Interested in its educational approach to sport, our team in Burkina Faso approached the Terres en Mêlées association. The result is a wonderful project for children at 2 nursery schools in Pabré and Polesgo, north of Ouagadougou, based around a team game. How about playing rugby, or more precisely, the oval ball, with the children?
"Sport has long been considered a recreational activity with no real educational added value.
Applied with an adapted, gradual approach, sporting activities encourage the acquisition of fundamental knowledge, interpersonal skills and know-how to strengthen the foundations necessary for the harmonious development of individuals.
We have a vision of education through sport in which each member of the group is important and must contribute to others, beyond their sporting performance. Sport is a tool that enables learners to enjoy themselves, develop personal skills and, above all, social skills and relationships with their peers. Beyond the spirit of camaraderie and the strong friendships it develops, rugby is a pioneering sport in the application of many other values."
In February, a Terres en Mêlées team spent 2 days training the educational and management teams at two nursery schools in Pabré and Polesgo in the Terres en Mêlées approach to education through sport.
During the course, the teaching staff at both schools reflected on the power of sport and the role of the coach, and worked on ways of getting children under 6 to play oval ball for educational purposes. Oval ball is an adaptation of rugby that allows all participants to be included, regardless of age, gender, physical differences or available infrastructure.
So it's off to some great sessions of collective play and learning with the Burkinabe children!
