What is the impact of the Beyond Sport Awards?

There are approximately 360,000 refugees living in twelve refugee camps near the border between Chad and Sudan and there is a need for programmes which address trauma and promote education, health, peacebuilding and social integration. In response, i-ACT works directly with refugees to develop and implement the Darfur United Soccer Academy (DUSA).

It is a child development football programme which trains and employs refugee men and women to provide a safe place for refugee children to learn through a football, health and peace-building curriculum. DUSA’s main objectives are to promote:

• Leadership
• Health
• Equality
• Education

In recognition of its work, the Darfur United Soccer Academy won Beyond Sport’s Sport for Social Inclusion Award in 2014. Curious to find out its motivations for applying and the impact of winning, sportanddev.org caught up with i-ACT director of programmes, Sara-Christine Dallain.

Why did you apply for a Beyond Sport Award?
iACT applied with our soccer programme, the Darfur United Soccer Academy, for a Beyond Sport Award because we wanted to be a part of the amazing global community of people, organisations and institutions that Beyond Sport has created. The Darfur United Soccer Academy (DUSA) is a relatively new programme. iACT implemented the first DUSA in 2013 in refugee camp Djabal, in eastern Chad. Therefore, the award was a great opportunity to share our efforts, and garner more attention and support to expand our programme as well as to receive feedback and to connect with others who are similarly using sport for social change with hard to reach, vulnerable populations.

How has winning the Sport for Social Inclusion Award had an impact on your work?
Winning the Sport for Social Inclusion Award provided us with funding for the Darfur United Soccer Academy, for a clubhouse and to expand the Darfur United Soccer Academy to another refugee camp, allowing us to employ more refugee coaches and reach more children. Winningthe award has also given us ongoing access to the Beyond Sport community. Since winning, we’ve been in regular contact with Beyond Sport staff. They've provided insight and connections and have been quick to share our work and efforts through their platforms. Being a part of the Beyond Sport network and having access to a unique platform, people and initiatives has been invaluable for our programme.

The 2015 Beyond Sport Awards Ceremony takes place on Tuesday 20 October 2015 in London.