This Friday, the UEFA Foundation for Children celebrates World Children’s Day, using the magic of football to support the children who need it most.
On Wednesday 18 November, the 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.
Organisation | Project Name | EUROPE |
ActionAid Hellas | Beyond goals 2 | Greece |
Ayuda en Acción | Fairplay4life | Spain |
Barça Foundation | FutbolNet | Greece |
Bellevue di Monaco | Intercultural rooftop sports court | Germany |
Syndrome of Love | Football for Children with Down Syndrome | Russia |
European Football for Development Network (EFDN) | EFDN STEM & Football Education Programme | Bulgaria, Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine, United Kingdom |
Fondation Arménienne Pour le Développement Durable | Génération Sport | Armenia |
Football Association of Moldova | Let’s play outside | Moldova |
Foundation Just for Smiles | Smiles for Children | Switzerland |
Impala Performance ASBL | Mbo Mpenza Challenge | Belgium |
Katamon Moadon Ohadim | Hapoel Katamon’s Neighborhood League | Israel |
Kicken Ohne Grenzen | Football Without Borders | Austria |
Liverpool School Sport Partnership (LSSP) Foundation | Finding my potential | United Kingdom |
Młodzieżowe Stowarzyszenie Inicjatyw Sportowych (MSIS) | Football3 empower girls | Poland |
Oltalom Sport Association | New challenges, new opportunities | Hungary |
Orama Neon Youthorama | Adopt a ball | 150 countries worldwide |
Peres Center for Peace & Innovation | Sport in the Service of Peace | Israel |
Rio Ferdinand Foundation | Youth in Action | Northern Ireland |
Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI) | Football versus Discrimination | Republic of Ireland |
Sport dans la Ville | Vocational Centre | France |
Sportske Igre Mladih | Youth Sports Games 2021 | Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia |
Stichting het Gehandicapte Kind | Bijzondere Eredivisie | Netherlands |
streetfootballworld GmbH | Safeguarding children certification programme | Europe |
Ukraine Football Development Charitable Foundation | Cup of Trust | Ukraine |
Organisation | Project Name | AFRICA |
Aliguma Foundation | Sports for Resilience & Empowerment Project | Uganda |
Georges Malaika Foundation | Future Leaders of Kalebuka | Republic Democratic of Congo |
Grootbos Green Futures Foundation | Football Foundation: Sports for good | South Africa |
iACT | Refugee-led sport and early Childhood Education Programme | Chad |
Kick4Life | Good Health & Climate Action through Football | Lesotho |
La balle aux prisonniers | Sport for reintegration | Ivory Coast |
Libre Vue | Solidarité Aveugle | Mali |
Light for the World | We are the Champions | South Sudan |
Médecins du Monde | Bophelo Ke Kgwele (The game, the Life) | South Africa |
Right to Play | Girls on Track | Tanzania |
Samusocial International | Promote social inclusion through sport for street children and youth in Pointe-Noire | Republic of Congo |
Solidarité Marathon des Sables | Sport Centre in Ouarzazate | Morocco |
Street Child | Improving the psychosocial well-being of conflict affected displaced children | Mozambique |
Triangle Génération Humanitaire | Strengthen protection, socio-educational activities and social reintegration of vulnerable minors | Central African Republic |
Unis vers le Sport | Les gazelles de la Teranga | Senegal |
Water4wildlife Maasai Mara | Kick the ball, Save our wildlife | Kenya |
Organisation | Project Name | AMERICA |
Fabretto Children's Foundation Inc. | Promoting sports to build resilience in rural Nicaragua | Nicaragua |
Fight for Peace | Unity & Peace | Jamaica |
Fundación Empate | Empate for Argentina | Argentina |
Global Outreach and Love of Soccer (GOALS) | Team Goals | Haiti |
Johan Cruyff Foundation | A safe space to play for children in Cabreùva, Brazil | Brazil |
Mama Alice | Football, fun and friends camp | Peru |
Rêves Passion Montreal | Soccer Urbain pour le rêve et l'espoir | Canada |
Starfinder Foundation | Senior Leaders | USA |
Organisation | Project Name | ASIA |
Action for Development | Street children back to school | Afghanistan |
Asia Football Development Programme | Kick for hope | Jordan |
Baan Dek Foundation | Football4good | Thailand |
Cross Cultures Project Association | Bringing Fun Football to Children in Syria | Syria |
Fundlife International Inc. | Football for Peace Academy | Philippines |
Indochina Starfish Foundation | Playing for Equality | Cambodia |
Organisation | Project Name | OCEANIA |
Just Play | Just Play programme | American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Samoa, Solomon Island, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, India |
For high-resolution images relating to this media release, please visit the foundation’s newsroom.
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