In brief

The project utilises a bottom-up approach, where Laureus plays a backbone role in bringing local stakeholders together and empowering them to create long-lasting change in their communities – with the ultimate goal being to leverage the power of sport to create a gender equal Seemapuri community.

Problem to be tackled

Sport for Good City Delhi was initiated in 2019 by Laureus to use sport to help address specific gender-based inequalities and poverty challenges that disproportionately affect women and girls in the Seemapuri community of Delhi in India.

Local partner

The nucleus is the Sport for Good Delhi Coalition, a group made up of over 40 members of the Seemapuri community who have worked together to build the vision for what sport can do for their community.

The Coalition chose to work with girls seven to 16 years of age in Seemapuri because they believe that empowering them with knowledge and practices of menstrual hygiene is crucial. There is an identified need to increase their awareness and confidence in managing their hygiene, helping break stigma and enabling them to advocate for these practices within their households, with the aim of leading to a sustainable transformation in the community.

Boys are also targeted in Seemapuri – to create a gender equal Seemapuri and to make sure girls and boys are part of the work. Boys often dominate the fields and the spaces to play – often in less than desirable behaviour – and the Coalition has put a central focus on engaging these boys in programming to both increase the number of safe spaces to play in and to raise their wider aspirations by enabling them to be active and positive members of the community.

Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries come from families that have exceptionally low levels of income compared to the median average in Delhi where the main jobs available for these families are low paid jobs that require going through waste disposed of in the community and where there are elevated levels of marriage for young girls.

SOL’s contribution

With a support from The SOL Foundation, Laureus Sport for Good will be able to support Sport for Good Delhi’s ability to continue investing in locally led organisations to positively impact young people through sport while also supporting the team to continue building a wider and increasingly engaged community of advocates for gender equality in Seemapuri.

Project partner

Laureus Sport for Good uses the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage for children and young people all around the world. It supports currently more than 200 programmes in over 40 countries with funding and capacity building, helping to change the lives of over 200’000 marginalised and disadvantaged children and young people – from increasing access to education, to tackling gang violence, to supporting the mental health of youth in post-trauma situations.

Laureus Sport for Good was founded under the Patronage of Nelson Mandela, in line with his belief that “sport has the power to change the world” after seeing it play a crucial role in rebuilding post-apartheid South African society.