Soccer and the Promotion of Health in Vulnerable Children
Shine a Light has not had the opportunity to meet directly with the organizers of this innovative project in Lima, but we have been very impressed with the idea. The project was kind enough to send us the following brief description, but for more information or to help as a volunteer, please write Joseph Donroe, joseph.donroe@tufts.edu
Objectives:
1. To address the mental health issues of children living in shelters in Lima, Peru.
2. To facilitate communication between the various different organizations who work with abandoned children so that future collaboration and the coordination of service delivery can improve the overall outreach to this vulnerable population of children.
3. To utilize organized sports as a vehicle for further health interventions.
This is an intervention designed to address many of the mental health and quality of life issues facing children who live in shelters in Lima, Peru. For the majority of our children, extreme poverty has brought them either directly to the doors of the shelters, or into the shelters after having lived for a period on the streets of Lima. Many arrive with physical illnesses, most of which are adequately managed within their new homes. More pervasive, and more difficult to treat, however, are the mental health consequences that result from the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, the neglect, the drug use, and institutionalization that so many have experienced during their formative years. We recognize the fact that interventions aimed at getting children off the streets must be coupled with interventions that also prepare them to become successful adults, and the importance of addressing these mental health issues lies in the fact that eventually these kids will reach the age of majority and will face a world beyond the security of their shelters. Without the confidence in themselves nor the ability to successfully interact with others, amidst conditions of extreme poverty and high unemployment, there is little hope that these kids can grow into productive adults.
As a result of years of abusing drugs, limited education, and detrimental childhood experiences, these children are very difficult to reach through standard health interventions. Creative interventions, therefore, are critical to a successful outreach program. The importance of sports in childhood is well founded, and very relevant to the health problems that our children face. Physical activity can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Participation in organized sports can promote sportsmanship and teamwork, improve social skills, positively channel aggressive energy, and significantly improve overall mental health and self-esteem. In Peru, the love that children have for playing soccer makes organized soccer a captivating and creative way to improve the mental health and well being of our population of children.
Our intervention team has organized the 14 participating shelters into soccer teams and has provided coaches for each one. Team practices take place 1-3 times per week, in preparation for an inter-shelter soccer championship that will occur in March. Our volunteer coaches focus on developing the children’s’ individual skills, teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. The championship is a vehicle for delivering health education to which end, in collaboration with several local groups, we are organizing a concurrent health promotion fair. The children themselves have elected two important topics for the health fair: drugs and reproductive health.
At the core of our intervention is a team of children, representatives from the various shelters. Our intervention team holds weekly leadership workshops with them, teaching important skills such as communication, decision-making, self-reflection, and conflict resolution. They apply what they learn by not only taking the responsibility to direct and organize their teams, but also by making important decisions regarding the project itself. The highlight from the class thus far has been to see the kids begin to realize that yes, their opinions do count and what they have to say is important!
The success of the intervention is reflected in its rapidly expanding participation on the part of both genders. Our inter-institutional approach allows us to take advantage of the knowledge of some very experienced organizations, as well as allowing us to facilitate collaboration. Our goal is to use the March tournament as a means to generate excitement and interest in this type of intervention, such that we can continue to utilize organized sports to improve health and quality of life in our children of Lima.
For more information regarding this intervention, or for those who are interested in contributing to the project, please contact:
Joseph Donroe
Asociación Benéfica PRISMA
joseph.donroe@tufts.edu
Intervention Organizers:
Joseph A. Donroe (Tufts University School of Medicine, Asociación Benéfica PRISMA); Rosario del Pilar Arroyo Arrendó (Puentes); Dr. David Moore (Asociación Benéfica PRISMA); Dr. Douglas Brugge (Tufts University School of Public Health); Dr. Robert Gilman (Asociación Benéfica PRISMA)
