30 October 2024 – Harnessing sport and the Olympic values to break down stereotypes and promote positive mental health in a country with a pervasive gender gap is the core mission of Kids Play International – Rwanda (KPR), one of 10 projects supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 international legacy programme.

Founded in 2010 by Tracy Evans-Land, a three-time Winter Olympian in freestyle skiing aerials from the USA, to help address gender inequality through sport, Kids Play International – Rwanda programmes combine sport with a structured plan of educational sessions and mental health tools to teach teamwork, leadership and emotional resilience. To date, the programme includes more than 2,200 community members.

“I wanted to see how the Olympic values and everything they have taught me about excellence, friendship and respect could be integrated into a curriculum to help shift attitudes and give everybody the same opportunities,” says Evans-Land, who was inspired by the resilience of women who survived the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.

“Gender equity can deconstruct segregation and promote the integration of populations so that all human rights are respected. Sport is a powerful conduit to promote healthier lives both physically and mentally, challenging harmful norms and building better relationships.”

Tracy Evans-Land – Founder of KPI

“Mental health starts with a healthy mindset”

Kids Play International – Rwanda’s core programme, “Let’s Play Fair”, involves after-school sessions for children aged 7 to 18. It comprises blocks of sessions each combining a mental health tool and social-emotional “Play Fair” learning skill with a different, less familiar sport.

“Mental health starts with a healthy mindset, and the first step is destigmatising mental health – we actually call it mental strength,”

Tracy Evans-Land – Founder of KPI

“In each session, we educate on a specific skill or tool, then integrate it into the sport activity, and then we reflect on it; what it looked like in the activity and, most importantly, how that skill can be used in life outside sport.” Those tools range from breathing exercises to soft skills such as conflict resolution, critical thinking and goal setting.

“Participants enter our programme at age seven and don’t graduate until they’re done with secondary school, so there is a long time to slowly shift the way they think, act and believe, and build their knowledge and skills over time,” explains Evans-Land. “It’s about building champions in life; empowering and equipping people with the mental strength tools to reach higher levels of education and become more employable.”

Maximising impact through community outreach

The “Let’s Play Fair” programme prioritises deep and meaningful work, with coaches working with no more than 12 children at a time, but KPR amplifies its positive impact through community outreach. At the end of each week, participants are invited to share what they’ve learnt with children who are not part of the programme at KPR’s Play Fair Community Days. In addition, during weekly “happy hours”, parents and others are given the opportunity to discuss social-emotional issues in groups or one on one and are provided with mental strength tools and information on counselling and other support.

“The purpose of the programme is for kids to take what they’ve learnt and share it in the community, at home, in school. We use those community days to spread knowledge, skills and education, and it provides the children on the programme with a leadership opportunity.”

Tracy Evans-Land – Founder of KPI

One of the young girls who benefitted from the programme for seven years before becoming a coach for Kids Play International – Rwanda is Nyiraneza Confiance. “As young girls, we were taught self-confidence, public speaking and the belief that we were capable of accomplishing what we worked hard for,” she said. “So, when I heard about the possibility of becoming a Kids Play coach, I felt that, as a young woman, I should teach other young girls who are still shy to believe in themselves.”

Sport played a crucial role in Confiance’s journey. “Sport empowered me with the confidence to improve my decision-making skills, [and showed me] how to handle anxiety and conflict and build better relationships with boys. In particular, sports like those we engage in here at Kids Play, which are not as common in Rwanda, encourage this growth of self-esteem and decision-making even more quickly. As a young girl, learning to play sports to the same level as boys boosted my confidence, made me more courageous and equipped me with tools I can use throughout my life,” she added.

Funding the future

Kids Play International – Rwanda is one of the 10 projects receiving additional funding from the IOC in support of international projects initiated through the Impact 2024 international programme of Paris 2024 and the French Development Agency (AFD), and expanding its legacy beyond the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The IOC’s investment, over an 18-month period, aims to continue to support building peaceful and inclusive societies through sport across the African continent. It is delivered through the “Sustained Insight and Impact” initiative, launched in March 2024.

This commitment supports the objectives of the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy, which brings together organisations and networks across sectors to advance the contribution of sport and Olympism 365 days a year in four priority areas: health and active communities; more equitable and inclusive communities; peace and safer communities; and education and livelihoods.

Kids Play International – Rwanda is one of the 42 initiatives within a portfolio of projects supported by the IOC through Olympism365 that focuses on using sport to improve people’s physical, mental and social health and their well-being, while also supporting them in finding a community in and through sport.

With this support, Evans-Land explains that KPR will be able to increase its capacity, outreach and impact by training more coaches to lead sessions.

“Our programme is only as good as our coaches, and that relies on us being able to train them well,” she says. “Part of the funding is going to help make sure we train really strong coaches. Building the capacity of local staff and building a level of local ownership is so important for the long-term sustainability of the programme. We are also now working on identifying new partners who want to take our model and use it within their community.

“I really do feel very fortunate to be part of the Olympic Movement and am deeply appreciative of the support from the IOC and AFD.”