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AfD's all-girls football team as part of the School for Street Working Children Project

AfD partners with the UEFA Foundation

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Action for Development, 26 November 2020

On Wednesday 18 November, the UEFA foundation’s board of trustees, chaired by the UEFA president, Aleksander Čeferin, met via videoconference to discuss new projects and the institution’s future.

The foundation’s fifth anniversary, this year, is an opportunity to review its past activities and reflect on the future. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the new challenges it has brought with it, the UEFA Foundation for Children was able to rely on its partners’ commitment to help it safeguard children’s rights.

The most anticipated decision of this session was the allocation of the 2020/21 budget of €4,812,021 to new projects or an extension of existing projects, in line with its mission to protect children’s fundamental rights in health and protection, children with disabilities, education and personal development, access to sport, integration of minorities and protection for victims of conflicts.

Approximately half of the foundation’s budget is earmarked for projects in Europe while the rest supports projects in other continents. In all, 55 projects are supported along with three new pitch constructions in Europe in partnership with Lay’s.

“The Foundation views the pandemic as an opportunity to continue to use the beautiful game of football to assist so many organisations, in Europe and around the world, that focus on the needs of children and help them to keep their hopes and dreams alive. Thanks to the support we and our sponsors provide, children are helped to develop and reach their full potential, with dignity and in full protection of their rights.” Norman Darmanin Demajo, member of the board of trustees

55 NGO projects were selected for financial support from the UEFA Foundation for Children: 24 in Europe; 16 in Africa; 8 in America, 6 in Asia; and 1 in Oceania.

AfD’s ‘school for street-working children’ was one of the projects approved for funding. The program aims at providing education to children that are out of the formal school system, often forced to work in order to support their families. The program currently runs two schools in Kabul, open to children aged 5 to 15 years. In 2018, in partnership with the UEFA Foundation for Children, a sports training was introduced and football practice was included in the daily schedule. The program, open to boys and girls was extremely successful.

To read about the programs that were selected by the UEFA Foundation click here

To learn more about AfD’s education program click here