GIZ ‘Yalla Riyada Bus’ project encourages youth involvement in sports

AMMAN — One hundred and twenty schoolgirls on Sunday took part in a sport festival at Nusaiba Bint Kaab Secondary School for Girls in the capital’s Jabal Akhdar neighbourhood, under the title, “Yalla Riyada Bus”.

Launched by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) as part of its Sports for Development (S4D) programme,on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the event included basketball, handball and Ultimate Frisbee, aiming to introduce schoolchildren, teachers, trainers and youth leaders to a variety of sports.

The interactive event was launched with a fully branded van that toured the school and the local communities, aiming to acquaint the public with the project.

“The project highlights the potential of the S4D activities at the local level to encourage schools and community centres to initiate activities for children and youth, Nicolas Wirsich, development adviser at the S4D and the “Yalla Riyada Bus” project coordinator said, adding that “the diverse and fun-oriented activities should motivate children and youth to get active and integrate sport into their daily lives”.

Fostering social skills through sports is another, very important role of the project, Wirsich noted, highlighting the cooperation with representatives of the Ministry of Education, the Jordan Football Association and the Jordan Olympic Committee.

“Ultimately, the event brings the local community together to experience first-hand the importance of sport and physical activities for a healthy growth and personal development, and their positive impact on the whole community,” the project coordinator added.

Together with local partners, children and youth, the GIZ team took a closer look at the local environment, infrastructure, and existing sport and leisure activities so as to consider further steps towards more diverse and fun-oriented interactions open to all regardless of gender, age, social and cultural background or financial status, he continued.

“Team sports like handball or Ultimate Frisbee offer great opportunities to practice cooperation skills and to grow confidence.” he stressed. Furthermore, such sports “can be played even without expensive infrastructure by adapting them to local conditions.” he underlined.

On the contrary, he stressed, such sports [handball, Frisbee,…] “are easier to access for girls”. They can offer great opportunities and be played without expensive infrastructure, since rules of the game can easily be adapted to local conditions, he underlined.

GIZ also involves well-known athletes in these events to serve as role models for the youth in and outside of the sport’s arena, the organisers said, noting that other events will cover waste and water management, gender equality, arts and culture.