Care rainbow football team awarded for achievements |06 December 2014

The Rainbow football team, initiated by Care (Campaign for Awareness, Resilience and Education against substance abuse) as part of its prevention and early intervention programme, sponsored by Barclays, has been awarded for its achievement.

The ceremony was held at the Care House and was attended by the chairperson of Care, Sarah Rene, the acting managing director of Barclays Bank (Seychelles) James Kinyany, Barclays officials, the football team members, their parents, coaches, other guests, Care director Noella Gontier and other officials.

Rainbow is a primary school based prevention and early intervention programme of Care, with a proactive instead of a reactive approach. Its main aim is to bring behaviour change through character and resilience building at an early stage and is already running in four schools on Mahe.

The football project was initiated in March 2013 under the Rainbow programme umbrella for a group of boys from the Mont Fleuri secondary school as a continuation of the character building education started in primary school. An interesting component of the Barclays sponsorship is the fact that it has not been only on a financial level but one that has brought in technical help as well as the active involvement of the Barclays team in mentorship of the boys.
The boys were trained in football with the technical help of the Seychelles Football Federation, Barclays, Seychelles National Youth Council, the Ministry of Education, with the support of Mont Fleuri secondary school and Care. Barclays and Seychelles Football Federation have also co-sponsored the boys’ shoes and T-shirts while Care has eased the character and resilience building training component of the project.

During the ceremony, Mrs Rene pointed out that the project was Care’s way of getting closer to this group of young boys, getting to know their passion and use that passion as a medium for character and resilience building.  She thanked Barclays and all those who have accompanied the boys on this special character and resilience building journey and football training that today allows them to stand tall and proud.
 
On his part, Mr Kinyany, who is himself a football enthusiast and who wanted to become a football professional, shared his passion for this worldwide popular sport with the boys. He also shared his experience and knowledge of similar programmes in his home country of Kenya, where boys from disadvantaged background and surroundings have overcome their plight through their passion for football. He encouraged the Rainbow boys to dream big and to be inspired by those whose determination and discipline have made it to higher grounds from very modest beginning.

All the boys received certificates and medals, whereas some of them received special awards as follows: special awards for those who have been selected to join the Seychelles under-16 teams – Matthew Basset, Ryan Henriette, Raphael Jacqueline, Brandon Labrosse, Baddy Marie, Brandon Molle; shield of resilience in recognition of discipline, resilience and positive behavior change – Julio Marie; overall best – Matthew Basset.

Recipient of the overall best award, Matthew Basset had words of gratitude for all those who have helped them on their special journey.  His mother shared her joy in the positive change she has seen in Matthew as a result of the football project.

Care now aims to present the football project in its approach of using sports for character and resilience building with children and youths, as a good practice and model for prevention and early intervention. If accepted, the aim is to promote the model as a mainstream practice at school and community level as part of the nationwide substance abuse prevention campaign.