Kicking AIDS OUT!

Sport is used to promote quality of life.

Partner Organisations

African sports organisations (The Mathare Youth Sports Association, The Sport Coaches' Outreach International, Tanzania, The Education, Sport and Physical Activity Promotion Programme, The National Sport Council of Zambia, The Edusport Foundation, Zambia, Sport in Action and Youth Education through Sport, Zimbabwe) together with northern partners (Right to Play, Canada, Commonwealth Games Canada, UK Sport and The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederations of Sports)

Project Location

Across Sub-Saharan Africa

Target Group

High-risk groups: women, youth, children and people with disabilities

Time Frame

Ongoing

Objectives

To limit the spread and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and promote the quality of life of people infected, and affected, by HIV/AIDS, using sport and physical activities as a tool through a coordinated international network.

General Project Information

HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Kicking AIDS OUT! Network, which is an African initiative and was brought about by people directly effected by the disease, uses sport and physical movement to help breakdown stigmas attached to HIV and AIDS, as an outreach tool for communication and peer education on this taboo subject and to foster capacity building at an individual, organisational and community level.

The network supports projects such as the following: clinics and workshops, peer coaching and education, movement and traditional games, the formation of clubs, and leagues and leadership development activities. Recent activities include HIV/AIDS workshops with sports coordinators in Namibia and South Africa in late 2004 and in Kenya in 2005

UK Sport provides financial support and strategic advice for the International Kicking AIDS Out! Network. Recent funded events include:

HIV/AIDS workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 2004
HIV/AIDS workshop in Blantyre, Malawi, March 2005 including introductory Kicking AIDS Out! workshops with the FA coaches and BBC World Service partners

Outcomes

Establishment of an efficient, effective and influential network to coordinate and promote Kicking AIDS Out! activities and strengthen the capacity of its members
Development and maintenance of policy, and quality methods, materials and standards for the network in work using sport and physical activity to address HIV/AIDS
Stimulation of the sharing and exchange of ideas, experiences and resources among the members and with other stakeholders
Promotion of the health and empowerment of communities and individuals, especially those that are vulnerable