In brief

The SOL Foundation assists FundLife International Philippines using the power of play to engage children focusing on social emotional learning and Soft-Skills development, also to provide access to regular play-based sessions and in the process developing resilience and delivering life-skills to children.

Problem to be tackled

Since 2011, school dropout rates in primary and secondary school has increased by 11%, with a total of 4.8 million children dropping out each year across the Philippines. The main cause of this increase is poverty; in region 8 of the Philippines (Leyte and Samar) the poverty rate is 47.8%.

Local partner

Since it’s launch in 2015, the organisation has reached over 20’000 children and youth living in post-emergencies and long-term poverty. It has also trained over 500 youth coaches in using sport for social development and becoming role models for children in their communities.

FundLife Leadership Academy or FLA, is FundLife flagship, award-winning programme, an innovative experiential, play-based, life-long learning pathway designed to complement traditional education, nurture young champions and unlock opportunities for under-served youth to achieve their full potential. This programme works in selected schools in partnership with the Department of Education in region 8.

Activities of this programme include:

• regular Football and Education Sessions,
• Champion’s Classroom Sessions,
• Mini Champion’s League,
• Tournaments,
• provide opportunities of learning local and international to coaches and players,
• coaching session with Arsenal in the Community coaches,
• leadership trainings and workshops in Canada, Germany, Qatar, Russia and Argentina or
• World Cup 2018, Russia Trip and Playing Experience on Red Square.

Beneficiaries

FundLife International Philippines  has an ‘all-in’ approach and welcomes all ability, all gender children.

In the Philippines, approximately one in four children born outside of Cebu and Manila are born into intergenerational poverty. In region 8 of the Philippines (Leyte and Samar), where FundLife has been working since 2014, the poverty rate is 47.8%. In Cebu, where FundLife has been working since 2017, the communities are all living below the national poverty line of USD$ 4.00 per day.

The project aims to directly reach children and youth through the launch of the Community Girls League and Community Boys League. The programme will also train local coaches to use sport as a tool for social development. FundLife works with beneficiaries in and out of school and has projects that deliver support to the most underserved public schools as well marginalised communities where children live in poverty.

SOL’s contribution

With the support from The SOL Foundation FundLife International Philippines will be able to implement their Football for Life Academy and in particular the Cebu Girls Community League across Cebu.

Project partner

FundLife International Philippines is a dynamic, non-profit, for-purpose organisation founded on a simple yet unflinching principle – that no child should be denied quality education and equitable opportunities to reach their fullest potential.

Their vision is for every child to have equal right to play, relevant education and equitable opportunity to fulfil his or her potential.

Their mission is to empower children to believe in their own capabilities, to know their rights, to be resilient in the face of challenges and to be bold in the pursuit of their dreams.