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Back to School - with Sports - in the Comoros
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In the Comoros off East Africa’s coast, nearly 70% of schools do not have a space suitable for practicing sports. Yet children’s well-being depends on regular physical activity. The Physical Education and Sports Support Project not only helps young people maintain and improve their physical and mental health and academic results; its objectives extend to reduced dropout rates and greater gender equality.
To improve the learning conditions of children aged 6 to 17 in the Comoros, the Physical Education and Sports Support Project (PEPS, link in French), aims to integrate sports in the country’s education system. The program is working to expand access to sporting activities, and in doing so, will contribute to the well-being of children, as well as to the improvement of their academic results.
Led by the NGO Play International, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of the Comoros, PEPS is intended for 340 public schools, reaching around 30,000 students across the country. In addition, 680 teachers and 70 inspectors and educational advisors will be trained to address the lack of skills in sports practices.
The initiative can't come a moment too soon. Physical education and sports are still not a regular part of schooling in the Comoros. In 2023, 85% of primary schools did not yet offer sports classes, according to Play International.
Read also: Improving school conditions in the Comoros (in French)
This project is part of the Bundo La Malezi program, initiated by the Ministry of Education of the Comoros, to improve the quality and environment of schools in the country, with the financial support of AFD.
The project also seeks to promote social inclusion and gender equality, because where the conditions are right and the rules are clear, we all play on a level playing field.