Capacity Building to Youth Environment Clubs through Football

Focus area: Adaptation
Website
Location: Arusha, Tanzania
Established: June 2011

The overall objective of Youth Environment Clubs (YEC) is to encourage youth to be active in the improvement of nature in their own communities, as well as the community of the world, and thereby realize that solutions to world problems are achieved through individual involvement.

YOSSO organizes football and sport tournaments to empower, create awareness, and build capacity and behavioral change among children to improve their skills and learning about climate change.

Mitigation / Adaptation

The activity builds resilience to climate change among children and young people through after-school youth projects at Ukombozi Primary School in Manzese slum, Dar es Salaam and Soweto playground in Arusha cities. At the centers, a range of sports and youth activities is provided, including: - football, athletics, netball, dance, drama, music, and arts & crafts.

The following services are provided: YOSSO United football school, Start to Run
Athletic School, Star Sisters (Girls Empowerment Project), and tournaments including YOSSO Cup (a football competition), and festivals.

In harmony with UN Millennium Development Goals and local initiative MKUKUTA's strategy of poverty reduction and eradication in Tanzania, it operates a successful tree nurseries and planting training.

Already more than 1600 girls and children and local communities has been reached by environment awareness campaign through sport at Ukombozi Primary school.

Social and environmental benefits

The activity provides social and environmental benefits to the community by promoting the environmental benefits in tree planting and nurseries training. It also provides training on income generating activities, as well as health and HIV/AIDS awareness, gender equality and life skills.

Potential for scaling-up and replication

The activity has a significant potential for scaleability and replicability. Its core message of empowerement of children and young people, provide a long-term opportunity for raising awareness about climate change and build resilient communities across Tanzania and beyond..