O!YES: changing minds in Africa from a programme proven to work

The International Olympafrica Foundation (FIO) marks, without question, one of the great – if largely unheralded – success stories in what IOC President frequently calls our “fragile” world.

Created in 1989, it now has expanded significantly, to more than 40 centres in 35 countries, most in sub-Saharan Africa. Operating under the auspices of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Olympafrica’s core mission is elemental – to give young people access to sport and use it as a means to grow social, economic and educational opportunity.

Each centre has, of course, its own characteristics, but the aim is the same: empowering the youth from local communities through the three key Olympic values – friendship, excellence and respect. Or as the foundation's motto puts it: “Bridging the gap, speaking sport, building peace”.

Now comes an initiative, O!YES, that is the only – the only – one common to each centre, offering sports – football, athletics, basketball – and more, workshops and beyond, to girls and boys aged 10 to 15. For this first edition, 58,000 children will join the programme.

Beyond? For instance, recycling waste to make sports equipment like rackets. Or balls. 

O!YES, which stands for “Olympafrica Youth Empowerment through Sport”, marks the legacy programme of the Olympafrica FutbolNet Cup, which ran from 2014 to 2020. The IOC has helped back the FIO financially for more than 35 years and supported it in offering activities across the entire network of centres.

What happens at an O!YES programme on a day-to-day basis may seem simple enough – a game of, for example, basketball.

But the aim is profound: it is nothing less than to change the mindset of the young people involved.

To empower them. To give them a feeling of agency over their lives by letting them set up their own rules of the game. Too, a sense of belonging – to something bigger than themselves. To a larger movement. You score, you win one point. You show solidarity with your teammates, you win two.

Does this happen overnight? Of course not. Are the changes long-lasting? Only time will tell. Is there promise?

“Most of the kids who are participating are becoming young leaders in their community,” said Ndiaté Sall, the programme manager at the Olympafrica Foundation. “Working with younger kids. Passing on to them what they have learnt from our programmes. That’s what we’re looking for!”

Listen:

“I like O!YES because,” said one participant, “because I have my favourite sports and, also, I meet my best friends.”

Another, asked what the programme brings him: 

“Courage. Because before I was staying in my comfort zone. I was staying by myself. Now, I have friends and play with them. I make an effort.”

Not only that, at home, “I'm helping my mum and dad. Before, I was too lazy. So – thanks to the O!YES programme.”

To that end, the parent of three kids taking part:

“When they come back home after practising sports, they are always talking about the programme. What I really enjoy about the programme is the educational side. One of my children … is usually really shy. I can see the difference since she has been in the programme. She is much more relaxed, much more confident.”

“My children talk a lot about these three values: respect, solidarity and effort. For me, these are indispensable values in everyday life. I would like to thank Olympafrica for all the effort they put into our children.”