As the world evolves with the changing force of globalization, significant disparities grow among people, social classes, communities and countries. In Mexico, unhealthy lifestyles and educational shortcomings are exacerbating physical, mental, and social problems in young adults. Issues such as sedentary lifestyles, social isolation, apathy, corruption, discrimination, and unhealthy eating habits result in a high incidence of obesity and/or diabetes. Linked to the latter are low self-esteem and depression, which in turn increase the likelihood of substance abuse and intra-family violence by young people.
Sports for Sharing exists to promote equality, break down social barriers, and connect people through common goals and objectives. We’ve designed a program that uses sports and games to teach Mexican children global awareness and the value of contributing towards positive change in their communities. The program relies on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to guide children’s social consciousness. Responsible citizenship is promoted through values that encourage community participation and collaborative problem solving.
In four years we have reached out to over 44,000 children from 19 Mexican states in a mixture of rural and urban areas, public and private schools, and shelters for Indigenous children.
Through educational games and reflection we are molding a generation of children that values teamwork, fair play, gender equity, tolerance, respect, and responsibility – ingredients for significant social impact in Mexico.
Research conducted prior to and following program implementation tells us that:
- 37% more participants now prefer to play with both girls and boys.
- 31% more participants now agree that actions can be made locally to help solve global problems.
- 17% more participants now prefer teamwork.
- 49% of participants externalize/share the lessons learned during the program.
Through five points of contact:
1) Sessions with teachers: Learn by playing
Sports for Sharing trains teachers and indigenous shelter managers on how to implement the program within their student body. In training, adults have the opportunity to experience the program just as the children later do and to complement their teaching tools and methods.
2) Sessions with children: Citizenship made fun
Sessions are facilitated in a wide range of urban and rural locations including schools, shelters and indigenous communities. A signature game within the program is Doctor Dodgeball. It is designed to help participants understand the concept of community health and disease prevention. Within the game there are two communities of people, each with one doctor. A ball, representing a disease, is thrown from one community to the other. When the ball hits players, they seek medicine from the doctor. The game imagines a scenario with a limited amount of medicine, and when the medicine runs out, “infected” participants must step out to an imaginary hospital. The teams or communities must create strategies to avoid catching the disease. Following the game, facilitators open a session for reflection, explaining that the game is a metaphor for life and that there are lessons to be learned: how to prevent diseases, how to act strategically as a community, and how to care for the ill, among other lessons.
3) Sessions with parents: Holistic approach
The program is specifically designed for children, but parents are encouraged to attend a session of their own. The aim is to open dialogue between parents and children about the lessons learned and to reinforce the values at home.
4) Visit from an Athlete Ambassador: Providing inspiration
Children participate in an inspirational session held by an athlete ambassador. During this time they have the opportunity to engage in the experiences shared by this role model. Ambassadors tell their story in dynamic presentations, answer children’s questions, and overall promote and encourage positive values. This session is designed to show tangible achievement and inspire them to pursue their own interests. We look to invite a diverse range of athletes (including Paralympic athletes) to broaden children’s horizons and expose them to new possibilities.
5) Exchange of Cultural Treasure Chests: A point of difference
As a grand finale, children create and exchange treasure chests with other communities. This is conducted through a specially designed exchange system coordinated by program facilitators. Children are encouraged to think about what makes them culturally unique, and as a group they define the design and contents of their treasure chest. As a rule, everything in it must be of the children’s own creation. The idea is for participants from diverse backgrounds to interact long-distance through representative objects and for them to engage in a cross-cultural experience. For instance, children from rural backgrounds will exchange boxes with children from metropolitan locations, fostering inclusivity within a diverse country.
We are a group of young professionals committed to a program that generates positive social impact through local actions. We are idealists in thought, but realists in action. We are determined and responsible leaders in Mexico, and we never look away from our goals.
We have reached out to a noteworthy number of participants, but since there are 32 million children in Mexico, our work is cut out for us. Our goal for 2012 is to reach 280,000 more children. To accomplish this we depend on a mix of both financial and social support. We call out to you to help us with this and future goals.