Inter Campus Angola, from students to coaches

LUANDA – We visited Luanda, Dondo and Calulu on our most recent trip to Angola, a week-long stay enabling us to meet all of the children and coaches taking part in the project, which we run together with the Salesian priests.

Around 400 kids are directly involved in the Inter Campus programme here but many more benefit indirectly from our work – youngsters living in difficult conditions on rubbish dump sites in the capital, Luanda. We noted the progress made by coaches and children alike, both in their technical skills and their behaviour.

The work carried out over a number of years has been rewarded with excellent results. Some of the children have grown up, finished the programme and become assistant coaches themselves. They are thus able to pass on what they have learnt to the younger generations, creating a system capable of maintaining itself in time. It also makes the whole process more rewarding for the children themselves.

At the end of the week the Inter Campus national cup was held, with a number of girls' teams taking part. Getting involved in sports activities helps the girls to become better integrated and less exposed to social problems such as prostitution and teenage pregnancies.

It's an ongoing process, so we'll be back again soon for another week of coaching and educational work to support these young Angolans in their development.