.

We at UmRio extend our immense gratitude to all of our GlobalGiving supporters whose generosity continues to make this progress possible. Your belief in our mission helps us to level the playing field for young people across Greater Rio de Janeiro and to create opportunities where they are most needed. We invite you to continue standing with us - through your ongoing support and by following our future updates - as we keep building brighter, more equitable futures.

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