History and Vision

The present situation (Feb. 2021):
Here we outline the history and structure of the Rugby Academy and its operating model. Unfortunately, due to constant underfunding the academy is forced to cut back. Few meals are provided, a library/learning centre is yet to get off the ground and the salary of the educators is rock bottom. Our educators are our foundation and a brilliant group of young talented community leaders, they deserve more.

Project: Build future community leaders while improving the living conditions of children in need through sport, education, and health.

Name: Rugby Academy VT

Legal status: Humanitarian Development Association

Address : Niamey - Right bank - Haro Banda

Tel: +227 97 72 05 99

E-mail: academiederugbyvt@gmail.com

Date of creation: 06 June 2006

History of the Academy

Youth Rugby Development - Recruitment Phase

The Vincent Turbat Rugby Academy was born out of the initiative of a national team player Zoumaro Bah Traore who wanted to support the youth of his country using rugby as a tool for development.
The recruitment of young Nigerian players began in 2002, chosen from the most vulnerable sectors of the population. The children attend the Academy's rugby schools, which are set up in various districts of the capital. The majority of the young players introduced to the sport were between 10 and 13 years old. The objective at the time was clear: to discover a new sport, enhance learning opportunities, and foster community. The "rugby schools" in Niamey and members of the Academy, continued to operate without financial support until 2005. At this point the Zoumarou Bah Traore, the future director of the Academy obtained funding through patron, Kimberley Miller, who financed the creation of the Academy.

Technical support was mobilised through networking. Thus, missions carried out by French rugby educators/coaches (Brevet d'Etat second degree - BE 2) from the clubs of Lormont Cenon (a suburb of Bordeaux) and the rugby training centre of Orléans were organised in 2006 and 2009. Other financial aid from the NGO KARD and the l'esprit d'ovalie in Niger.

In 2006, a long-term partnership was established between the Academy and the French charity Les Enfants De l'Ovale (EDO) which supports the development of rugby throughout the world while promoting access to education and health. Their financial and material support helped the Academy to launch its activities.

The Academy's first actions - stabilisation phase

At the start of the programme, in 2007, the number of young people participating was 180, spread over 6 of the most disadvantaged districts of Niamey. A room was rented in the Haro Banda - Pont Kennedy neighbourhood for school support, which benefited a priority group of 30 children out of the 180 (16.5%).
EDO's help enabled the modest operating expenses to be met and the Academy's activities to be carried out based on three fundamental pillars:

sport (rugby practice)

health and education

health and nutrition

Still, the demand constantly increased. At the same time, the activities were strengthened according to the needs observed during the sessions: school support activities (homework help) was developed, medical visits and vaccination campaigns were organised, and the child's nutrition was taken into account through the distribution of snacks (milk, fruit, cereals) after each school support session and after each rugby session. Other partnerships were created with public schools (Pont Kennedy Primary School and Gaweye I Primary School).

Current dynamics: from the stabilisation phase (2008 - 2019) to the strengthening phase

On the strength of initial successes, the number of young people benefiting from the Academy's activities was increased. From 30 children benefiting from the Academy programme in 2007 and 2008, the number increased to 50 in 2009-2010, and to 130 in 2011.
These young people benefit from school support sessions, education through sport and health (S.E.S. programme). The regular support of the association "Les Enfants De l'Ovale" guarantees the sustainability of our activities on a very limited budget. This constant support lead us to take more responsibility in the organisation, administrative and financial management of the Academy. In addition, new educators were recruited and trained to supervise the children. Health, education, and management professionals visit the Academy on an ad hoc and voluntary basis.

Prospects - Extension and development of the Academy's activities

At the beginning of 2011, 130 young people (between 7 and 13 years old) were in the programme. Since 2014, this number has increased to 250 to follow the S.E.S programme for a period of three years (three-year plan 2017-2018-2019) supervised by twelve educators who themselves benefitted from the programme at an earlier age; 4 in School Support (homework help) and eight in Sports Education. Biannual medical check-ups took place in 2017 in two cities: Niamey and Say.
However, given the increase in the number of beneficiaries of the Academy Programme and the increase in the volume of activities, the available funding is no longer sufficient. In particular, it is necessary to re-train and requalify the educators in order to guarantee quality.
It is in this context that we are looking for funding and additional support for the Academy's activities.

Target group - the beneficiaries :

The Academy's beneficiaries are aged between 10 and 13 years (more than 50% of them girls) and come from vulnerable families in the capital's neighbourhoods. Most of them live on the right bank of the Niger River. Introductory rugby activities are organised by category: - 6 years old, - 8 years old, - 10 years old, - 12 years old, - 15 years old.

- Education: Homework help is provided for the most disadvantaged children whose parents cannot read or write. Some of them are in school but have great difficulty in learning the French language. Others are excluded from the "modern" school system and are unaware of the advantages and benefits of education.
- From a nutritional point of view, the children who benefit from the Academy's programmes are in a situation of great distress and are mostly malnourished: few of them have more than two meals a day.
For those who are lucky enough to have a regular diet, the meals are far from balanced.

- Health: Most of the young people have no medical follow-up and are not vaccinated against priority diseases.
The situation of the children depends on the situation of their parents. Most of them "get by" by doing occasional "small, low skilled jobs". Moreover, they are often illiterate and do not have a culture of schooling for their children. The meager financial resources available are injected first and foremost to feed the often large family, relegating health and education issues to second place. In years of food crisis, these factors are multiplied.

Analysis of the problems and recommended solutions:

Entry point: RUGBY

Fight against illiteracy = Teaching children to read and write - Help with homework - Improve schooling

Enable access to health care = Medical check-ups - Vaccination

Improve nutrition = Snacks - Enriched meals

Overall objective: Improve the living conditions of vulnerable children while building community participation and leadership.

Statement of objectives, expected results, planned activities:

Overall objective: To improve the living conditions and value of children in disadvantaged areas of Niamey.

Specific objective: Fight against malnutrition and illiteracy among disadvantaged children through the practice of rugby, the transmission of its values, and socio-cultural supervision.

Specific objective 2: Foster a sense of community and nurture leadership skills in girls and boys.

Expected results:

Rugby: The practice of community sport and it's values leads to a sense of inclusion and pride in the local community

Education: The level of education and general culture of the Academy's children is strengthened

Health: The health of young people is improved through better medical care/follow up and nutrition

Strengthening the Rugby Academy:

Coaches are trained with the aid of technical sheets adapted to the different age categories. A training programme is drawn up annually, specifying for each period the objectives of the sessions and the results to be achieved.
In order to reinforce the capacities of the Academy's educators, monthly preparation meetings are held with the entire sports team (Academy Director, educators, and head of the technical commission of the supervisory committee). The educators will then be evaluated on the basis of precise criteria taking into account the technical, physical, and emotional progress of the child but above all their love for the game and surrounding activities.
Finally, the provision of rugby equipment that the project will bring (uniforms, additional balls, protection pads, etc.) will help make participation safe and ease parents' concerns.
A health insurance fund will also be created at the Academy level to cover minor accidents linked to rugby. This fund will be separate from the overall project budget. The objective is to attract even more young people by basing the game on fun and community.

Training rugby educators in player safety, pedagogy, and the implementation of teaching tools

The rugby educators were recruited in 2006. They were trained and evaluated in 2007 by the Niger Rugby Federation's (FENIRUGBY) grassroots rugby development officer. In 2009, 2010, and 2011, they also followed three trainers' courses given by the African Rugby Confederation (CAR), and a French association from Bordeaux (Rugby de poussières).

Within the framework of this project, the eight educators will be strengthened in their capacities as coaches and youth supervisors. This training will be provided by CAR's international trainers. They will receive two five-day training sessions per year.

The "homework help" educators will benefit from training through four sessions (one session per quarter). This training will be organised and directed by the inspector of basic education of the zone, a member of the education commission of the support committee of the Academy.

To do: Develop a rugby players and educators charter. This charter will define the moral and behavioural rules to be respected. Particular emphasis will be placed on concepts such as respect for others (opponents, referees, spectators), respect for the rules, humility, etc., and respect for each other.

Promote the practice of rugby in the other neighbourhoods of Niamey to raise the population's awareness

-To promote rugby in the city of Niamey, the Academy already organises several tournaments, including the Tabaski tournament, which takes place every year and brings together all youth categories. In addition to these tournaments, several sporting events are organised at the Seyni Kountché municipal stadium or at the University stadium. These events will take the form of neighbourhood tournaments for the various rugby schools.
The aim of these events will be to transmit the values of rugby to the population in order to make it more visible, and also to attract other children to join.

Raising young people's awareness of hygiene, health, nutrition, and illness during various training sessions

-In precarious living conditions, where access to basic information is difficult for most of the children who are often in difficulty at school or who do not attend school, the training sessions will be an opportunity to disseminate socio-educational messages on specific themes. For example, during the bi-weekly training sessions, the young players will be made aware of basic hygiene practices, adapting the message to their social condition and local culture. The link between hygiene and the practice of rugby will also be widely developed (cleaning small wounds with soap, showering after training, etc.). The messages will be conveyed by the educators supported by the Academy director, who will also be trained on these fundamental issues by the Health Officer of the Support and Assistance Committee.

-Preliminary sheets, specifying the information to be transmitted, will be prepared by the Academy team and submitted for approval to the health and socio-educational commission of the supervisory committee. External speakers specialising in awareness-raising themes (health, education) will be mobilised on an ad hoc basis.
Other themes concerning health will be addressed in conjunction with the Health Commission of the Academy's Supervisory Committee, with particular emphasis on the healing of small wounds using "on-the-spot means" (disinfection of cuts with Marseille soap, use of ice for hematomas, sprains, etc.), as well as on the prevention of injuries. ), but also on the prevention of certain diseases such as malaria, which wreaks havoc in the rainy season, typhoid fever, AIDS from pre-adolescence onwards, or various infections that worsen due to lack of basic care.
Specialised institutions (State services, NGOs, development projects) which have numerous awareness and training tools on these themes will be called upon.

Strengthening the weekly school support and literacy system

- For children attending the Academy school, homework support is instituted as a priority for children from the most vulnerable backgrounds. This support, which prioritises the learning of reading, writing, and arithmetic, basics that many children do not master even after several years in primary school, will be reinforced through the project. This support will be provided in close collaboration with the teachers of the schools concerned (Pont Kennedy and Gaweye I), This includes the development of a support programme in relation to the school curriculum and in line with the national curriculum.

- For older children (10-13 years old) with many gaps in their education, a special "2nd chance" programme will be provided to encourage them to return to school until they obtain the primary school leaving certificate.
Initiation of a project to create a socio-educational space (games library, library, internet access, introduction to computers, etc.)

- Niamey, particularly on the right bank, is lacking in socio-educational structures and in particular a library/reading space, thus limiting young people's access to information and slowing down the learning of reading. To alleviate this problem, the Academy, in addition to the meager funds at its disposal, plans to add to its literary collection (children's books, documents, novels, dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.) and to subscribe to children's magazines (e.g. "Planète junior") and to local newspapers. The partnership links that the Academy has established with the Association "les enfants de l'Aïr", which helps public schools in Niger, could be put to good use at this level. A strategy for the supply of books and games of all kinds will be worked on.
*This space could also be enriched with a games library.

- Setting up a monitored exchange system with young French-speaking players (Europe, Canada, West Africa)
Through the Internet (WhatsApp, Signal, or social networks for example), young people from the Academy's schools (category -10, -12, 13 years old) will be able to exchange with their French-speaking counterparts. The interest will be in building relationships, communicating about cultural differences, differences in everyday life, and the game of rugby. In the long term, such relationships could lead to sponsorship systems enabling disadvantaged children supported by the Academy to continue their studies (payment of school fees, school supplies, and the renewal of rugby outfits, etc.). The presence of numerous Cyber Café and broadband connections in Niamey will facilitate the establishment and strengthening of these links.

Quarterly medical visits:

The head of the health commission of the Academy's supervisory committee has engaged a doctor who carries out a general medical check-up with particular emphasis on the nutritional status of the children. A visit is compulsory from the beginning of the year to ensure that no medical anomaly prevents playing sport. A medical certificate authorising the child to play rugby is issued on a yearly basis.
A medical follow-up is carried out three times a year and an annual report is drawn up for each child. A health booklet is given to any child. Preventive vaccinations may also be administered if necessary (tetanus in case of injury, etc.).
The Academy also receives the support once a year of a team of doctors proposed by the humanitarian association "Les Enfants de l'Aïr".
Collective snacks and/or full meals are organised to complete and guarantee the minimum nutritional intake of the young athletes. These snacks will also be provided to the children benefiting from homework help sessions every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
In line with the Academy's approach, the youngsters receive a small vitamin supplement in the form of fruit and dairy products at the end of each training session. A drink made from Spirulina (highly nutritious dried algae produced and sold in pharmacies) will also be given after each training session.
If funding allows, full meals will also be cooked for the young beneficiaries of the Academy's programmes after homework sessions and training sessions on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Resources required:

Employees:

1 Academy Director, Programme Manager
8 Sports Educators
4 "homework help" educators

Training:
Training of trainers sessions
Capacity building for 12 educators
Local office space for the Academy
Study room equipped with a fixed computerLibrary
Classrooms of partner public schools
Support Committee