Chile is located in southwestern South America between the tallest section of the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. As one of the longest and narrowest countries in the world, it is home to roughly 20 million people and borders Argentina to the east and Bolivia and Peru to the north. Despite ranking among the wealthier nations in Latin America, Chile continues to grapple with significant income inequality, leaving many communities without sufficient social support and development resources.

Introduction to the Organization

Founded in 2008, Futbol Mas (Football and More) was created to foster five fundamental values of respect, joy, responsibility, creativity, and teamwork represented by the Green Card. Formed in the Metropolitan Region, the nongovernmental organization (NGO) was founded by Guillermo Rolando Vicente, Rodrigo Abarzúa Molina, Juan Araya Ariztía and Victor Gutierrez Rojas to promote well-being for children facing social vulnerability. The organization teaches community leaders and young families to take care of their emotional and physical health through a social-sport methodology. Since its founding, the program has positively impacted the lives of more than 51,000 children across Chile’s 13 regions.

The NGO’s first international experience came in Ecuador in 2013, with later expansion occurring the following year in Haiti, where more than 1,200 children still actively participate in social-sport programs. Additionally, success continued in Kenya in 2016 as part of Futbol Mas’s first development into Africa. Expansion into the European continent began in 2018 as social-sport workshops were set up at refugee centers in Paris to support roughly 800 migrant children from more than 14 countries. The international nature of these workshops meant language and cultural barriers posed a potential hurdle, but through collaborations with local organizations and communities, Futbol Mas has instituted its methodology worldwide.

Specific challenges that expansion has helped address include COVID-19 lockdowns and natural disasters. In 2020, the NGO adapted to pandemic issues through urban camps in Spain that involved children from more than 14 countries, pursuing community engagement as well as respect and teamwork as part of its five values. Additionally, working in Mozambique in 2021, Futbol Mas collaborated with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to help more than 200 members of internally displaced communities impacted by Cyclone Eloise and Cyclone Idai.

UNICEF Collaborations

In addition to partnerships with UNICEF in Mozambique, earlier collaborations between Futbol Mas and UNICEF occurred during the COVID-19 lockdown as part of an online program called ‘#MiCasaMiCancha.’ Translating in English into ‘#MyHouseMyCourt,’ the program promoted taking care of family members, children and the local community through daily exercise, healthy eating and other hygienic practices. To mitigate the spread of disease and support self-care during times of isolation, this nine-week initiative distributed socio-sports materials online to provide at-home challenges. Designed to stimulate young minds, this program was available worldwide to involve young children in reading and collaboration, connecting the local Chilean initiative to the rest of the world. Similar ideas of respect for different regions were also shared between Futbol Mas and UNICEF during its ‘América Nos Une’ campaign during the 2015 Copa América football competition.

Furthermore, in 2023, Futbol Mas worked with UNICEF and the municipality of Viña del Mar to create a ‘Soccer Match’ for Children. This program supported children from local Viña del Mar schools who were impacted by the Dec. 2022 fires which destroyed more than 200 homes. By providing psychosocial support, this socio-sport program mitigated risks of isolation by coordinating community bonding and creating protected spaces for young children to learn and grow. This illustrates how Futbol Mas supports communities across both health and natural disasters, ensuring that all children are supported by the environment in which they grow up.

Other Collaborations

A third issue Futbol Mas has focused on is children in internally displaced camps (IDP). Collaborating with UNICEF MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and Mercy Without Limits, this 2023 program worked to protect displaced children and families in Syria. With more than 2,000 children involved with a roughly 50% split between girls and boys, the project known as ‘Sport for Child Protection and Emergency Response in Northwest Syria’ promoted gender equality and empowered young people through its socio-sport methodology. The program also teaches trust and conflict resolution, overcoming language barriers through a shared vision and building community around engagement and recreation.

Through training Syrian humanitarian professionals and providing interactive learning adapted to the specific challenges of the region, all trained professionals passed the practical test while 83% passed the written test. This not only proves the success of the training program but also illustrates how Futbol Mas supports career and skills development in impoverished and disaster-impacted regions.

Conclusion

Overall, Futbol Mas has supported the growth of new local initiatives through its socio-sport methodology, using football as the backbone for community engagement and to address children’s rights. By promoting emotional development and inclusion, the Chilean-based program continues to support youth impacted by war, poverty, health issues or natural disasters. As the initiative continues to adapt across the world, Futbol Mas has overcome language barriers and collaborated with international organizations such as UNICEF or Mercy Without Limits to address the specific challenges facing local children. Furthermore, well-being also improved in countries such as Chile, Peru and Mexico, where Futbol Mas’ 2025 Global Report found regional improvements in mental health, alongside increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behavior among participating children and youth. In the future, it is certain to benefit thousands more children and communities around the world.

– Niamh Werner

Niamh is based in New York, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr