AfriKids Sports
This project's parent organization is AfriKids
It operates in Ghana
It uses Football (Soccer)
Entered the Sport For Social Inclusion Award
More about AfriKids Sports
AfriKids project Operation Sirigu is a community led initiative that deals with the social issue of the ‘Spirit Child Phenomenon’. This is a harmful belief that promotes infanticide as a way of dealing with babies that are deemed ‘not of this world’. This could be babies born with special needs or those whose mothers die in childbirth, but in many cases this is simply babies born with hair or those who cry a lot.
Through education and outreach programmes AfriKids have been working with the local community to reduce the stigma attached to the spirit child phenomenon. In addition we provide access to healthcare for the children and their families. Sport has been a key tool in the development of this project because it is an opportunity for children of all ages and the community to socialise and for AfriKids to raise awareness on the spirit child phenomenon.
The local football team Sirigu Superstars have 50 members from the communities surrounding Sirigu, including several ‘spirit child’ survivors. There is a top under 17’s team who play all over the region and they hosted their first ever tournament in 2007, which was one of the only sporting events in the area.