GAME ANNUAL REPORT 2022

ANNUAL REPORT 2022

Address: Phone:

Website:

E-mail: CVR. no.:

Founded:

Board of Directors:

GAME

Enghavevej 82D, DK-2450 Copenhagen SV

(+45) 70 20 83 23 game.ngo game@game.ngo

27 21 33 08

2002

Lotte Marschall, Chair

Mads Flarup Christensen, Vice Chair

Maria Bøge

Farid Fellah

Philippe Furrer

Line Groes

Meriam Kadoura

Josephine Svensson

Executive Management:

Simon Prahm, CEO & Co-Founder

Ida Brix, Executive Director of Communications & People

Ayhan Can, Executive Director of Facilities & Engagement

Marie Traasdahl Staal, Executive Director of Innovation & Programs

Auditors:

Front page:

Grant Thornton, Stockholmsgade 45, DK-2100 Copenhagen

Karol Jazmin Giron Grueso is a Playmaker. She leads street dance practices every week for local children and adolescence in her hometown – among them 11-year-old Medina

Ali. At the 20th Anniversary GAME Finals in Copenhagen, Medina won the GAME Zone dance battle with lots of confidence, attitude and self-esteem. Obviously, both Medina and her role model, Karol, were happy about the win!

Foto: Monika Kadlubcová

This page:

Photos:

Design:

Illustrations:

Text:

Print: Editor in Chief:

About GAME:

GAME’s program ‘Lebanon Youth Building Dreams’ supports youth in creating safe public spaces like this street basketball court in Nadi Al Maani.

All rights reserved

Monika Kadlubcová

Emilie Lenau Klint

Ida Brix, Jakob Friis Thorø Lund & Laura Jonasssen

ON!AD

Ida Brix

GAME works with a mission to create lasting social change through youthled street sports and culture. GAME trains youth-leaders as instructors and role models in street sports and civic engagement. GAME establishes innovative facilities and supports street sports & culture communities and entrepreneurs.

Annual Report Content:

Board of Directors’ Report: Where we work:

Denmark: GAME Houses:

Urban Music School: MORESTREET program:

Breaking Barriers: Asphalt Meet-Up:

Street Sports and STEM:

Greenland:

Norway: Ukraine: GAME Empowerment Model:

Lebanon: Street Sports Incubator:

Lebanon Youth Building Dreams:

Jordan:

Tunisia:

Participatory Design Principles:

BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ REPORT 2022

Another year – the 20th in GAME's history – has passed and I am prouder than ever of the impact our organization has delivered. This year our +1,600 young volunteers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa picked up strongly after Covid.

GAME’s core concept of creating social change by educating role models and including children and youth in street sports in underserved communities has proven to be flexible in addressing local needs wherever we operate.

We tweak our concepts to empower children with special needs, promote gender equity and strengthen youth employability or active participation in democracy.

GAME’s hand in humanitarian aid

Less than two months into 2022, Russia escalated the armed conflict in Ukraine, causing Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. I am proud that GAME and our Ukrainian partner, Street Culture, have played a small role in alleviating the humanitarian crisis through the provision of safe spaces for displaced persons in Lviv and Kharkiv.

These efforts in Ukraine have been backed by our volunteers in Denmark, who have organized weekly activities in street football and street basketball for Ukrainian refugee children in Denmark to help improve their well-being, using the universal language of sports.

As if the war itself wasn't enough, it pushed the global price of grains to new heights, causing a global food crisis. Along with the worst drought in 40 years, this hit the Horn of Africa and its people exceptionally hard. GAME had ongoing street sports activities in IDP camps in Somaliland already, and together with our local partner, SCORE, our young volunteers showed civic engagement by distributing water and food and providing activities and sports equipment for the children and youth here. In 2023, we will continue the efforts through a new program focusing on young people’s power to elevate climate adaptation.

Democratic elections

On the brighter side, 2022 saw democratic elections in many countries around the world. Two of these were Kenya and Denmark. In Kenya, GAME and the partner MIDRIFT Human Rights Network helped ensure the elections went on peacefully by educating Playmakers as role models with this special focus. Fortunately, the elections turned out to be a peaceful event and we now plan to continue the weekly street sports activities in Kenya. In Denmark, our young role models encouraged other youth to get out and vote to ensure engagement and diversity.

20th anniversary of GAME

2022 was also the year when GAME marked its 20th anniversary. Having made it through the ’teenage years’, we can now look back and celebrate that more than 100,000 children and youth have participated in one of GAME’s programs or become a member of one of our facilities. This is not only fun but an empowering experience in building higher selfesteem and social skills, preparing youth for life and better bridging the differences between people. Aside from this, you will find 20 stories from the 20th anniversary season in this Annual Report.

READ THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTOR'S REPORT HERE:

Lotte Marschall, Chair of GAME

SINCE 2019

SINCE 2018

CROWN PRINCE COUPLE’S AWARD FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

GAME received the Danish Crown Prince Couple’s Social Award for elevating social change in a new and inspiring way based on youth-led street sports.

"It is a great honor to receive such an award. Our hope is that the recognition it brings will lead to street sport being increasingly recognized for its many potentials to enhance young people's well-being, to combat marginalization, to create positive communities that make a social difference in Denmark." -

Simon Prahm, CEO and Co-Founder of GAME.

In 2022, 50% of the children participating in the Playmaker Program in Denmark was not active in sports before joining GAME and 45% was not in any leisure activity at all before joining GAME. Regarding inclusion of girls in activities, the proportion of girls in those attending the Playmaker Program in Denmark in 2022 reached 40%.

WORKING WITH EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN & GIRLS

GAME RECEIVED SOCIAL AWARD

GAME DENMARK

GAME’s street sports activities were initiated in the streets of Copenhagen in 2002, making 2022 GAME’s 20th anniversary.

Currently, GAME Denmark has 19 GAME Zones, where 183 volunteer Playmakers lead weekly practices, four GAME Houses that lower the threshold to street sports & culture, a program for psychosocial challenged children and youth, and the MORESTREET program which promotes, supports and grows street sports and culture in Denmark.

The Playmaker Program is supported by Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Ministry of Culture in Demark, Det Obelske Familefond, and Ole Kirk’s Fond.

GAME DENMARK

CREATING INCLUSIVE & INNOVATIVE FACILITIES

GAME HOUSES

GAME has more than 10 years’ experience in building innovative street sports facilities that lower the threshold for participation. In 2022, GAME was in dialogue with the municipalities in Beirut in Lebanon, Calgary in Canada, Sennfeld in Germany, and Arendal in Norway to assess the viability of establishing a GAME House.

The GAME Houses in Denmark is the result of a parthership between GAME, the municipalities of Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Viborg, and Aalborg, Realdania, TrygFonden, Nordea-fonden, The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities, and Obelske Familiefond.

GAME HOUSE COPENHAGEN

GAME HOUSE ESBJERG

GAME HOUSE VIBORG

GAME HOUSE AALBORG

VIDEO: THE MAKING OF GAME HOUSES

GAME HOUSES BOUNCE BACK AFTER THE PANDEMIC

In 2022, bouncing back after the pandemic, the GAME Houses in Denmark have doubled the number of volunteers and the overall percentage of women and girls in attendance rose from 33% to 36%. One of the houses even achieved record high attendance.

The impact comes from numerous activities, like Football & Food in GAME House Esbjerg, inclusive volunteer training in GAME House Aalborg, a new skate area planned and built by members in GAME House Viborg, and a special focus on gender in GAME House Copenhagen.

GAME URBAN MUSIC SCHOOL BUILDS POSITIVE MUSIC COMMUNITIES

GAME Urban Music School creates music communities for aspiring talents. In 2022 the participants had a big meet-up event in GAME House Copenhagen where they showed off their skills (picture). In 2023 Urban Music School will be implemented in all of the GAME Houses in Denmark.

The Urban Music School has enhanced life skills among participants on teamwork, sense of mastery, and overcoming challenges. Several have performed on stage for the first time, experiencing a boost in self-confidence.

“Urban Music School was a safe space for me from the very beginning. I have felt so inspired to get to know a lot of new, cool people. Different people from different backgrounds. And we've learned so much from each other.”

- Fibi Koci, participant at Urban Music School.

Check out the portrait of Fibi Koci and her co-participant Sebastian Ejin Ong on the next page.

WORKING WITH STREET SPORTS & CULTURE

URBAN MUSIC SCHOOL

LETS YOU LIVE YOUR DREAM

NEWS ARTICLE ON URBAN MUSIC SCHOOL

URBAN MUSIC SCHOOL

GAME’s Urban Music School creates music communities for youth with a special focus on urban music genres. Here, youth can develop their skills in DJ’ing, beat production or rap, and are given the opportunity to play and perform at GAME’s events.

GAME’s Urban Music School is supported by The Tuborg Foundation.

STREET SPORTS AND CULTURE BRING MORE YOUTH INTO POSITIVE COMMUNITIES

MORE ON GAME’S PARTICIPATORY DESIGN PRINCIPLES

MORESTREET PROGRAM

GAME’s program MORESTREET will see the establishment of seven innovative street sports facilities around Denmark, which will be developed and activated in close collaboration with users. Additionally, the program provides counselling and support on street sports and facilities for municipalities and street sports entrepreneurs.

The project is funded by Nordea-fonden and will be co-financed by participating municipalities.

WORKING WITH STREET SPORTS & CULTURE

SUPPORTING STREET SPORTS COMMUNITIES

Street sports and culture are characterized by flexibility, creativity, togetherness and autonomy. This cultivates inclusive and engaged communities that lower the threshold and prevents physical and mental challenges for children and youth.

‘The Day of Street Sports‘ is a yearly event in Denmark, that brings people and communities together, like here in GAME House Viborg, where the gender-inclusive skate community Skateducate hosts a skate contest for beginners.

BREAKING BARRIERS FOR ANYONE WHO'S BEEN TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T DO SPORTS BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTITY

As part of GAME’s partnership in the Breaking Barriers project, five GAME volunteers developed, planned and executed the ‘Be You Camp’ in the GAME House in Copenhagen. The ‘Be You Camp’ was a football camp for girls aged 10-14 with a focus on breaking the barriers for girls entering and participating in football.

“We just try to show them where the passion comes from. Give them a lot of skills and a lot of fun at the same time.”Marie Cancel, GAME Playmaker and Breaking Barriers Champion. Meet Marie Cancel and her co-Champions in the video link to BE YOU CAMP on the next page.

VIDEO: BE YOU CAMP

WORKING WITH EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN & GIRLS

BREAKING BARRIERS

GAME is partnering with adidas, Common Goal, and Women Win on the Breaking Barriers project to help dismantle cultural stigmas and ensure broad inclusion in sports.

Five of GAME’s volunteers were chosen as ‘champions’ and received leadership training, so they can influence the lives of women and girls in their local communities.

STREET SPORTS & PSYCHOSOCIAL CHALLENGES

SOCIOECONOMIC INVESTMENT MODEL SHOWS GREAT RETURN

ASPHALT MEET-UP

Asphalt Meet-Up is a tailormade parkour project that accommodates children and youth with psychosocial challenges. The purpose of the program is to lower the threshold for physical activity in order to improve social skills and mental and physical health.

Asphalt Meet-Up is supported by the Danish Health Authority, TrygFonden, THE VELUX FOUNDATIONS, Østifterne, Grundfos Foundation and Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Silkeborg, Viborg, and Aalborg Municipalities.

ASPHALT MEET-UP INCLUDES

ROLE MODELS FOR CHILDREN WITH PSYCHOSOCIAL CHALLENGES

Asphalt Meet-Up not only improves children's social skills and creates inclusive communities.

It also includes a peer-to-peer focused element where GAME offers internships to young people who have personal experience of psychosocial challenges themselves and are interested in working with children in the project as positive role models.

In 2022, the Asphalt Meet-Up including the 31 volunteers were active in Silkeborg and in the GAME Houses in Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Aalborg, and in Viborg (picture). A socioeconomic evaluation shows that already four years after the program, the social return on investment equalizes the expenses of the program due to decreased need of health services among the participants.

GAME COMBINES SCIENCE AND STREET SPORTS

Children and youth participating in the Street Mix project try out several innovative approaches to urban activities. Examples are completing obstacle courses while wearing glasses that distorts their balance, mixing colours to create graffiti art, and measuring correct inclinations and angles to build a skate ramp.

ELEMENTS

STREET SPORT AND CULTURE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

STREET MIX

The Street Mix project mixes science and street sports to test new ways of strengthening children's and youth’s interest in the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). In 2022, Street Mix was implemented in the GAME Houses in Viborg, Aalborg, Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

Street Mix is supported by THE VELUX FOUNDATIONS.

GAME MIXES STREET SPORTS WITH STEM

PLAYMAKER CAMP IN GREENLAND: EMPOWERMENT, TEAMWORK, AND DEDICATION

GAME IN GREENLAND

After doing preliminary activities to develop the Playmaker Program specifically for Greenland in 2021, 39 volunteer Playmakers successfully organized street sports practices for local children in three GAME Zones in Sisimut and Maniitsoq in 2022.

The Playmaker Program is carried out in partnership with The Sports Confederation of Greenland (GIF) with support from the U.S. Embassy in Denmark.

GAME IN GREENLAND

GAME HELD ITS FIRST-EVER GAME PLAYMAKER CAMP IN GREENLAND

”It’s fantastic to get all these great tools to promote positive development for young people. It’s an eye-opening project.” - Jakob Thorsen Mørch, local street sports trainer in Greenland involved with GAME.

GAME held its first-ever GAME Playmaker Camp in Greenland in 2022. The camp brought together young volunteers who are interested in being role models and leading practices for children and youth in the three GAME Zones. As part of the program, the Playmakers in Greenland will create a winter concept designed to facilitate activities for children and youth in snowy conditions, grounded in the life skills in the Empowerment Methodology of GAME.

READY FOR A GAME HOUSE IN NORWAY

A first major milestone in realizing a GAME House in Arendal is in place as the Arendal City Council decided to support GAME Norway's plans to establish a GAME House at a former fire Department site. Arendal only has a few spots like this from Barbu Park (picture) and is lacking a place for youth-led street sports and culture where the volunteer Playmakers, the youth and the children of Arendal can create positive communities.

CREATING INCLUSIVE & INNOVATIVE FACILITIES

GAME NORWAY

GAME Norway started activities in 2020 in partnership with the local youth organization, Urban Ung. In 2022 GAME Norway was running the Playmaker Program with 18 local youth street sports instructors and role models leading activities for local children in four GAME Zones. GAME Norway, in partnership with The Municipal ty of Arendal and a range of private foundations, is working on establishing a GAME House in Arendal on Norway’s southern coastline.

GAME Norway is supported by Gjensidigestiftelsen, IMDI and DAM Stiftelsen.

GAME NORWAY

HOW A STREET CULTURE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES RELIEF AMIDST WAR

GAME IN UKRAINE

GAME i Lebanon: evt. nævn programmer i landet her. Forklar hvad

GAME Finals går ud

GAME, with support from the Danish Emergency Relief Fund (DERF), provided humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian NGO, Street Culture, following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022.

på og bred historien

om GAME Lebanon ud.

Street Culture mobilized its followers and volunteers to provide humanitarian relief for people in eastern Ukraine while simultaneously building a shelter for internally displaced people (IDP's) in the western city of Lviv.

GAME IS SUPPORTING INTERNALLY DISPLACED

FAMILIES IN UKRAINE

GAME EMPOWERMENT METHOD

COMMUNITY SOCIALLIFE SKILLS

INDIVIDUALLIFE SKILLS

SOCIAL LIFE SKILLS COMMUNITY INDIVIDUAL LIFE SKILLS

• Creative thinking

• Critical thinking

• Self-awareness (physical & mental)

• Coping with stress and emotions

• Reflective decision-making

• Teamwork

• Trust

• Leadership

• Empathy

• Effective communication

• Problem solving

• Peace/reconciliation

• Gender equality

• Sustainable communities

• Democracy

• Creating partnerships

• Other local sustainability issues

GAME EMPOWERMENT MODEL

change in their communities.

The goal of making a lasting social change goes through the empowerment of youth and in GAME this is obtained, among other things, through the GAME Empowerment Method, which empowers youth by enhancing their life skills through street sports and culture.

The GAME Empowerment Method and its Life Skills are the fundamentals behind working with all the GAME volunteers around the world.

THREE LEVELS OF LIFE SKILLS

‘Life skills‘ refer to the skills needed to effectively deal with the changes, challenges and opportunities of daily life.

The GAME Empowerment Method works with three levels:

Individual

Life Skills Level

At the individual level, youth in GAME develop personal skills such as decision-making, goal-setting, and stress-management.

Group Life Skills Level

At the group level, youth in GAME learn to work effectively in teams, communicate clearly, and resolve conflicts.

Community Level

At the community level, youth in GAME gain the skills and confidence to engage in collective action and create positive

At the community level, the GAME Empowerment Method also supports youth in joining the global effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals, set by the United Nations, aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure equity for all.

In GAME, youth are encouraged to identify and address issues relevant to their communities that align with the SDGs. They are empowered to take action through community projects and advocacy efforts, with the ultimate goal of creating positive change in their communities and contributing to the achievement of selected SDGs.

By engaging youth in the SDGs, the GAME Empowerment Method helps to create a sense of global citizenship and solidarity. Youth are inspired to see themselves as part of a larger movement for positive change, and to take a leadership role in building a more sustainable and just world.

MORE ON GAME’S EMPOWERMENT METHOD:

GAME LEBANON

WORKING WITH YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

GAME LEBANON

GAME started youth-led street sports activities in Lebanon in 2007 as the first-ever location for GAME outside of Europe. In 2022, Lebanon had a total of 30 active GAME Zones around the country, 786 volunteer Playmakers, and 8,417 children participating, making it the GAME country with the highest number of volunteers.

GAME Lebanon is part of two programs: The Youth Resolve 2 project, which is the continuation of a project funded by the European Union’s Regional Trust Fund, The EU MADAD Fund, and carried out by World Vision, UTOPIA, DPNA and GAME; and the Lebanon Youth Building Dreams program in partnership with NAHNOO and funded by DANIDA.

BIGGEST GAME FINALS IN THE HISTORY OF GAME

In 2022, GAME Lebanon held the biggest GAME Finals event in the 20-year history of GAME. More than 200 volunteer Playmakers and staff planned and executed tournaments and activities for 218 teams in street football, panna, and 3x3 street basketball, plus 20 dancers along with street artists, DJs, rappers and hundreds of parents and spectators. More than 1,000 people joined the event which celebrated youth-led street sports and culture.

ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH

Reem Nadjm has participated in the Street Sports Incubator in Lebanon from the Start-Up Camp through to the incubation phases and has now received a grant to launch her Start-Up, Redobody.

Living in the conservative neighborhood, Borj Al Barajneh herself, Reem knows the struggle for girls to be able to participate in dance activities. With the seed funds, she is opening a street dance studio that lowers the thresholds for girls.

Reem is one of the 167 young people who participated in the Street Sports Incubator program in Lebanon. Of these participants, 68 were awarded a grant for their Start-Up, including Reem.

WORKING WITH YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

STREET SPORTS INCUBATOR

The Street Sports Incubator (SSI) aims to inspire and develop young people’s entrepreneurial skills to empower them to create social initiatives and business opportunities within sports. The young participants receive training and mentoring to create real business opportunities – for-profit as well as non-profit.

In Lebanon, the Street Sports Incubator is a part of the Youth Resolve 2 project, which is funded by the European Union.

In Jordan, the Street Sports Incubator is a collaboration between Jordan Youth Innovation Forum (JYIF) and GAME and is supported by The Danish-Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP).

GAME LEBANON

STREET SPORTS INCUBATOR

GAME LEBANON

LEBANON YOUTH BUILDING DREAMS

LEBANON YOUTH BUILDING DREAMS

‘Lebanon’s Youth Building Dreams’ is a youth-led project aiming to establish safe public spaces around Lebanon. Young people, called Dream Builders, are being trained to take the lead locally in advocating for public spaces and activating them by hosting weekly street sports activities for local youth.

The project is a partnership between GAME and the local organization, NAHNOO, and is funded by DANIDA.

LEBANESE YOUTH LEADERS CREATE PUBLIC SPACES FOR SPORTS

Access to safe and close-by public spaces in local neighborhoods supports youth in physical and mental well-being and empowers their possibilities for contributing to sustainable communities. The Lebanon Youth Building Dreams program has trained 34 young people as 'Dream Builders’ to create safe public spaces and this has led to the identification and refurbishment of eight of these public spaces being hubs for youth-led street sports and culture. Like this in Abra.

YOUTH CREATES POWERFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH

Playmakers are not only trained as street sports instructors but also as civil society agents through an empowerment approach. In 2022 the Playmakers in Jordan participated in the design of the DAPP program, ‘Youth Inclusion & Empowerment’ (YIIP), starting in Jordan and Tunisia in 2023, to increase opportunities for youth in the region. Involving the Playmakers in the design of the program secures sustainability and inclusive physical activities in the program.

GAME JORDAN

WORKING WITH YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

GAME JORDAN

In Jordan, GAME is teaming up with the Jordan Youth Innovation Forum (JYIF) on making a social change for children and youth through street sports. In 2022, GAME Jordan had 11 active GAME Zones, where 160 volunteer Playmakers organized street sports practices for local children and youth.

GAME Jordan also entered a partnership with FIFA Foundation to increase opportunities and physical activities for young people in their communities.

GAME Jordan is supported by the Danish-Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

GAME TUNISIA

MORE ON GAME'S EMPOWERMENT METHOD

GAME IN TUNISIA

GAME initiated the first street sports activities in Tunisia in 2019 through the Playmaker Program. In 2022, 91 volunteer Playmakers organized street sports practices for children on a weekly basis in one of six GAME Zones in Tunisia.

GAME Tunisia is supported by The Danish-Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP) and in partnership with the local organization, iiDebate.

ARE

STREET SPORTS INSTRUCTORS AND CIVIL SOCIETY AGENTS

GAME’S PARTICIPATORY DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Innovation is a cornerstone of GAME’s way of working using methods from what is called ‘Human Centered Design’ – an approach to design that invites all stakeholders and users into the design process.

GAME volunteers, children, parents and collaborators participate in workshops, interviews, observations, feedback sessions and tests, and contribute with significant inputs for developing new concepts and methods. This allows us to continuously improve our concepts and methods and to excel in delivering social impact and lowering the threshold to physical activity.

EAR TO THE ASPHALT

PLAY WITH IDEAS TEST AND

The way to create innovative solutions is to understand the needs and dreams of those who will use the solutions when created. In this case, children and youth.

Here it is all about coming up with as many new, weird, different ideas as possible. The most important thing is to play with the ideas, turn them upside down and build on others’ ideas.

Try the ideas out, and try again. Spend possible behind must be tested scale to find out reality.

MORE ON GAME’S DESIGN PRINCIPLES:

AND RETRY TAKE IT TO THE STREETS CREATE SOCIAL CHANGE

out, make mistakes Spend as little time as a desk. New ideas quickly on a small how they work in

New, innovative ideas need to be brought to life and implemented in reality. One of the biggest challenges is often scaling them up, distributing them widely, and witnessing their impact in the real world.

The last and most important principle is to ensure that the idea actually brings about the social change that it was put in the world to create.

GAME IN GHANA

IMPACT REPORT: GHANA GIRL’S GOALS

GAME IN GHANA

In Ghana, GAME runs the Playmaker Program in partnership with DUNK GRASSROOTS and YEFL –Ghana. In 2022, GAME in Ghana had a total of 7 GAME Zones, where 168 volunteer Playmakers used street sports and life skills to make a positive change for local children and youth.

GAME in Ghana is supported by Civil Society in Development (CISU).

GAME AND DUNK GRASSROOTS

CREATE SAFE SPACES FOR CHILDREN IN GHANA

Children who participate in the weekly practices in the GAME Zones become more physically active and gain access to a safe place to play and grow into young role models and civic agents.

In 2022, 39% of all participating children (48% of girls) in the GAME Zones in Ghana didn't have a safe space to go to before they joined the street sports practices in the GAME Zones, and 54% were not part of any after-school activities before joining.

The practices are led by young volunteer Playmakers who serve as role models to the children and pass on the empowerment way of working with street sports and culture.

Volunteer of the Year

Young volunteers are at the heart of GAME's mission to create social change through street sports. Every year, GAME celebrates our volunteers by awarding one from each local GAME program the title of 'Volunteer of the Year' (see list to the right). Among them, one is chosen as the 'Volunteer of the Year' for all of GAME.

Atika Bashiru is Volunteer of the Year in GAME 2022

Atika was among the first Playmakers when GAME and DUNK GRASSROOTS started their partnership in Ghana in 2019. Since then, she has exhibited an increasing commitment to the program and has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills that have made a real difference in the lives of local children and youth. Recently, she has been organizing weekly trainings that focus on including people with disabilities.

Atika represents not only herself but also all of the dedicated and hardworking volunteers in GAME. Her tireless efforts inspire those around her and have a lasting impact on the community.

“THE PROGRAM HAS GIVEN ME A MORE PROFOUND SENSE OF PURPOSE AND DIRECTION. I FEEL EMPOWERED TO BECOME A ROLE MODEL TO YOUNG GIRLS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION TO MY CHILDHOOD.”

MORE ON ATIKA AND THE VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

WORKING WITH YOUTH LEADERSHIP

VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

Fathi Mohamoud Adam, Playmaker Program, Somaliland

Mofeda Ahmad, Playmaker Program, Jordan Kassim Al-Hawani, GAME House Viborg

Atika Bashiru, Playmaker Program, Ghana

Peter Davidsen, Playmaker Program, Greenland

Daniel Filbert, GAME House Aalborg

Nassir Gachego, Playmaker Program, Kenya

Mikkel Gundersen, Asphalt Meet-Up

Renate Hesthag, Playmaker Program, Norway

Iris Hrustanovic, GAME House Copenhagen

Iman Kannouj, Playmaker Program, Lebanon

Zahra Mamend, Playmaker Program, Denmark

Ines Nafti, Playmaker Program, Tunisia

Søren Thomsen, GAME House Esbjerg

GAME IN SOMALILAND

REPORT: FEMALE ROLE MODELS IN STREET SPORT

GAME IN SOMALILAND

In Somaliland, GAME works with the local partner, SCORE Initiative, to educate youth as volunteer street sports instructors and role models through the Playmaker Program. In 2022, 117 young Playmakers in Somaliland ran street sports practices for local children in 12 GAME Zones around the country.

GAME’s work in Somaliland is funded by Civil Society in Development (CISU), the Danish Emergency Relief Fund (DERF) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

GAME PLAYMAKERS

DISTRIBUTE WATER TO FAMILIES SUFFERING FROM DROUGHT

In 2022, Somaliland experienced the worst drought in 40 years. Therefore, GAME Playmakers expanded their civic engagement and took on distributing water and other necessities to 210 families from Digaale, Malawle, Ayax, and four Internal Displaced People’s camps in the country.

34% of the families that benefited from the deliveries were from female-headed households, which are particularly vulnerable when a catastrophe hits the area.

STREET SPORTS AND ROLE MODELS PREVENT ETHNIC AND POLITICAL TENSIONS IN KENYA

“This project is about building peace and friendship through youth-led street sports and culture. It allows the youth to get a voice and to start a dialog.” - Kate Wanderi, project officer at MIDRIFT HURINET, GAME’s partner in Kenya.

Nakuru County often experience violent conflicts around elections. The GAME Playmaker Program and weekly practices are giving youth and children an opportunity to reinforce key lessons on community development, social cohesion, peace, good governance and friendships.

GAME IN KENYA

PREVENTING ETHNIC AND POLITICAL TENSIONS IN NAKURU

GAME IN KENYA

In 2022, GAME implemented The Playmaker Program in Kenya in collaboration with MIDRIFT Human Rights Network (HURINET) to bridge the ethnic and political gap between youth groups in Nakuru County. Kenya’s first-ever Playmaker Camp was organized in September to support the 37 Playmakers doing street sports practices in the three GAME Zones in Kenya.

The Playmaker Program in Kenya is funded by Civil Society in Development (CISU).

DEVELOPMENT IN EXPENCES

DEVELOPMENT IN INCOME

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Discrepancies between years are due to fluctuations between DKK and EUR.

THANK YOU!

WITHOUT YOU, WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT

PROGRAM DONORS

Otto & Gerda Bings Mindelegat • Svenningens Fond • Jascha Fonden • Baixamar Fonden

Fabrikant Mads Clausens Fond • Hoffmann og Husmans Fond • Marie Richters Fond

Arkil Holding • Innovationsfonden • Sønderborg Kommune • Eva Merete Falck Crones Fond

Realdania • Edel og Wilhelm Daubenmerkls Fond • Grundfos Foundation • Illum fondet

Familien Hede Nielsens Fond • Spar Nord Fonden • Vemmetofte Kloster

BUSINESS PARTNERS