International Development Through Sport
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Harnessing the power of sport to change lives
IDS is an international development charity that harnesses the power of sport to transform the lives of some of the poorest children in the world by giving them the chance to play sport, develop their skills and confidence and live healthier, happier and safer lives.
Through sport we can identify and develop the young leaders of tomorrow, raise aspirations of girls, boys and children with disabilities, tackle daunting health challenges and build bridges in places scarred by conflict and natural disasters.
IDS works with local organisations in the developing world to support community-based projects that use sport as a means to:
- Empower girls and children with disabilities
- Develop young leaders and educators with sport and life skills
- Deliver effective HIV/AIDS education and awareness
- Offer disaster and trauma relief and rehabilitation
- Assist with peace-building in communities affected by conflict.
IDS is registered in England & Wales both as a charity and as a company. It is registered on the Charities Register with registration number: 1139074.
IDS is a company limited guarantee and is registered with Companies House with registration number: 6706693.
IDS Programmes
We specialise in assisting small grass roots organisations in developing countries. It is our policy not to open our own offices in the field – instead we provide direct support to local organisations that are rooted in local communities and are driven by the needs of local people. IDS helps young people access sport and the benefits it brings. All the projects that we support are driven by young people trained as youth peer leaders and educators. They cascade their skills and knowledge to thousands of children and youth in their schools and communities through a range of sporting and educational activities, which are devised and run by the young people themselves. This approach ensures that our programmes very cost effective, sustainable and have a lasting impact.
Southern Africa
IDS is supporting a range of programmes in the Southern Africa region. They enable children from the world’s poorest communities to share in the experience of sport and leadership.
- In South Africa, IDS, through the Big Lottery Fund, is supporting a five-year HIV/AIDS awareness through football programme to train 1,600 youth peer leaders and educators in sports, leadership skills and HIV/AIDS prevention. The programme will impact on a total of 19,600 children in 12 communities across three of the poorest provinces in South Africa.
- In Zambia, the Go Sisters project, supported through the Department for International Development (DFID), reaches hundreds of vulnerable and disadvantaged girls and young women have had the opportunity to participate in physical activity, develop as leaders and role models, as well as arm themselves with vital life-saving HIV/AIDS and hygiene information.
- In Zambia, IDS supports a sport and recreation programme that uses sport to rehabilitate girls and women engaged in the commercial sex, to break down stigma and to provide a platform for health education.
East Africa
- In Tanzania, IDS supports the National Sports Council to implement the Beckwith International Leadership Development (BILD) Programme. Four centres for leadership development have been established in Tanzania as part of a plan to build independent training capacity in Tanzania.
- In Kenya, the Moving the Goalpost project in the Kilifi district uses football to help 3,000 underprivileged girls and young women to become peer and community leaders, to develop their life skills, to educate them about their reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and their rights and to empower them economically.
Research Projects
Presently, IDS is carrying out 2 long-term research projects to build robust evidence around the impact of sport in development and to understand the conditions required for sport to be an effective development intervention.
IDS programme participants say:
“Being involved with sport means I now have a lot of leadership skills, am self-confident, I can stand up in front of people and express myself. I can teach my peers too.” Florence Mwila, 20yrs, Go Sisters female peer leader.
“Sport gives us hope that we can always live up to expectations, achieve our dreams, goals and desires”, Michael Igbokoyi 17yrs, male peer leader.
