World Youth Skills Day: sport helping young people build skills for the future

The IOC, through its Olympism365 strategy, supports a range of initiatives that combine regular sport with tailored learning and skills development. Since 2022, these initiatives have reached 106,900 young people across 27 countries in Africa and Latin America, while also training 3,700 coaches and educators and supporting 237 local organisations. Delivered in collaboration with 55 co-founders and implementing partners, they are helping strengthen the capacity of institutions to integrate sport into education and employment pathways.

Sport for education and sustainable livelihoods across Africa

One initiative demonstrating this impact is Sport for Education and Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa (SESLA), which was launched in 2024 and is being delivered across 13 African countries, as the continent prepares to host the Dakar 2026 YOG (31 October – 13 November).

Responding to the challenge that one in four young people in Africa are not in education, employment or training, SESLA uses sport to help young people develop skills and build more sustainable futures. Since its launch, the initiative has reached 40,582 young people and trained 3,185 educators, coaches and youth workers.

SESLA was created through a partnership between the IOC, the French Development Agency (AFD), Laureus Sport for Good and 28 national implementing organisations.

Several regional and international bodies have been acting as advisors to support the extension of such initiatives across the continent, including the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), the African Union Sports Council (AUSC), the Sport for Social Change Network Africa (SSCNA), Sport Impact, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Sport strengthening confidence, inclusion and access to opportunities

Among SESLA’s locally led initiatives is the Deaf Outreach Programme (DeafOp) in Embu County, Kenya, where sport is helping transform opportunities for young deaf people by addressing long-standing barriers to learning, education and participation.

Through volleyball and football, DeafOp supports young people aged 15 to 25 in safe and inclusive environments where they are recognised for their abilities and can access opportunities for learning and technical skills building. Alongside sport-based life skills sessions, participants receive vocational training in areas such as baking, information technology, hairdressing, agroforestry and detergent production. The programme helps them build confidence, strengthen communication, teamwork and leadership skills, and prepare for future employment.

DeafOp has engaged 350 learners and expanded the Deaf Digital Library with 30 skills development courses delivered in Kenyan Sign Language, improving access to vocational learning resources for deaf communities and extending opportunities beyond participating schools.

For programme participant Nzambi, sport has transformed how she sees herself and how others see her.

“On the volleyball field, people don't see my disability; they see my ability,” she says. “Through sport, barriers disappear. We communicate, support each other and compete as equals. For the first time, I feel seen, valued and capable.”

Turning commitment into action

The impact of initiatives such as SESLA reflects the momentum created by the Olympism365 Summit, held in June last year, where organisations from across the Olympic Movement, governments, development finance institutions, United Nations agencies, civil society and the private sector committed to strengthening the role of sport in advancing sustainable development.

The outcomes of SESLA directly support the commitments made at the Olympism365 Summit, through which the IOC, AFD, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Laureus Sport for Good are mobilising financing to scale sport-based initiatives that advance education, economic empowerment and sustainable livelihoods across Africa.

As Africa prepares to host the Dakar 2026 YOG, continued investment and partnerships will help expand sport-based education, skills development and livelihood opportunities across the continent and beyond.