SEPROJOVEN

-        To utilize the power of soccer as a promotion of rights of girls and young women.

-        Girls from socially disadvantaged urban communities in the greater metropolitan area participate in this initiative, “The Field for Us"

Costa Rica, March 1, 2017 - SEPROJOVEN, an NGO that uses soccer to address social problems such as poverty and violence, will start the "FIELD FOR US: Construction of learning for empowerment of girls" project in Costa Rica.

This initiative is part of the “Liga FEM” (League FEM) program in conjunction with the cooperation agency “Brot für die Welt” (Bread for the World of Germany), which seeks to harness soccer as a source of development for communities where children and adolescents find a space for dialogue, respect, promotion of gender equity and information about their rights.

In Costa Rica, this project will be developed in Guararí, Heredia and Los Cuadros de Purral. Soccer is used as a means of fostering inclusion within participating groups of girls as well as strengthening their personal and social capacities to defend their rights. Likewise, the work will focus on promoting the educational and academic development, prevention of violence against women, and promoting sport and recreation in the free time of children and adolescents.

The inauguration of the project, “The Field For Us”, will be on Saturday, March 11 at 10:00 am at the School of Finca de Guararí in Heredia along with a festival to celebrate International Women's Day. This activity will include soccer for peace match as well as a gathering with girls from the communities of Guararí in Heredia and Los Cuadros Purral. Other activities include, workshops promoting women’s rights, cooperative games and a school supply drive so that the girls may receive tutoring during the year.

"In Liga FEM, we come to play and learn, to know our rights, we are a group of girls and we are learning to respect each other, help each other. If anyone falls during the games, we help her stand, if we hit someone, we apologize. With football, we give a lot of our energy and it is fun. We do what makes us happy and that is to play soccer" said Genesis Martinez, 12-year-old girl in Guararí, Heredia.

According to Roy Arias, Executive Director of SEPROJOVEN, "THE FIELD FOR US: Construction of learning for empowerment of girls and adolescents”, arises the need to empower girls and young women in order to project a future ability to inspire, mobilize and influence positive actions of transformation for the rights of women and promote a new type of relationship between men and women, entailing greater social welfare, peaceful coexistence, and the promotion of equity "said Arias.

About SEPROJOVEN:

Website: http://www.seprojoven.org/

Facebook: Civil Soc SEPROJOVEN

Roy Arias, Director: (+506) 6108 5780