Country: Netherlands

Organization: Stichting Adventure 'n Beyond Nederland

Sport - Other

Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2007

Project URL: http://www.anbnederland.org/site/index.cfm?onderw=projecten&cos=Life%20skills%20training%20programme

What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - Build up young people through experiemental learning in an adventurous and safe environment.

Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - In our life skills training programme skills like; teambuilding, trust, planning, budgetting, food & hygiene will be discusses. And at the end of the programme (which takes 5 weeks) practised during a camping weekend on a natural environment. We use adventure activities like (obstacle courses, rock climbing, hiking, camping) to teach the young people (13-17 years old) through their own experiences those life skills. We work together with child development centres so their volunteers follow the training up with the young people. For the involved youngsters it's a great and unforgetable opportunity. We can use this specific programme for different groups to build them up. Adventure activities are really useful for the life skills all children need to survive life.

What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? - We hope we can give those young people through this programme more convidence, more hope, more tools and skills to use their talents and gifts in a way they can make a difference in their own life and that of the people around them. So they have a better change to study, to get a job, to build up their own community.

Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - Stichting Adventure 'n Beyond Nederland is raizing funds to help Adventure 'n Beyond in South Africa to make this one of their permanent programmes. (First programme is for 100 % supported, second 75 %, third 50, fourth 25 %.) Adventure 'n Beyond is working together with Child Development Centres in South Africa and has contacts with other target groups.

How do you plan to grow your innovation? - The develop more life skill training programmes, maybe a bit different organized (for example in week camps) so we can go to different areas throughout the country. Or even use the same concept in other countries!

Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - The young people will remember the things they did, what they experienced and will not give up, when they have a hard time in life!

What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? - We work in this moment with 30 young people from Soweto Township near Johannesburg South Africa. We affect not only those 30 guys. But also their families, relatives, we have impact on their comminity by being present and involved in their lives.

Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? - To our self, to see what change we can make. This gives us more heart for the underprivelegde. And stimulates us to continue our work and developping programmes. To the people we asked for sponsorship (like a big store who gave us 10 % discount on the stuff we bought), the people in The Netherlands who sponsored a lot of money to make this programme working, to the taxi driver who was wondering what those kids where doing every week. To the church congregations where we did our weekly sessions.

What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? - Money and time.

How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - Stichting Adventure 'n Beyond Nederland raize most of the funds for this first programme. But will pay less for the following programmes. So to make this a more permanent programme we still need funds.
Child Development Centres provided toiletries for during the camp weekend.

If known, provide information on your finances and organization. - Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff. Stichting Adventure 'n Beyond Nederland is started on 20 September 2006, has a board of 3 persons, one director and a group of 5 volunteers. All are working part time and voluntary for the organization.
Their are 7 Child Development Centres (from the Nazarene church) in Soweto. They differ in size. But provide food and a 'after school home' for hundreds of children. Volunteers are working here.
Adventure 'n Beyond in South Africa is a non-profit organization since 1994. In this moment three directors and a fulltime staff of 6 people are running it. Then there are several part time facilitators working for them.

What is the potential demand for your innovation? - The demand is unlimited, because their are a lot of underpriviledged young people on this planet.

What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - Stichting Adventure 'n Beyond Nederland who is now the only responsible money flow for this programme is still young and unexperienced in raizing funds from the bigger supporters.

What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - In The Netherlands I work as a psychomotor therapist with young people. I see people growing and changing through sports activities and games. Through practise what they learn. To experience what certain behaviour and acts work out.
I have a heart for the children in Africa. I did (sport)development work in South Africa and Uganda and dicided to do this again.
I found (or it found me) Adventure 'n Beyond in South Africa and asked my boss 1 year unpaid leave from my job in The Netherlands (which she gave me!). Because I think a lot of people can do more then one I started a foundation in The Netherland to support activities for underpriviledged children and young people organized by Adventure 'n Beyond in South Africa.
On 1 December 2006 I jumped in the airplane to start my adventure.
Together with Chris (an english guy working for Adventure 'n Beyond and oudirector of outreach director I made this awesome programme. We use outdoor activities and experiences to train young people in life skills they need to live life. It's amazing to see how those young people sometimes struggle to take care of others (a lot of them are living with brothers, sisters, without parents). But still they are willingly to survive, to continue. Where I can I want to support them, to give them the opportunity tot learn through having fun. To be able to develop themselves. To learn never to give up. To learn to work together, to be a leader, to stand for their believes and dreams.

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. - This field has not been completed