‘Exercising Change’ in Palabek refugee settlement — Street Child

The project was designed to respond to the risks girls face in Palabek, as research shows girls in Palabek are at increased risk of early marriage and pregnancy, dramatically impacting their access to vital education. It was evident that young girls’ development needed to be prioritised, and the power of sport could be harnessed to discuss key issues and damaging cultural norms as well as develop essential life skills, values, and encourage school attendance. During the project, Street Child and AWYAD were able to provide support to 2,821 refugee boys and 1,740 refugee girls in addition to 1,285 Ugandan boys and 1,086 Ugandan girls from host communities.

Vital learning was generated to ensure future initiatives like this can reach girls through sport in greater numbers. Findings from the project identified one of the biggest barriers to reaching the desired number of girls was participating girls often prioritised netball and showed less interest in the various other sports in comparison to boys. To ensure successful sports-based interventions in the future, focus ought to be placed on selecting sports that girls express their interest in, or have played previously, through key informant interviews and stakeholder engagement. Through the initial re/integration into sport, it is then expected that other sports, such as football and volleyball, can be introduced. This gradual increase in sport options will provide greater confidence in participation and empower women and girls to access new opportunities and experiences.

The effective delivery of sport sessions provided increased access, trust, and openness between the coaches and participants. This was reinforced as coaches were from the community in which they worked, providing a unique opportunity to address key social issues experienced within the settlements.

During the delivery of the project, there was a noticeable increase in underage sex and teenage pregnancy. This was largely attributable to widespread school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. In reaction to this worrying trend, Street Child and AWYAD initiated engagement sessions with young boys and girls, led by community coaches, to provide awareness of safe sex and establish a safe space to communicate. Within these engagement sessions, open conversations took place to allow boys and girls separately to discuss two key tops; Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). These discussions provided the opportunity for girls, boys, and youths to raise concerns, ask questions, and have the coaches provide answers and solutions.

During the engagement sessions, role models were identified from within the group and were tasked with being the champions on this topic in their schools and communities. This was done to ensure that following the project closure, mechanisms were in place to prohibit SGBV and PSEA as much as possible. These conversations were only possible due to the pre-existing bonds established through sport, demonstrating sports’ ability to challenge and address damaging social norms.