Meet Hamedou Gaye, a young boy with big dreams and an even bigger love for basket. "In Siouré Thiambé, like many villages in the region, football is the only sport that matters." he said. Yet, despite the passion that courses through every match, there's a sense of longing for more. Hamedou often finds himself pondering the limitations imposed by the lack of infrastructure and the narrow mindset towards other sports such as Basketball or Handball.
"In Siouré Thiambé, the absence of proper sports facilities is glaring." He added during the awards ceremony of SC:ORE Event. The makeshift football pitches scattered across the village are more often private properties than communal grounds. There's no official space for the youth to hone their skills, no designated area for dreams to take flight. And beyond football, the societal stigma attached to other sports, particularly those deemed "feminine," stifles the aspirations of young athletes like Hamedou.
The Sport against Crime: Outreach, Resilience, Empowerment of at-risk youth (SC:ORE) iniative aims to prevent and combat violence and crime through sport-based learning, mentoring support and professional training to create more peaceful and safe communities and promote social inclusion. It is based on the principle that participation in targeted sport programs can prevent youth from being victims of violence.
But amidst the dusty fields and whispered doubts, there's a beacon of hope shining brightly in the form of Alioune Gueye and Village Pilote. As a sports educator at the Village Pilote association, Alioune understands the transformative power of sports, especially for vulnerable youth. "At Village Pilote, children find sanctuary from the harsh realities of their past, embracing sports as a means of healing and growth." he stated.
For the former street children, Village Pilote offers a lifeline—a chance to explore sports beyond their difficulties. There, rugby and gymnastics take center stage, offering avenues for self-discovery and professional advancement. Through rigorous training and unwavering support, young athletes carve out paths to success, breaking free from the chains of limited opportunities.
Village Pilote Association welcome at-risk children aged 5 to 25 from West Africa, some of whom are fleeing situations of extreme violence. Months of wandering on the streets have an impact on their self-esteem and their relationship with others, sometimes to the point of completely breaking off dialogue with the outside world.
The journey from Siouré Thiambé to Village Pilote is not just about sports; it's about breaking barriers and reshaping destinies. Through dedication, perseverance, and the unwavering belief in a brighter future, Hamedou and his peers navigate a path towards greatness, one kick, one leap at a time.
In the end, it's not just about the goals scored or the medals won; it's about the journey—the journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the unyielding pursuit of dreams against all odds. And as the sun sets over Siouré Thiambé and rises over Village Pilote, the spirit of hope and possibility binds these two worlds together, bridging dreams across the vast expanse of possibility.
This gathering, born out of an awareness campaign and a spirited sports competition on the International Day of Sport for Peace and Development, resonated with the hopes and dreams of our youth. Representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Ministries of Justice and the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture convened to discuss a crucial theme: the transformative power of sport in combating crime and violence. Among the esteemed guests were Ms. Fatou Khouma, a mental health psychologist, and Mr. Amadou Seye, a researcher in the sociology of sport and President of the Senegalese Volleyball Federation. But the true stars of the evening: the resilient youth of Dakar
To watch the 10 winners' creations, click here.
SC:ORE builds on the UNODC Youth Crime Prevention through Sport initiative, including the Line Up Live Up programme, as well as the IOC’s Olympic Education Values Programme (OVEP). The project contributes to the realization of strategic priorities set in the Olympism365 strategy and UNODC Strategy 2021-2025, aimed at strengthening the role of sport as enabler of sustainable development and placing the realisation of the sustainable development goals and the welfare of people with local communities at the centre.
To learn more about SC:ORE, click here.
For more information contact Georgia Dimitropoulou georgia.dimitropoulou@un.org
UNODC/ DTA/Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section.
