Right To Play (RTP) an international humanitarian organization delivering sports and play programmes to children and youth living in situations of disadvantage has given certificates to 100 of its coach leaders in the capital Freetown.
The coach leaders, who are implementers of Right To Play’s programmes in schools and communities, were drawn from 34 primary and secondary schools, and 6 communities in Urban and Rural Freetown.
This is the first set of coaches and first time the organization has certified its coach leaders with certificates of merit in the capital Freetown.
Last year in Makeni Right To Play certified 79 coach leaders who had been implementing Right To Play’s activities for more than a year.
These volunteers, who work with partner organizations such as the Physical Health Education Teachers’ Council and other partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs) received their certification during a coach Recognition Day ceremony,
which was attended by community stakeholders and heads of their various institutions.
Right To Play builds local capacity by training community volunteers as coach leaders to run its programmes.
These men and women became positive role models for children, trained other community volunteers, and taught leadership and job skills that create the foundation for sustainable community development.
The programmes manager Moses J Johnson on behalf of Country Manager Dr Prince Cummings in his statement said “today is the day Right To Play thought it fit to recognize 100 – out of which 22 head Coaches have been appointed – of our Coach Leaders from 34 primary and junior secondary schools and six communities in Urban and Rural Freetown.
He noted that “it is a fact that the programme activities of Right To Play cannot be meaningful without our coaches who are the real people making the impact of our sports and play activities being felt in schools and communities.”
The statement maintained that “Volunteerism is not something which is very popular in this country. We all know the economic situation in the Sierra Leone in particular and the world in general, so for you to give some of your time and energy to our programmes without being paid is something I want to recognize those efforts today.”
He went on “You have shown and will continue to show that you care for children and youths and their communities in Sierra Leone from the feedbacks we have been getting from the children and youth. You have proven to be positive role models to them in their schools and communities this is why Right To Play believes that you deserve certificates for your dedication to humanity.”
The statement also noted that as you have experienced using sport and play as an excellent tool to mobilize and educate communities(especially children) around a key health issue of HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention and psychological benefits of play.
The statement also mentioned that the certificates will show RTPs “appreciation of your commitment, hard work, and selfless contribution to our programme activities in and around Freetown.”
He thanked the partner schools, organizations (NGOs, CBOs and youth groups) “for time will not stop after you have received these certificates but will continue until such a time when the coaches Association and Right To Play children School clubs would be able to stand on their own and carry the torch of Right To Play mission and vision of harnessing the power of sport and play to make the world a better place.”
The representative of the National Aids Secretariat (NAS) in his own contribution said NAS has recognized what Right To Play is doing in the country by using games and sports among young people.
He went further that young people are the future so they need to protect them and Right To Play have done their best to train the coaches.
The coaches must make sure that what they have learned they will pass it on to the children. He finally appealed to the coaches to make good use of the certificate they have received.
The Care representative said that sports is a vehicle to be used to meet children and she also thanked Right To Play for the marvelous work they have done.
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