Cross Cultures has, in partnership with the South Sudan Football Association, implemented the Open Fun Football Schools project and Youth on Economic Aspects of Business project in South Sudan and on the 26-10-20 conducted a three days coach seminar and children’s festival in Torit.
In total, 50 coaches and 160 children aged 6-12 participated in the activities, in accordance with Cross Cultures and the local Covid-19 guidelines. (You can read them here)
The objectives of the seminar were to; educate and enable the coaches on how to promote Grassroots football, improve sports activities through the Open Fun Football Schools methodology of cohesion, peace and unity, enable coaches to adopt training with corona guidelines and to introduce 6 types of 3-dimensional games that are corona friendly.
When asked about the seminar, Coach Jennifer Keji tells:
I am from Nyong Zone of Nyong Payam Torit county of EES state-Torit, I am 28 years old and married with three children. I am a drop-out student from secondary school. When I joined as an OFFS volunteer coach in April 2019, I came to realize that the OFFS activities are good initiatives that have made me interact and know many coaches and children from different zones of Torit. I came and learnt this programme and it has made me know how to manage and play with the children as a mother and as a footballer. I have gained a lot of skill through several seminars on football and children management in zone training. It’s a programme that unites children and coaches together and that will relive the youths and children from trauma of war, that happened for a decade in South Sudan.
Jennifer Keji at Coach seminar
The seminar and festival was a success that continued in Juba the following week, conducting another coach seminar and children’s festival.
Below are photos from Torit and Juba.