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WOA 2020 Grant awardees revealed

12 | 6 | 2020

Communities around the world will start to benefit from the projects selected for this year’s WOA Grants Programme.

The successful Olympian-led projects receiving funding from WOA are wide-ranging including a project-leader training programme to help refugees in Zambia, a cycle to school scheme to reduce the number of children dropping out of school in Costa Rica, promoting Olympic values and environmental protection to young people in Greece and a USA led initiative to enrich the lives of girls through competitive activities in Guinea.

Awarded at a time where communities around the world continue to feel the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an extra layer of importance to this year’s projects. The WOA Grants Programme has helped support more than 50 diverse projects, developed in partnership with NOAs since 2016, including social, environmental and educational programmes.

If you have an idea for a project then you could apply for next year’s programme when applications open in early 2021.

World Olympians Association President, Joël Bouzou OLY said:

“We are delighted that we can support the inspirational work of Olympians across the world. The challenges that many communities have already faced this year make the work that these projects will be carrying out even more essential. WOA supports Olympian-led projects that make a real difference to people’s lives.  We are pleased to be able to help bring these inspirational initiatives to life.” 

The 2020 Service to Olympians Grant awardees:

  • Zambia’s Refugee, Youth and Street Kids Sports Programme will train Olympians how to lead effective projects that engage refugees and street kids in sport.
  • Puerto Rico’s Education for Olympians will educate Olympians during their competitive careers to make them aware of opportunities and prepare them for retirement.
  • Singapore’s Website for Singapore’s Olympians will help create a live resource to tell the stories of Olympians to inspire future generations.

The 2020 Service to Society Grant awardees:

  • Angola’s Basketball for Street Boys will continue to engage street children in Luanda through sport, to give them a sense of home life and to spend time with Olympians to share their values.
  • Botswana’s Sports Day will place sport at the heart of the community providing opportunities for young people to get involved in sport, whilst promoting the benefits of education.
  • Costa Rica’s Cycling to School aims to introduce cycling into communities for children that are often forced to walk long distances to go to school as a way of reducing the number of children that drop out of school.
  • USA’s Education Through Sports will enrich the lives of girls in Guinea by providing opportunities to play competitive recreational activities against girls from other schools.
  • Greece’s Olympic Green Values will run a series of workshops to promote Olympic and sporting values and environmental protection to young people.
  • New Zealand’s Rotorua Trust will help mentor and develop potential Olympians to perform on the world stage and inspire future generations in the community.

Hellenic Olympians Association President, Voula Kozompoli OLY, said:

“Our Olympic values teach us to respect, trust and care for our world and working together with young people we can share these values and ensure the environment is safeguarded for future generations.”

Andrey Fonseca OLY, Costa Rica Project Lead, said:

“Children from marginalised communities in Costa Rica often have to walk long distances to school and cannot afford to do otherwise. Through this project we will support these communities by promoting cycling and providing bicycles to bring happiness to the children and enable them to go to school.”