Celebrating Red Nose Day 2015

To celebrate Red Nose Day 2015 International Inspiration (IN) shares how donations raised today will help support the vital work of international development organisations working with some of the worlds most marginalised children and young people. Comic Relief funds some of the core work of grassroots sport for development organisations using the power of sport as a vehicle to achieve social and economic development goals worldwide. Thanks to Comic Relief IN has been able to:

Provide Sport for All in Ethiopia
The Sport for Inclusion programme in Ethiopia innovatively uses sport to include children and young people with disabilities in community activities. For many participants, this will be the first time they have been able to access sports activities and play with able-bodied peers. Participants with disabilities are further given the opportunity to take on the responsibility of organising community activities with the Cheshire Foundation to deliver football, athletics, volleyball, basketball, darts and Paralympic sports in nine areas. This work aims to make government ministries aware of the issues young people with disabilities face and support a commitment to raise community awareness and education. 

Provide new opportunities in Bangladesh, Ghana and Jamaica
The Access and Empowerment programme in Bangladesh, Ghana and Jamaica widens and supports the opportunities for young people to participate in sport and their communities.

In Bangladesh, the provision of inclusive sport ensures that children aged 7-16 with a disability have access to physical education and activities at the Centre for Rehabilitation for the Paralysed (CRP). In addition, we are working closely with 24 schools to ensure they are inclusive environments through making physical adaptations in schools and ensuring children with disabilities have access to assistive aids in order for them to fully participate in education and sporting opportunities. CRP staff work with parents, teachers and mentors to provide training on delivering sport and physical activities to include everyone and foster an environment that provides better access for children with disabilities.

In Ghana, children and young people have the opportunity to participate in regular community sport activities through better trained community sport leaders with improved access to locally owned, ethically made, quality sport equipment. Unemployed 18-30 year olds who are out of work, or working in the informal sectors are given entrepreneurial training and the opportunity to put their skills into practice through the sale of locally made footballs by Alive & Kicking.

In Jamaica, youth from sports clubs have brighter futures secured, through access to meaningful, accredited education, training and/or employment and the opportunity to earn income through employment or enterprise.

Provide girls with football, education and business training in Kenya
The Pathways programme in Kenya works with the community-based organisation Moving The Goalposts to deliver  community-wide football leagues to engage women in physical activity and then using this powerful network as a platform to offer financial training and entrepreneurial opportunities. Most of the young women involved in the leagues dropped out of school due to poverty – where families were unable to pay for school fees, early marriage or had to work to financially contribute to the household. Through the programme, women and girls then have the opportunity to start a business or return to education.

Create inspiring sportswomen to inspire others in Zambia
The Go Sisters programme in Zambia trains female sports leaders to adopt leadership roles in their community to strengthen their influence as decision makers and powerfully advocate for girls rights. As role models, these girls are inspiring their peers and younger girls across five provinces in Zambia to become leaders both on and off the field. The programme has played a key role in increasing the acceptance of girls playing sport and how to creatively address problems they face.

IN would like to thank Comic Relief for their continued support to deliver powerful and impactful sport for development programmes that give young people opportunities to access high quality, safe and inclusive sport.   

Visit the Comic Relief website to find out more: http://www.comicrelief.com/