Inclusive Sport for Young Sahrawi Refugees

Background

Following the seizing of the territory of Western Sahara by Morocco in the 1970s, many Sahrawis were forced to flee and found refuge in neighbouring Algeria. For almost 5 decades, tens of thousands of people have been living under dire conditions across the camps near Tindouf, in the southwest of the country (see map on the right).

In contexts of forced displacement, sport has long played a crucial role in providing meaningful recreation. However, barriers and discrimination remain a hindrance for the equal participation of all. Sport must be equally accessible, irrespective of gender, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability or social status. More than that, sport is an invaluable tool in supporting child and youth development and fostering inclusiveness and social cohesion.

Over more than 15 years, the Sport Inclusion Network (SPIN) has successfully designed and implemented projects addressing barriers of inclusion and aiming to reduce and ultimately eliminate them. In line with SPIN’s mission to make sport more inclusive, we are launching our first project on the African continent: “Inclsuive Sport for Young Sahrawi Refugees”.

Project Outline

Over the course of 18 months (December 2024 through May 2026), we will foster and initiate inclusive sport programs through the following activities:

• Developing an inclusive sport training curriculum based on the knowledge of local partners and SPIN trainers
• A multi-day train-the-trainers workshop in Spring 2025 for 25 local multiplier trainers
• These 25 trainers will further reach a total of approx. 300 local trainers and sport practitioners in the 5 refugee camps
• Provision of new sport equipment for children and youth in all 5 camps
• Information campaign on the project and the values of inclusive sport

This initiative would not be thinkable without the collaboration with strong partners in the region. SPIN is proud to team up with long-time partner Unione Italiana Sport Per tutti (UISP APS) and the Sahrawi Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, harnessing their expertise and ensuring sustainability beyond the project period.