Play it Forward has 3 objectives that underline all of our work:
1) Improve school infrastructure, attendance & attainment for young people in Zambia
2) Improve health & well-being for young people in Zambia
3) Improve employment opportunities for young people in Zambia
Health Education & HIV Testing
Twenty of our academy players have been trained as ‘peer educators’ who go into local communities to deliver football sessions designed to educate young people about HIV and other health-related topics.
Community School Infrastructure
We partner with communities for whom the government funded education system is out of reach to improve education infrastructure in community schools. By building more classrooms, more children are in school, learning.
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene
We support local communities to build toilets, girl's changing rooms and water pumps alongside essential hygiene and menstrual health education.
Community Football
Every weekend we hold free community football sessions at our pitch, run by our expert coaches. We are strong believers that sports should be accessible to anyone and everyone.
Nutrition
We provide all of our players with a daily food allowance when they come to training. We also support rural community schools with feeding programmes by establishing school and community run gardens.
Digital Skills Training
By providing access to computers and remote learning courses we are preparing a new generation of participants with the skills needed for developing nations in a rapidly changing world.
Village Banking
We help women in communities form microfinance groups to help build financial skills and knowledge, and to save money. By supporting people who don't have access to financial services, we are playing a critical role in financial inclusion.
Bicycle Education Empowerment
With limited and often unaffordable transport options in Zambia, getting to school and training can take significant time out of the day. Our community volunteers are loaned bikes to get to their sessions.