The summary below was provided by the Peace Corps Volunteer and the community administering this project.

According to the United Nations Sport for Development and Peace, "sport and play are human rights that must be respected and enforced worldwide..." and "has a unique power to attract, mobilize and inspire." Sports are a huge part of life here in Ukraine. During sport lessons at school, children are taught about a variety of sports such as badminton, table tennis, basketball and volleyball however, only in theory. They do not have the resources necessary to actually learn and practice the sport.

The current facilities at our school in Gorlovka are outdated and honestly, somewhat dangerous. The football field is scattered with glass and large rocks. Every year, more and more students are taken out of sport lessons because of injuries that could be prevented with safer equipment. With this project, we are attempting to improve the current state of sport facilities at our school which will create a safer environment and help students develop the skills needed to be active and competitive participants. The money raised from this grant will provide students with proper sports equipment while ensuring variety of athletics and after school opportunities.

Another goal of this project is to transfer project planning and implementation skills to Ukrainian community members in order for them to take initiative and understand how to solve problems within the communities themselves. The community has been working hard and has come together to provide over 30% of the total project funds themselves through donations, volunteerism and networking.

If you have questions about this or other projects, email our office.

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