Soccer used in teaching teens about sex, family planning and respect for each other.
Football in ACTion
We teach teenagers in rural Tanzania about safe sex, consent and rights, HIV/AIDS as well as respect, fairness and friendship through football.
Tackle Africa presents the Football in ACTion project
Football and hiv
In 2018 we launched our first youth project together with TackleAfrica. The project is designed for adolescent boys and girls within the age range of about 12-18; reaching people before, and as they become, sexually active to ensure that they are fully informed and empowered to make safe decisions. HIV is still the biggest killer of adolescents in Africa and remains a critical sexual and reproductive health priority.
The programme uses the popularity of football to deliver sexual health education to young people on the football pitch. Cedar Tanzania teaches local coaches to use fun, interactive football drills with inbuilt health messaging with young people in their clubs and communities.
Hear how specifically developed football drills are being used to illustrate sexual health issues
Football is a great way to engage with young people regularly – something that traditional health programmes and clinics often struggle to do. It provides a platform for regular health education with a respected and informed coach, and creates a safe space for young people to discuss sensitive issues. Football in ACTion improves the understanding of key sexual health issues, gives young people the skills and confidence to make safe decisions, and provides access to youth friendly services such as HIV testing and counselling.
As a result Football in ACTion target HIV and related sexual and reproductive health rights issues – including contraception, family planning, gender-based violence (including FGM and child marriage) and girls’ empowerment. Building resilience to HIV often requires an holistic approach that helps young people overcome challenges in their communities, and our project is giving young people the tools to take control of their own sexual health.
Each drill contains a sexual health message that unfolds as they play. Drills are designed so that young people learn through play, in a way they enjoy, remember and understand. Through the messages in these drills, we educate and challenge young players to make safer decisions, limiting the impact of HIV in their families and communities.
Pilot programme 2018
In May-July 2018 we partnered with TackleAfrica to run a pilot project in Kamanga culminating in a tournament at Mwanza Stadium - a once in a lifetime experience.
The short pilot also resulted in 49 teenagers knowing their HIV status and 95 participants receiving education in relationship power and sexual education.
Football in ACTion - 2019 and beyond
Based on the success of the pilot run in 2018 Cedar Tanzania and TackleAfrica started a full yearly project which launched October 2019.
This project involves training of 16 local coaches in TackleAfrica’s special techniques and approaches, and reach 320 teenagers directly through a whole years education and training.
All participants will be encouraged to know their HIV status, receive education in sexual health, respect and power in relationships, as well as promote fairness and friendship through football.
Please contact us if you want to learn more about our Football in ACTion project: