Kavod Relief Initiative has successfully delivered “Football Meets Tech: Goals for Skills,” a community outreach program that uses football and other sports as an entry point to facilitate access to digital skills as a pathway to adolescent empowerment.
The event was held at Mees Palace in Jos, bringing together adolescent girls and boys, youth teams, families, and community stakeholders from underserved communities and Anguwan Rukuba Jos. Beyond the matches, the outreach created a safe and engaging space to spotlight issues affecting adolescent girls and boys while reinforcing Kavod Relief’s commitment to introducing opportunities for education, skills development, and future readiness.
Beyond the matches played on the field, participants were exposed to conversations around gender based violence, life skills, Adolescent and Sexual Reproductive Health, personal development, technology-driven careers and digital skills, and the importance of goal-setting, self-esteem and long-term planning
Speaking on the initiative, the Founder and Chief Servant of Kavod Relief, Mr Ransomed Chibueze, reaffirmed the organisation’s mission to intentionally include adolescents in development efforts and to adopt innovative, locally driven approaches that respond to their realities. Ransomed added that adolescence is a critical stage of human development.
“Adolescence is basically the make-or-break point for most humans. Meeting them at this point and helping them and guiding them to make better choices and better life choices and decisions means that they would have fewer social vices and would have more meaningful and quality adolescents and in the near future adults,” he said.
Also speaking, Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Karoline Dafur, represented by the Director of Child Development, Mr Dombin Sunday, said initiatives like the programme help groom children early and prepare them for responsibility.
He stressed the importance of skills for girls and vulnerable children. He said, “To catch the little ones, it is at this age, the younger ages, that we groom them to be something in society. Events like this football tournament and the GBV lecture help discipline them.
“When they have a skill, even if football fails or the white collar jobs are not available, they will be able to stand on their own. That is why skill acquisition is good for the girl child,” he added.
By merging sports with technology, Kavod Relief continues to demonstrate how creative community-based interventions can unlock confidence, discipline, and opportunity for adolescent girls and boys on and off the field.
The outreach marks an important step in Kavod Relief’s broader strategy to engage adolescents through innovative, community-based approaches while building pathways to long-term empowerment.
Football Meets Tech: Goals for Skills has been featured across multiple media platforms. Read related stories here:
https://leadership.ng/sports-kavod-relief-unveils-community-outreach-initiative-goals-for-good
https://leadership.ng/initiative-links-sports-to-digital-opportunities-for-underserved-youth/
https://guardian.ng/sport/football/kri-adopts-football-as-tool-for-tech-skills-development
What a way to support adolescents and ensure they contribute meaningfully to the society. Who knew children can enjoy sports whilst also learning new skills. Goals for Tech will facilitate improved access to technological and digital services for these adolescents