"Sport for schoolchildren is one of our strongest social commitments, as it is carried out solely by members of our Decathlon Ethiopia team. It is a voluntary commitment. The aim of this initiative is to reach out to vulnerable children who don't take part in sport for a variety of reasons, including the affordability of sport.
Our project "Creating Smile in Mekele, (Ethiopia)" is beautiful and strong as we commit ourselves to participate in activities every week with children from the public school or with the association. Volunteers for this project are members of our Decathlon Ethiopia team, who wish to share their passion for sport and community development with our suppliers.
This project is made up of several stages, as mentioned below:
The first step is to build a multi-sports pitch (soccer, volleyball, running, active walking, skipping rope, rugby).
The second step is to recruit sports educators to support the schoolchildren in their sporting activities. (We already did this last year, when we donated footballs, volleyballs and sports balls. We're convinced that this project will generate positive value while putting smiles on the faces of local residents).
The third step is to practice sport with the students once a week, because we know the benefits of sport for the mind and body.
The fourth stage: is to organize annual sporting events with other schools and stakeholders to transmit the values of sport and teach teamwork to pupils.
Passing on the values of sport to the children and teenagers of Mekele was essential for me. That's why I became a volunteer in this solidarity and sports project supported by the Decathlon Foundation. Taking part in the activities gives me a lot of energy, and I'd like to share my knowledge and skills with them during in-store placements for some of the youngsters".
Tewodros, Decathlon Ethiopia