Child Protection on the Football Field

 Child Protection on the Football Field

Following collaboration with the Albanian Football Association to increase the quality of child protection in sports, after contributing to the drafting of two important documents: the child protection policy in football and the code of ethics, Terre des hommes signed this agreement with the AFA, in line with UEFA's initiative to develop national child protection policies for each of its 55 members. Terre des hommes Albania, with 30 years of experience in the field of child protection, is going to offer its consultancy and 'know how' through training programs to create a safer space for children and youth in football.

In her speech, the head of the Country Office of Tdh Albania, Mrs. Enkelejda Kallçiu said: "We are here to provide long-term support to the Albanian Football Association in matters of the protection of children and young people who play football. We, as Terre des hommes, working a lot in the field with vulnerable target groups, manage to see daily the values that sport brings to young people's lives as a good opportunity for their social, physical, and educational development. The AFA has already set up its mechanism and has determined the responsible people who will be at the national, local, and regional level as a key contact for the policy of child protection in football. We are happy that we will contribute as an organization to building the capacities of the people responsible for this issue. It is understood that this requires a strong commitment not only in terms of training the AFA's staff, team coaches, and sports clubs, but we are going to work to raise awareness as well with the parents and children who attend football."

In the framework of child protection policies, Tdh commits through the signing of this cooperation agreement with the Albanian Football Association to offering its expertise to increase the capacities of the contact persons of the AFA as part of the mechanism created by the association to guarantee the safest and most empowering environment for all children and youth involved in football.

With the expertise gained in the implementation of projects in the field of child protection, Terre des hommes will offer its consultancy for the analysis, review and design of strategies and action plans aiming at better qualitative services for all children.