What we do

The Problem

A lack of government expenditure on public infrastructure and a high incidence of child labour impact significantly on the sporting life of children in developing economies. This is especially the case in the outskirts of metropolitan centres in Latin America where the parents work long days with long commutes and often encourage children to work from a young age. These children do not have access to sporting facilities or equipment and do not have the opportunity to play (a basic human right of any child).

But sport is more than an enjoyable pastime. The positive benefits of sport extend to health, academic performance, positive life outcomes, equality and human rights. When a child does not have the opportunity to participate in sport there are numerous negative social and economic outcomes that emerge.

Sports for Development aims to support development and the alleviation of poverty by focusing on the positive benefits of sport and provide access and opportunity to children who would otherwise go without.

Our Solution

We work with underprivileged children who do not have the opportunity to ‘play’. We are implementing weekly sports and physical education programs and monthly/bimonthly regional sporting tournaments in communities where these types of activities are absent.

We are currently working in three different communities in  Santa Marta, Colombia.

In Santa Marta, we are running weekly sports and physical education programs in three communities and running monthly sports tournaments with students from three communities.

We are a not-for-profit organisation run by individuals passionate about achieving social change and thus all employees at Sports for development are volunteers. This ensures that all proceeds go directly to supporting various development activities and that overheads do not diminish available revenue or donations.

Sports for Development was founded in August 2011 by Jarrod Ormiston.

We are part of an Australian proprietary limited company which operates for charitable purposes only, International Social Entrepreneurship Volunteers Network (ACN: 152 413 039; ABN: 16152413039).