Promoting social inclusion in priority neighborhoods through traditional canoeing

In 2020, AFD and Paris 2024 signed a partnership agreement giving AFD a mandate to extend the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games at international level and in the French overseas territories. In the overseas territories, this partnership aims to support the development of inclusive sport, especially in French Polynesia which is hosting the Olympic surfing competition.  

In this context, through the “Impact 2024” Endowment Fund, AFD and Paris 2024 have co-financed a call for projects to support four initiatives that promote health, well-being, education, inclusion, and solidarity through participation in sport in French Polynesia: 

• The course for young people/instructor training, run by the Polynesian Surfski Kayak Federation, which aims to revitalize sea kayaking among young people and women in Tahiti and on its islands;
• The “Vai Mane’e” program, created by the Tahitian Swimming Federation, which promotes swimming in the priority neighborhoods of Tahiti and Moorea through the use of mobile swimming pools;
• The “Learning to swim on remote islands” program, also run by the Tahitian Swimming Federation, which gives young people living on remote islands the opportunity to learn how to swim and thereby reduces the risk of drowning;
• The “Challenge, ocean travel, history and integration” program of the TEP VAA Challenge Vohi Concept Arue, working for the social inclusion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through “va’a” canoeing.

The “Challenge, ocean travel, history and integration” program aims to transcend the conventions associated with the traditional practice of “va'a” canoeing, which is often perceived as being for men, expensive and elitist. Through its inclusive approach, the association is committed to receiving women, young people from priority neighborhoods, and people who are overweight. 

Its objective is to offer a unique experience to disadvantaged young people who are faced with insecurity, unemployment and addictions. For between three and six months, the participants benefit from a total immersion in the cultural and sporting world of the “va'a”, with individual monitoring and a customized physical training program. Following this preparation, the objective is to train a full team for tandem canoeing, with nine young people supervised by three adults for an inter-island crossing. The young people’s progress will be followed by a camera, which will result in the production of a short documentary conveying a message of hope, surpassing oneself, and transmitting French Polynesia’s sporting and cultural values to a wider audience. 

The project directly targets nine people in situations of vulnerability and/or exclusion aged between 16 and 25. In addition, the project targets 3,619 indirect beneficiaries who are young people in situations of vulnerability identified in the priority neighborhoods of the city policy.