Community Sports Program 2023

Appeal for funding!

With our current cohort of the Community Sports Program (CSP) coming to an end in June 2023, Pro Sport Development (PSD) will begin a new cohort with 150 children in the academic year of 2023-24, and we need your help!

We aim to raise ₹ 5 lakhs to continue our programming with participants in Bhubaneswar to enable them to benefit from its impact.

This is how you can contribute to the program: 

Along with a structured sports-based program delivered by trained coaches, the CSP provides these children with personal sports kits, sports equipment, and access to multi-sport infrastructure and sports competitions to enable their growth and development through sports.

Context 

As per the 2011 Government of India census, the total slum population of Odisha exceeds 15 lakhs, with almost 2,00,000 children living in the slums of Odisha. Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, has a total slum population of 3,01,611 (36% of the total population) living in 436 slum pockets (2020).

The majority of people living in the slums of Bhubaneswar are low-skilled and daily wage workers, with an average monthly income of ₹ 6,667. Children from such marginalized and underprivileged communities in Bhubaneswar are often lacking in their social and emotional development due to inadequacies in their educational experiences. A lack of access to opportunities and services to develop crucial 21st century skills means that these children face greater hurdles in dealing effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life, decreasing their chances of enrolling in higher education and gaining meaningful employment in the future.

About the Community Sports Program

Established in 2015, The Community Sports Program (CSP) is a goal-oriented intervention led by Pro Sport Development (PSD) that works with children between the ages of 5-16 years from marginalized slum communities in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Using a specially designed and age-appropriate multi-sport curriculum, the program aids in the holistic development of children, including their socio-emotional development, physical health and well-being, while promoting gender equality. By developing children’s soft skills, engaging them in values education and working on changing their gender perceptions, we capacitate them to become transformational leaders and agents of change in their local communities.   

The CSP was also recognized by the International Olympic Committee’s Sport and Active Society Commission in 2018 for its promotion of sport for all.

Impact in 2022-23

The 2022-23 cohort of the CSP has a total of 165 adolescents (55.5% girls) between the ages of 10-16 years across two schools in Bhubaneswar. The CSP has facilitated the development of the following skills in the participants in 2022-23:

 The CSP program in 2022-23 has led to the following impact:

• The program has provided children a safe space to come and play together and enjoy sports-based activities with their peers, leading to increased physical activity and fitness.
• The children, especially girls, have been able to strengthen their soft skills including leadership, teamwork and communication as well as grow their confidence and self-esteem.
• Through mixed-gender sessions, girls and boys have been able to develop a comfort based on mutual respect, equality and friendship, helping them question gender-based stereotypes and notions. 

Going forward, through the CSP, PSD aims to continue engaging with children from marginalized communities in Bhubaneswar and deepen its impact through a new cohort in 2023-24, and your contribution goes a long way for us!