In 2017, I was working in an engineering university in Peru and was able to witness the inequality in soft skills in students due to uneven social and economic opportunities they faced throughout their lives. In contrast, I witnessed how students that had practiced team sports in the past had developed these skills.
Sports in general, don't discriminate or judge depending on social or economic status, they bring people together. And particularly team sports, help players develop soft skills such as teamwork and communication.
So, inspired by this realization, I reached out to a friend to make a change.
The Challenge
FACTOR 3’s vision is to promote sports among women in Peru to develop athletic skills but also teamwork, communication, leadership and other soft skills that will help women become better professionals.
Designing Sport's Events in Vulnerable Communities
My partner and I had the idea of sharing a different experience for Christmas to kids who live in an underdeveloped area around the city of Lima. Together with other basketball coaches and women volunteers, we managed a day of basketball training. We arranged different drills and basketball tips for the kids to learn how to play basketball and improve their skills; playing music and having fun with them. Finally, we donated packages of food to the kids to share with their families during the Christmas time. It was an amazing experience for the kids because they had the opportunity to improve their basketball skills while having fun and at the same time, the volunteers got the chance to share their basketball knowledge through showing care and love to the girls.
Designing Sport's Events to bring Women Together
We also organized tournaments to engage women to play basketball and soccer. These tounraments were designed for women to play throughout the day in an environment which included food, music and games.
