The Decathlon Foundation is very proud to participate in the very first Lebanese project in the Foundation's history. Marlène, Elie, Marc and Diane 's project aims to help children and teenagers in Beirut's conflict zones, where precariousness has been reinforced by the current context. Hand in hand, Decathlon Beirut and the association Les Baroudeurs de l'Espoir have come up with this project:
?? Hope & Sport is a program for children and teenagers who live or have lived in conflict zones or in very precarious situations. It is designed for the child and for the people who accompany his or her development (educators, family circle), with a physical, emotional and mental approach, based on educational materials developed with sports professionals, child psychiatrists, coaches, a naturopath and children's games publishers. The project is designed to be fully adaptable to both fixed structures (schools, associations, etc.) and mobile structures. The Hope & Sport objectives are as follows:
- Promote the development, integration and autonomy of children and teenagers
- Promoting academic success
- Working on stress management
- Developing self-confidence
- Contributing to children's identity building
- Building team spirit and cooperation
- Promote social integration and encourage tolerance, respect for others and an enlightened view of difference and disability.
- Involve the family unit in the child's development and education (managing emotions, overall well-being, importance of a balanced diet and restful sleep).
Marlène, Decathlon campus quality manager
"Four months ago, a friend I met in Madagascar contacted me, looking for partners to support the Hope & Sport project in Lebanon. We'd seen each other maybe 3 or 4 times since I returned to France at the end of 2014, after 2 years together there. Life sometimes works out well, and I don't believe in chance. I spent 3 years in Madagascar. It was a period that taught me an enormous amount. I arrived there as a young graduate and left as a working woman, still with my thirst to discover, travel and meet people. The only thing I missed was taking the time to get involved in an associative project there (...) I've known for some years now that I find meaning in being a member of a team, a group, a project, with a strong need for authenticity and exchange. Accompanying and helping people grow are a great source of energy for me. So when the NGO contacted me, I said to myself: here's a wink of fate, I can and I want to do my bit! Since then, we've been in contact with Diane, then Elie. I have the feeling that it was meant to be. With energy and all our hearts, we built this strong, concrete and lasting project. Hope & Sport is an obvious choice, and I feel simply proud and committed to it, because it brings together people who are determined to act in a profoundly meaningful way: to accompany children in need on the path of life. I'm looking forward to going there to meet and support our Decathlon colleagues in the Beirut store, the Baroudeurs de l'espoir teams, and offer these children moments of joy and marbles for the future."
Elie, Decathlon Beirut, Lebanon
"For me, all people need a little help, a little hope, and someone who believes in them, and I believe that helping one person may not change the whole world, but it could change the world for one person. I've lived in Lebanon for 28 years and I've lived through all the good and bad times. What got us through those very difficult times in Lebanon was the solidarity of the people. I was brought up in a family where giving is a blessing, where love is a duty, and love is when you feel the pain of others and act accordingly, drawing smiles on their faces and making them feel that they matter (...) In 2006, armed conflicts started in Lebanon, which affected our food chain, medicines and other basic needs, which set us in motion to support our people (Lebanese and others) to support these people in difficult times. This war affected my state of mind when I saw the fear in the children's eyes, and there was nothing I could do about it, as there were no resources or support on that scene. At the age of 18, I became my family's main breadwinner, but that didn't stop me from helping people, whenever I could with what I could. 2020 was a pivotal year for our country, with a very hard economic crisis, protests all over the country and a worsening of the crisis as the months went by with job losses. What's more, the explosion in August and the fact that I live on the outskirts of Beirut pushed me into action to help those injured, and to take action in the days that followed to clean up the streets and help people rebuild their homes. Another traumatic experience for children living in Beirut. As you can see, my personal background and the country we live in convince me even more that I have to help the people of my country and above all the future generation. I believe that the Hope & Sport project is a very important project for the children of my country, to show them that hope is present and that better days can be achieved through sport and the love we will give them."
On behalf of the entire Foundation team, we are proud to be your teammates at Decathlon and thank you for your investment in this incredible project!