Interview opportunity – the FIFA World Cup: new prospects through football

Youngsters in the favelas reap benefits from sports programmes

Eschborn/Bonn. The FIFA World Cup will be watched by millions of people worldwide. But even without the contest for the famous trophy, football in Brazil is as popular as ever – particularly among Brazilian youngsters. Germany and Brazil are now set to exploit this enthusiasm to help disadvantaged young people find their way in life. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is collaborating with the German Football Association (DFB) and its Brazilian partners to promote children and young people from predominantly poor regions of the country. The current wave of critical protests sweeping Brazil shows how crucial it is for young people to be more fully integrated into society.

‘Football can help us to teach youngsters about team spirit, fairness and non-violent conflict resolution – and at the same time boost their sense of self-worth,’ says Henning Schick, Project Manager at GIZ. ‘We train football coaches and have developed a special training programme that combines football and educational measures in a fun way.’

During the FIFA World Cup, sports camps will be organised at the German team’s match venues. Here specially trained coaches will provide daily football coaching sessions for around 100 children and youngsters. In addition, on days when the German team is scheduled to play its matches, there are plans to hold tournaments in the favelas involving several hundred children and young people.

But this is just the start. Even after the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup, GIZ will remain committed to promoting young people through sport in Brazil. As experience from the last tournament has shown, this can be a highly successful approach. With financial backing from the European Union, approximately 60,000 young people have so far benefited from training programmes in South Africa – including around 25,000 girls.

Our expert Henning Schick will be available to give interviews from 2 pm to 4 pm on Wednesday, 4 June. Please contact the GIZ Press Office to arrange an appointment.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federal enterprise with worldwide operations. We support the German Government in the fields of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education. Through our work we assist people and societies in shaping their own future and improving living conditions.