Charity registration no. JUST.G.S.

112/S-KV/2459/2007

Project Report, November 2007 – February 2008

Introduction:
Football Inter-Communautaire Project (FIC) uses the power of football to educate societies about the
danger of racism as a source of conflict, particularly in relation to young people as the future
generation.

The identification of areas which have been most affected by civil war was the key motivation for
bringing unifying factors and collaboration performances in terms of gathering adolescents from all
ethnic origins (both girls and boys) who share their opposition towards war and division, by helping
them express aspiration for peace, tolerance and reconciliation, building solidarity, links and
understanding amongst different communities – particularly adolescents – through sporting
activities.

The project background:

The FIC project is based in one of the worst war-conflict parts of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DR Congo) Province called Sud Kivu, Territory of Barka-Fizi, situated in the Eastern of DR
Congo.

Since 1996 to the current day, it has been reported by United Nations and Human Right agencies that
hundreds of children and young people are forced to flee their communities, separated and
abandoned by families and friends because of war-conflict in DR Congo. Hundreds are dying every
day, whilst millions are in displaced areas without hope or access to education. Those who have lost
their families and loved ones become innocent parties in the conflict engaged by different
communities from different ethnic groups. Thousands of children are in the hands of armed conflict
groups in the East region of DR Congo. This region has been affected with one of the worst conflict
since World War Two. The humanitarian agencies have called it “A forgotten war.”

FIC is working ways to bring young people and communities together to reduce tension. The FIC
project will break down barriers and make a real difference, through sporting activities.

According to our statistics gathered from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Leisure, Culture and Arts:
• Sud Kivu is one of the largest provinces of DR Congo (It is bigger than the entire size of the
Netherlands).
• 60% of its population still live in displaced areas both within and across the frontiers.
• More than 50% of young people between the ages of 6-20 years old are orphans from war
conflict and disease such as HIV and Malaria.
• 70% of young people are without access to education.
Project specification:
FIC’s aim is to gather adolescents from all ethnic origins who share their opposition towards racism,
war and division, by helping them express aspiration for peace, tolerance and reconciliation, building
solidarity, links and understanding amongst different communities through sporting activities.

In order to achieve this aim we believe that it is important to use sporting activities with schools,
local football teams and across communities. We need to spread the message across the region by
building a stronger mechanism of networking and partnership. This will benefit young people in
school, out of school, on the street, and in displaced and refugee places.

FIC team also believes that the media will play a vital role in spreading the FIC message.

Whilst doing this project we were able to build important networks and partnerships with the
Provincial Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Arts, the Umoja Community Radio Station at
Baraka, Mitumba Radio Station at Uvira, SOS village d’enfants Uvira, Paroise Catholique Coeur
Immacule de Marie Baraka, Katanga-Lubenga Primary School, Katanga Youth Centre, Akomba
Primary School, Cooperative des Pecheurs et Planteurs de Fizi (COOPEPLAFI) asbl, Group d’
Intervention pour la Promotion Agricole et Rurale a Uvira (GIPAR) asbl, Baraka County Football
Association, Uvira County Football Association and Bukavu Regional Football Association.

This building of relationships was instrumental in assisting us to achieve our aims as a project and as
an organisation.
Listed below are some of the key events that took place:

1. Sud Kivu Provincial Government showed support to FIC through its Provincial
Ministry of Youth, Sports, Leisure, Cultural and Arts: The Provincial government,
through S.E Minister of Youth, Sport, Leisure, Cultural and Arts, issued with an official
letter to support Football Inter-Communautaire Project work in the region (see letter
attached)

Please find a paragraph in the S.E Minister letter to FIC Coordinator at Bukavu meeting:

En effet, tout en saluant cette initiative combien giniale d’appuyer notre gouvernement provincial
dans sa lutte de pacifier l’ensemble de la province du Sud kivu a travers une reconcialation sincere
entre les communautes, J’ai l’honneur de vous donner mon accord et demande a tout ceux qui me
lisent en copie de bien vouloir vous faciliter cette tache combien utile pour une cohabitation
harmonieuse de nos differentes communautes en province”.

“By recognition to a great importance of this initiative to support the South Kivu
Province on its fight to pacify the whole province through a sincerely
reconciliation between our communities, its my honour of issuing you with this
official letter and ask all provincial officials to facilitate this chance and
harmonious cohabitation among our different communities”. (English
translation)
 2. Working with Schools and Youth Centres: A joint activity was organised on the 22
December 2007 with Lubenga and Akomba primary schools and Katanga Youth Centre in
Baraka city. This was an extremely successful one-day event filled with activities that
included football, dances, poetry, music and yoga. The young people were gathered from the
villages of Katanga, Malinde, Mkangi, Akomba and Basinyange to share the joy of peace and
what a sports project can achieve by changing the lives of individuals and the whole
communities, especially those who live in midst of poverty, disease and conflict. The
collaboration and partnership with our two primary school partners mentioned above has
helped, through a joint working group. The FIC team managed, together with both school
headteachers, to identify 50 orphan pupils in each one of these two primary schools.

3. Working with local football teams, local football association and local Umoja
community radio station: A football match was organised on the 23 December 2007. Two
local big teams (Flambeau FC vs Masanze FC) were on the pitch of Stade Maendeleo, one of
the best stadiums in the Sud Kivu province. A clear message of FARE, FIFA, FIC and One
Game, One Community (Un Seul Jeux, Une Seule Communaute) was sent out through
publicity, banners and via radio station.

4. Youth Groups were identified across areas and communities to help identify places and
locations where adolescents gather, with the result being the young people taking charge of
sending out messages of peace, tolerance and reconciliation through cultural activities such
as poems, drama and dance.

Problems and Limitations:

The FIC project had some limitations. These included:
• Lack of funding to support diseased and war orphans to attend schools of their choice
and near by (children have to travel about 3 miles by foot to attend school, not because it
suitable for them, but because they do not have the means to pay the school fees
recommended by the schools near by).
• Limitations on infrastructures, equipment, materials, youth centres to deliver a greater
range of sport and cultural activities to meet the FIC project’s aim.
• Limitations on funding and training for youth and sports workers (volunteer youth and
sport workers will need basic training to handle activities implemented by FIC project).
• Limitations on activity programmes for street and working children across all the region
(as the region is large, and the transport is poor and expensive, it is really difficult to travel
with all the team of workers including equipment). Different locations for storage of
equipment in different areas was needed.
• Lack of Funding to organise a major regional event (Unity Festival) combining sports and
cultural activities.

FIC future plans:

1. Partnership with Provincial Ministry of Youth, Sports, Leisure, Cultural and Arts: As part
of its survey of youth in the Province of Sud Kivu, the local government, through the S.E Minister of
Youth, Sport, Leisure, Cultural and Arts, has issued an official letter recommending the FIC
Coordinator for future partnership in terms of planning and delivering strategies for identification of
youths in Sud Kivu.
Please find a paragraph in the S.E Minister letter to FIC Coordinator at the Bukavu (second meeting,
following the delivery of FIC activities): See letter attached - below is an excerpt from the letter:

“Après analyse des vos objectifs vise par votre association, je salue l’initiative combien geniale, qui
viserai a consolider la paix a travers le Football Inter-Commautaire (FIC)

En effet, considerant la problematique de l’ encadrement et la reinserction sociale de la jeunesse

dans un Etat post-conflit comme le notre et plus particulierement dans notre Province de Sud Kivu
qui restent la thematique centrale du Programme du Gouvernement Provincial, nous avons
l’honneur de vous soumettre pour financement le Projet d’Identification des jeunes de la Province
du Sud Kivu en Republique Democratique du Congo. En outre, tenant compte du Partenariat qui
existe entre le Ministere Provincial de la Jeunesse, Sports, Loisirs, Culture et Arts et votre
organisation, nous vous prions, Monsieur le Coordinateur, d’etre notre interprete aupres des vos
partenaires nationaux qu’internationaux”.

“After further analysis to the aims of your organisation, I have to recognise

with great importance this initiative which is to consolidate peace through the
“Football Between Communities”. Considerably youth matters and social
reinstate to a post conflict country like ours, particularly South Kivu Province
which this still one of limitations in the centre of Provincial Government
Programme, due to our partnership between Provincial Ministry of Youth,
Sports, Leisure, Culture and Arts and your organisation, it’s the honour to
submit our Project of South Kivu Youths Provincial Survey in DR Congo, and ask
you to be our representative and interpreter to your nationals, internationals
partners and funders”. (English translation)

2. An inter-schools competition including sports and cultural activities will be organised with
the rest of the other schools in the city. This will help schools in the city of Baraka to share their
experiences and differences through sporting activities created by the FIC project.

3. Working with the Provincial Football Association: Ongoing discussion to decide the date and
location of a Unity Festival which will include a six teams football tournament (Unity Cup) and
intercultural competition from different youth groups across communities.

4. A two week football tournament involving the rest of the teams in the region (Province) will
boost the youths and build a massive impact in terms of media and press. Funding will be needed
for this important FIC project’s annual event, which will probably take place between September
and October for maximum of two weeks.

5. Working with SOS Village d’Enfants Uvira: FIC to coordinate and deliver sport activities to
150 orphans in location of SOS Village d’Enfants Uvira Territory, Oraza-Kanvivira.
In order to complete this project, two football coaches will be needed to deliver FIC project coaching
sessions 3 times a week for these young people who need its sporting activities the most.

6. FIC will look to develop partnerships with other key players in the region, including Right to
Play, SOS Children’s Villages, and LISPED.

From nothing, the FIC project has achieved an important level of networking and partnership with
local organisations, community leaders, faith organisations, local radio stations, schools, local
football teams, local football associations and regional football association. The inaugural FIC
project has achieved an excellent profile which will be of great benefit to future programmes.

All the team at FIC would like to thank FIFA and FARE you for their support. This was truly a team
effort and FIC will continue to deliver on its aims.

Desbon Bushiri
Coordinator, FIC asbl, Baraka, Sud Kivu, DR Congo
Football Unites, Racism Divides
The Stables, Connexions Centre
Sharrow Lane
Sheffield
S11 8AE
UK

Phone: +44 114 255 3156, Fax: +44 114 255 7571
Mobile: +44 79 57 47 86 60
Email: footintercom@ymail.com