Sports for Lebanese Children Affected by Conflict

Despite ongoing political tensions in Lebanon we were able to organize a psychosocial and didactic workshop for the project coaches in February 2006. The aim was to prepare the coaches for their vital role in the project and to provide them with important knowledge and expertise concerning the use of sport as a tool to help children overcome emotional injury, to improve their integration, and to impart the basic values of a peaceful and respectful co-existence. About 30 participants took part in the workshop. Besides our 11 project coaches, young employees from other local NGOs attended the workshop as well. These associates from our partner organisation Oum el Nour, World Vision and Message de la Paix were interested in using the ‘sport for social change’ approach in their own projects. Arwa, one of our female coaches commented on the workshop: “I’m very happy that I was a part of this group. The workshop gave me plenty of creative methods. I think by now, I have the tools to manage a team. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had and the most beneficial one. I appreciated learning in this workshop about this tool for social, behavioural, and attitudinal change. I learned that we can achieve many educational aims with kids through sports.”

The sports and play activities with the children have already started in three public schools (two female schools and one male school) in the south of Beirut, a region which was greatly affected by last summer’s war (2006). During the after-school sports programmes our coaches have been supporting the participating children by helping them overcome their traumatic experiences and strengthening their mental and physical well-being.

To increase accountability and effectiveness in psychosocial interventions with children the project will be accompanied by a Monitoring & Evaluation programme, with the aim of drafting documents on “lessons learned” and “best practices”.