The project being implemented by Save the Children benefits more than 1,600 vulnerable children in Santo Domingo’s Capotillo district

The FC Barcelona Foundation is working with Save the Children Dominican Republic to implement the Scotiabank-funded "Education and Protection through Sport: Playing for Inclusion" project in the district of Capotillo (Santo Domingo), which supports more than 1,600 disadvantaged  children, adolescents and young people and their families. In a context characterised by violence and poverty, this initiative aims to create safe environments and, through sport, contribute to their development and inclusion in the community.

The project is run in a vulnerable neighbourhood where conditions often restrict the development opportunities available to children. It is estimated that 71% of the district’s more than 50,000 residents live in situations of poverty and recent studies indicate that 7 out of 10 of Capotillo’s minors acknowledge and identify different types of child abuse, with half reporting that they themselves have been subject to some form of violent episode during the course of their life. Furthermore, in an area where children account for more than a third of the total population, they have access to just one leisure and sports facility which serves the entire community.

The "Education and Protection through Sport: Playing for Inclusion" project, therefore, promotes the creation of safe, healthy and inclusive environments for children and adolescents in vulnerable situations, prioritising education and protection against violence through sport and physical activity. The FC Barcelona Foundation’s unique SportNet methodology aims to improve the emotional and physical wellbeing of the participants, strengthen their sense of cohesion and aid their social development. The Capotillo project also addresses issues associated with environmental health, helping to improve conditions in local spaces where the children live and play by establishing green brigades formed by the children themselves.

The former FC Barcelona player, Javier Saviola, accompanied by the director general of the FC Barcelona Foundation, Dr Marta Segú, recently visited the project to find out more about the activities being implemented. While there, they also took part in the end-of-year festival, during which the former Barça player treated participants to a motivational talk based on his experience as an elite footballer.

"The FC Barcelona Foundation works to make the club's social commitment a reality. Sport has the magical power to transform the lives of children and young people in this highly vulnerable environment".

"Our goal is to promote diversity and inclusion in the communities that form part of our everyday lives through sport, which has enormous potential for empowering and inspiring our young people and motivating them to progress and prosper. That's what we aim to achieve through SportNet".

"The children of Capotillo need to have safe and protective spaces where they can develop their full potential, free from violence. Education is the most powerful tool to break the cycle of poverty and combining it with methodologies like SportNet ensures inclusion and learning through sport and team games".