Eastern Europe
Read about our current program in Ukraine here
Cross Cultures has been active in Ukraine since 2010, when the Open Fun Football Schools initiative was introduced in Crimea. In partnership with the Ukraine Association of Football (UAF), Cross Cultures had reached over 368,688individuals by 2024, including children, youth, and internally displaced persons (IDPs), fostering social cohesion and positive relationships in conflict-affected communities
Between 2017-2021, Cross Cultures implemented the EU-funded program “Civil Society and Public Sector Cooperation for Reconciliation, Social Integration, and Child Protection in Ukraine.” The program involved two primary activity streams: First, the Open Fun Football Schools concept engaged over 200,000 children, including internally displaced children, and more than 3,000 voluntary football coaches in fun sports activities that built transversal skills such as teamwork, tolerance, non-discrimination, and anger management. Second, the program introduced the School+Sport+Police (SSP) component, which promoted children’s rights and worked to prevent juvenile crime and risky behavior through cross-sector collaboration. The SSP network was established across nine conflict-affected regions in eastern Ukraine with 167 local teams, involving schools, social services, police, and sports clubs. In 2021, the program was recognized as one of the EU’s most successful social initiatives in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Cross Cultures has shifted its focus towards humanitarian aid and psychosocial support in the war-torn eastern regions. It continues to organize Open Fun Football Schools for displaced children in the west, with 18 Youth Hubs established across Ukraine as part of recovery and youth empowerment efforts. These Youth Hubs provide safe spaces for psychosocial recovery, leadership development, and civic engagement for youth, enabling them to participate in community recovery initiatives and build resilience
Children’s Grassroots Football Universe
A central element of Cross Cultures’ work is the development of the Children’s Grassroots Football Universe, a multi-stakeholder network aimed at fostering youth empowerment through football. This “universe” places children at its core, while stakeholders such as parents, municipalities, schools, sports clubs, civil society organizations, and local sponsors work together to create a supportive environment for young people. This collaborative approach brings together key partners including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, ensuring that activities are aligned with broader social goals.
The Children’s Grassroots Football Universe not only strengthens community ties but also enhances civil society by unlocking both tangible and intangible resources. It serves as a platform for children and youth to develop leadership skills, foster resilience, and engage with their communities in a meaningful way.
2010
469 Open Fun Football Schools (+2384 one-day festivals)
75.032 children at Open Fun Football Schools (+269.872 at one-day festivals)
Cross Cultures’ Open Fun Football Schools (OFFS) initiative was introduced in Moldova in 2006, with the objective of promoting peaceful coexistence and strengthening social cohesion in the aftermath of the 1992 military conflict in Transnistria.
The initiative has been succesful in using the social qualities of grassroots football to unite people from all regions of the country irrespective of religious, political, racial, sexual and national background. Another key focus in Moldova is to increase girls’ inclusion in football and promote gender equality and female empowerment. We do this by providing women and girls with access to an otherwise male-dominated domain and presenting them with alternative opportunities and role models. In this way, girls and women’s participation in football becomes a valuable tool in combating gender stereotypes while at the same time promoting physical and mental wellbeing as well as active civic participation.
In 2021 Cross Culture had a 51% female participation rate across all activities. In 2017, Cross Cultures introduced the School + Sport + Police (SSP) initiative as a complementary component to the existing Open Fun Football Schools programme. The SSP initiative focuses on preventing children and youth from becoming victims or offenders of crime and is built on the notion that crime prevention is not a matter for the police alone, but should involve all key stakeholders involved in children’s daily lives. The programme has been successful in establishing an effective SSP cross-sector network and educating volunteer coaches in child protection and facilitation of juvenile crime prevention activities.
Since the onset of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, the Moldovan SSP network has furthermore organised sports- and other social activities dedicated to integrating Ukrainian refugee children into their host communities.
2006
203 Open Fun Football Schools (+887 one-day festivals)
38.600 children at Open Fun Football Schools (+70.004 at one-day festivals)
Last updated 29th July 2024
