NYSDP to roll out sports volunteer exchange programme

THE Sports for Development Organisation, National Youth Sports Development Platform (NYSDP) is set to roll out the Sports Volunteer Exchange Programme.

“The Sports Volunteer Exchange Programme is a volunteer programme, involving recruiting and training of unemployed youth between the ages of 18-35 years in order for them to become volunteer sports administrators and coaches in an exchange community.

“This programme is not to change the current sports education and federation programmes but to add value to the implementation of these programmes by training these young people and injecting them into the mainstream of sports development and recreation circle to mainly advocate and promote Sports for Development activities as volunteers,” explained Isa Saidi, the executive director of NYSDP.

NYSDP has already started the process of identifying young people for this programme.

“We are delighted that young people are looking at a bigger vision of this exchange programme and highly motivated in this herculean undertaking.  We have since approached regions to assist identify these young people to be part of the programme,” he added.

After the identification process that is expected to end on January 31, the identified young people will then undergo a three-week intensive general orientation/sports education training.

They will be trained in various sport code coaching, NYSDP programmes, child policy, safeguarding in sport and sport for development context in Africa, eco consolidated sports programme as well as the Youth Education Through Sports for Development Programme to equip them with the necessary skills to implement these activities.

NYSDP underwent the Covid-19 vaccination campaign in 2021 through its Sports Jab Campaign and is confident that this programme will yield more results should it receive the necessary support and resources from private sector and donor agencies

“As an organisation we believe that this initiative will breed a new generation of sports volunteer administrators and coaches who will strive for a uniform delivery of sport activities in communities whilst implementing programmes that are also aimed at addressing the sustainable development goals through sport,” said Saidi.

The Sports Volunteer Exchange Programme is expected to be in full swing in March.