In brief

The SOL Foundation assists St. Vincent and the Grenadines-based Playaz Youth Academy with a social impact investment programme using basketball to help to prevent youths from becoming involved in crime, and simultaneously to seek to create opportunities for them to advance their education and life.

Problem to be tackled

Taking young men and women, the youths, off the streets and away from drugs, gangs, crime and violence by getting them involved in sport, specifically basketball.

Local partner

The needs for the project include to reduce crime, to improve health, to enhance mental health and self-esteem of youths, or to provide career and educational opportunities for youths; the main activities include:

• PYA Basketball Summer Camp,
• PYA Saturday Morning Basketball Clinic,
• PYA After School Program,
• PYA Back To School Program,
• PYA Basketball Community Drive,
• PYA Men’s Conference,
• PYA Women’s Conference, or
• PYA Youth Basketball Tournament.

Beneficiaries

Young people are targeted because they are particularly vulnerable and are often exposed to crime at early age particularly those in the lower socio-economic brackets and neighbourhoods. Playaz Youth Academy accepts all persons between five and 22 of all backgrounds and socioeconomic brackets and there is not a specific selection process or protocol.

SOL’s contribution

With the support from The SOL Foundation, Playaz Youth Academy is able and enabled to extend and expand as well as to professionalise the existing structures as well as the annual programme(s) including outreach and social change elements for more impact of more beneficiaries using the power of basketball.

Project partner