- Date
- 16 Mar 2016
- Tags
- Children and Youth , Sport And Active Society
Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC)
PROVIDING SPORT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
The centre promotes sports development in the region, as well as offering a wide range of educational programmes, health services and community activities.
| Location |
Lusaka (Zambia) |
| Organisation | International Olympic Committee |
| Start-end date |
May 2010 – ongoing |
| Target group age |
7-30 years old |
| Reach |
Over 5,000 people |
| Partners |
Zambian Government, National Olympic Committee Zambia, UK Sport, International Federations, National Federations, universities, foreign governments, private enterprise and sponsors |
| Key facts |
The OYDC is the flagship project for the IOC’s Sport for Hope Programme worldwide. Inspired young leaders take up roles in organising and executing events. |
| For inspiration |
www.oydc.org.zm |
Download the file of the case study
SUMMARY
The Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) project provides sport and community development opportunities for young people and underserved segments of the population from the surrounding communities. It is based on beliefs and experiences that sport and its related facets, when harnessed well in an enabling environment, have the power to bring hope and development. A high quality sporting environment provides, motivates and promotes high quality athletes and sports leaders. Currently, the Centre hosts organised sports competitions, sports camps for children and youths between the ages of 7 to 30. In addition, the Centre also conducts coaches’ and sports administrators’ seminars and clinics. The OYDC also provides community development services; Olympic education, girl’s empowerment and health services on HIV and AIDS, malaria and other health issues pertaining to athletes.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Unique partnership model
A key reason for the success of the OYDC is its unique partnership model. The Zambian government donated the land to the Zambian NOC. The IOC had the overall control during the construction phase and built the facility, and the six International Federations (IFs) of athletics, basketball, boxing, weightlifting, handball and hockey helped to develop the sports facilities, providing technical expertise as well as financial assistance. The Zambian NOC is now in charge of looking after the running and maintenance of the centre, with the ongoing support of its partners.
The multi-purpose complex
The Olympic Youth Development Centre has been set up as a multi-purpose complex, including outdoor facilities for athletics, football, basketball, tennis, handball, volleyball and hockey, an indoor sports venue, a boxing hall, a gym, and a number of educational and cultural areas, such as classrooms, a library, an internet zone and offices.
SPORT FOR ALL OBJECTIVES
Provide equal access to sport
The main purpose of the OYDC is to help enhance sports development in Zambia by offering sports competitions and training facilities. The main goal of the project is to provide positive sport and lifestyle opportunities for athletes, coaches, sports administrators and underserved women, youth and children, through high quality facilities for community development and high performance sports training and competitions.
Foster Olympic legacy
The implementation of activities in schools, public and private places, either with activities before or after school, ensures that the existing infrastructure is leveraged and that its worth is valued by the community.
Improve public health and well-being
The OYDC also provides a wide range of educational programmes, health services and community activities to athletes and the general public in the region. There is increased knowledge and awareness of health and wellbeing among athletes and their families who participate in the programme.
HOW IS THE PROGRAMME COMMUNICATED?
The communication component of the programme is delivered through a mix of print and electronic media; community awareness through a system of posters and public advertisements, community and school programmes, as well as ministerial and corporate sports festivals.
HOW IS THE PROGRAMME EVALUATED?
The OYDC has a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Unit which evaluates all programmes and activities. The M&E Unit has designed data-capturing tools for all activities. These tools capture statistics and group and individual views from athletes, parents, guardians, partners and guests.