Displaced Children and Orphans Fund

USAID's Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF) has provided an Associate Award to the CORE Initiative to implement a world-wide sport for development program. CARE, through the CORE Initiative, is working closely with two sub-grantees, Grassroot Soccer and Right To Play to develop appropriate methodologies that address HIV/AIDS and other development issues through sport. The Associate Award is currently being implemented in Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Zambia, and South Africa. The CORE Initiative is also providing in-country support to RTP through local CARE country offices to connect with non-governmental organizations and local partner networks, and to help anchor key aspects of the program in communities.

Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization whose mission is to mobilize the global soccer community in the fight against HIV/AIDS through a multifaceted sport for development model. GRS believes that HIV/AIDS is a global health crisis to which children are particularly vulnerable, that the best tool to fight the stigma and fear surrounding HIV is knowledge and understanding, and that involving the global soccer community will make a difference. GRS is also working to incorporate other development themes, beyond HIV/AIDS, into their sport model. Visit Grassroot Soccer's website for more information.

Right To Play (RTP) is an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization, which evolved out of Olympic Aid, delivering sport and play programs to children and youth living in situations of disadvantage. The goal of RTP is to enhance child and community development through sport and play, including the development of healthy and HIV-preventative behaviors. RTP promotes every child's right to play and defines `play' as physical activity that promotes fun, participation and confidence building. Play and sport provide many developmental and health benefits to children, and are essential to their healthy physical and psychosocial development. Visit Right To Play's website for more information.

Programmatically, this project has two primary targets: (i) vulnerable children and youth with a special focus on orphans and former child combatants and (ii) coaches, teachers and other adult (community) mentors.

View the fact sheet

Contact Information:
Wayne Lifshitz
Project Director, DCOF/AA
Email: wlifshitz@care.org