Empowering sport trainers to build resilience of at-risk youth in Brazil and South Africa
29 September 2017 - UNODC and local authorities in Brazil and South Africa teamed up in September to begin training of sports trainers for the implementation of the Line Up Live Up curriculum for youth crime and drug use prevention. Some 43 coaches from sport centres in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, as well as from after-school programmes in Cape Town, South Africa were trained on the Line Up Live Up methodology through a set of interactive sessions.
During the sessions, particular attention was given to processing, which forms a key component of the training as it facilitates learning by allowing youth to link the knowledge and skills that they acquire during the various activities to challenges they face in everyday life. As such, the Line Up Live Up sport-based life skills training offers coaches and social workers alike a very practical tool to make a difference in their local communities and to use sport to engage at-risk youth in a meaningful and fun way to build their resilience to violence, drug use and crime.
Oihana Rementeria is one of the life skills training experts supporting UNODC in the design and delivery of Line Up Live Up in both countries. After the trainings she highlighted the enthusiasm among coaches to help young people in their neighbourhoods by using sport as a vehicle to learn and develop social and personal skills. "It is great to interact with such motivated trainers and talk about risk and protective factors related to youth crime and drug use. They work in communities that experience difficulties, they know the problems that exist there, and are well-placed to provide safe spaces for young people to develop healthy lives, free from violence and drug use."
One of the participants in the training in South Africa, Ashlin September, meanwhile pointed to the difference that this type of training will make. "In some places, children are so used to gang shootings, they don't even duck anymore," he noted. "As sport coaches, we want to be a part of the solution to the gang problem in our society and we think this course helps us to do just that."
In the coming weeks, the trainers will implement Line Up Live Up with youth in their communities through support from UNODC.
Additional information:
Doha Declaration Global Programme
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