The Alunmapu project, which is managed by the NGO Paicabí, uses sport as a tool to combat any form of violence against children and adolescents and currently benefits 320 boys and girls in the communities of Viña del Mar, Limache and Olmué (Valparaíso )

Former FC Barcelona player and Legend, Juan Pablo Sorín, has visited the Alunmapu project run by the FC Barcelona Foundation and Scotiabank, together with the NGO Paicabí, in the Chilean communities of Viña del Mar, Limache and Olmué (Valparaíso Region). The project uses sport, games and physical activity as an educational methodology to promote the prevention and early detection of any form of violence, mistreatment or abuse of children and adolescents, as well as providing comprehensive care for victims and raising awareness about this issue within the community.

Juan Pablo Sorín had the opportunity to learn more about the actions and programs being implemented in Chile and the benefits the Alunmapu project provides these communities. As well as chatting to some of the program beneficiaries and their families, the former FC Barcelona player joined in with games and gave a number of motivational talks based on his experience as an elite footballer, while also taking part in a sports festival at the Ignacio Carrera Pinto municipal sports facility in Limache.

In addition to the prevention and awareness initiatives, a pilot program is also being developed for young people being cared for at the NGO Paicabí’s centres in these areas, to support victims of different types of violence and aid their recovery.

According to UNICEF, it is estimated that more than 28% of children and young people in Chile have been subjected to serious physical violence by one or both parents during their lives, more than 62% suffer habitual psychological abuse and 8.7% have been the victims of sexual abuse. This data can be extrapolated to the communities listed above despite allowing for a gender-based variation, with girls making up an estimated 58.1% of the total.

The project developed by the FC Barcelona Foundation and Scotiabank enables participants to enjoy one activity session per week in which the FC Barcelona Foundation’s own socio-educational methodology, SportNet, is applied, using sport and games as mechanisms to help mitigate the emotional impacts of violence by promoting trust, rebuilding self-esteem and generating a sense of belonging. Content relating to the Convention on the Rights of the Child is also included in order to raise awareness about the various forms of violence and relevant reporting channels. Alunmapu now plans to extend the scope of the program by implementing a methodological transfer to other educational, sports and community institutions and generate benefits for the communities concerned.

This project directly benefits a total of 320 children and more than 280 adults, with a further 1,200 indirect beneficiaries.

Alunmapu joins the portfolio of Scotiabank-funded programs and projects currently being operated by the FC Barcelona Foundation in partnership with other entities in Latin America (Mexico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Peru), all aimed at helping to protect, through sport, children and adolescents living in vulnerable and high-risk situations.