“One of the benefits of sports is that it brings youth together. Sports help people solve their differences and problems. Young people can change their attitude by playing sport.” – UNICEF
In our ongoing sports challenge, we ask how travelers can use sports to create a positive impact during their trip. Which of the ideas do you like best? And why? Show your support by voting for your favorite!
Olympic Silver Medalist Jaime and Matt Komer use sport to promote gender equity on and off the field in Cambodia and Rwanda. They are ambassadors of Kids Play Int’l and support the flagship program Let’s Play Fair. They teach boys and girls important life lessons and values embodied in the Olympic ideals, such as teamwork, good sportsmanship, fair play, gender equity, respect, and problem-solving – all through sports activities and interactive discussion.
Another great idea was submitted by Henry. As a social worker and trainer at NIRP in Uganda, he invites travelers to organize sports tournaments where participants are made aware of their sexuality and reproductive rights with the aim to reduce HIV and AIDS infections. Their prototype event was a huge success with more than 200 youth participating in a football tournament.
Esther uses football in Uganda for another purpose: She suggests using sports to build a trustful relationship with the children from the slums and other less fortunate environments. Travelers can then act as mentors to encourage and motivate their mentees to grow into responsible adults despite the challenging social and economic circumstances around them.
Nadine and Matthias experience ideas will help to keep the mountains clean while hiking or climbing in beautiful landscapes. In territories with mass tourism, the natural habitats of endangered species are often polluted. Their idea is to clean up troubling waste and pollutants while hiking through astonishing landscapes.
Please give your vote to the ideas you like best. Also, rais questions, suggest improvements, share your thoughts and experiences, or even take action. Let’s travel2change!
