More than resisting: Building a future through sport amid the global aid crisis

by Mauro Fernandes, Presidente do Clube Desporto Xico Andebol

Essential support networks are collapsing, health programs are being suspended and organizations operating at the intersection of survival and hope are watching the ground disappear beneath them.

But this is not just about numbers or budget charts. The human impact is profound. In times like these, sport – often underestimated as a tool for social transformation – must claim its rightful place.

At Clube Desportivo Xico Andebol, based in Guimarães, Portugal, we are not indifferent to this silent collapse. But we are not resigned either. We believe that sport remains one of the last bridges between institutions and communities. A place where people are educated, included, shaped and transformed.

From handball to inclusion: sport with a mission

In recent years, we have built far more than victories on the court. We have created partnerships with schools, universities and local migrant integration services, supporting young people through their legal documentation processes and promoting genuine inclusion. We’ve supported displaced athletes, offering them not just a club, but a space to belong. We’ve connected sport to mental health and environmental sustainability. And we’ve launched innovative projects like Walking Handball, the first of its kind in Portugal, for people over 60 – a counter to social isolation and the loss of autonomy.

None of this was built on major international funding. Yet it may all be affected by the changing landscape that shrinks horizons, disperses alliances and dries up resources.

Educate, include, inspire

The global aid crisis exposes a deeper systemic issue: formal institutions like schools and social services are struggling to reach and engage young people. Local sports clubs, like ours, organically fill that void. We are informal education centers where young people learn about dual careers, responsible choices, dignity and future aspirations. We do it without manuals, quietly, with minimal means.

This silent mission is now under threat.

The structural weight: sport in peripheral countries

All of these tasks are monumental in themselves. In countries like Portugal, sport is chronically underfunded. Clubs operate with severe financial constraints, restricted to what is strictly essential. This scarcity limits the freedom of club leaders to think big or globally. The vision often narrows to the neighborhood, the parish or the city where the club was born. What’s missing is a culture of the world as one, the ability to think from the outside in, rather than the reverse. And this mindset block could worsen under the current aid crisis.

Sport and citizenship: educating to demand

The positive influence that sport and community-driven clubs have on youth and families should translate into increased civic awareness and political pressure. Citizens, empowered by sport, should demand that inclusion, education and sustainability are part of national and local political agendas. It is an ant-like effort, yes, but if replicated and multiplied, it can grow into a swarm. Civil society, through sport, must also react. In a democratic and civic context, winning match A or B is fine, but the real victory is defending the causes we all care about in every championship we play – not just on the scoreboard, but in society. Because if we’re not winning where it matters most, maybe we’re just keeping score in the wrong game.

What needs to be done?

Waiting for aid to return is not a strategy. The sport for development (S4D) sector must act:

• Strengthen local and transnational collaborative networks that share practices, resources and solutions
• Invest in applied research and evidence to prove the social return of sport with data, not just stories
• Engage politically to influence funding priorities, especially at local and regional levels
• Empower local clubs as key actors, not just service providers

The role of sportanddev

sportanddev must continue amplifying voices outside traditional decision-making centers. It should promote multilingual content, spotlight grassroots innovation and build bridges among organizations redefining sport as a public service.

Final whistle: building through scarcity

Clube Desportivo Xico Andebol is proof that resistance is possible, even without global aid. But that is not enough. We must build. The sport sector – especially the one committed to inclusion – must rise with courage. As global aid shrinks, the challenges facing society grow. And sport has a choice to make: be another casualty or become part of the solution.