PLAY it DREAM it November Boot-camp

FAME Foundation, in partnership with Laureus Sport for Good, hosted the November edition of the PLAY it DREAM it Bootcamp on November 30, 2025, at the Old Parade Ground, Garki, Abuja. The bootcamp brought together over 70 children from the New Kuchingoro IDP Camp and provided a safe, structured, and engaging space where sport was used as a tool for learning, development, and positive social interaction.

The bootcamp was designed to strengthen children’s confidence, teamwork, resilience, and essential life skills through structured sports activities, mentorship, and guided conversations. For many of the participants, the session offered an opportunity not only to play and exercise but also to build social connections, express themselves freely, and learn values that support healthy growth and well-being.

The sports session was led by Coach Jeffrey Edung, who facilitated an energetic and inclusive program focused on fitness, teamwork, and discipline. The day began with warm-up exercises such as stretching, jogging, and light drills to prepare the children physically and mentally for the activities ahead. These exercises helped reduce the risk of injury while teaching the importance of preparation, focus, and self-care.

Following the warm-up, the children participated in a variety of fun and interactive games, including football matches, ball-passing challenges, skipping exercises, and relay races. Each activity was carefully designed to promote physical fitness while reinforcing key life skills such as communication, respect for rules, perseverance, and cooperation. The games encouraged children to work together, listen to one another, and support their teammates regardless of skill level.

Coach Jeffrey emphasized teamwork by organizing the children into small groups and rotating roles to ensure that every child actively participated. Through this approach, the children improved their coordination, balance, endurance, and concentration, while also learning the value of trust, shared responsibility, and collective success. The session helped reinforce the idea that sport is not only about winning but about learning, inclusion, and mutual respect.

Coach Ilerika Usman led an mentorship session titled “Keeping Children Safe: Tackling Bullying in Sport, at Home, and Online.” The session focused on helping children understand what bullying is, how it occurs in different settings, and how it can affect their confidence, mental health, and relationships.

Coach Ilerika explained the four main types of bullying: physical bullying such as hitting or pushing; verbal bullying including name-calling and teasing; emotional bullying such as exclusion, intimidation, or spreading rumors; and online bullying, including cyberbullying and harassment on social media platforms. Through relatable examples and open discussion, the children learned how bullying can cause fear, isolation, and low self-esteem if not addressed early.

The session emphasized practical and age-appropriate ways children can respond to bullying safely and responsibly. Children were encouraged to speak up, seek help from trusted adults, support peers who may be experiencing bullying, and make responsible choices both offline and online. Coach Ilerika stressed that kindness, respect, and accountability play a key role in creating safer environments at school, at home, in sports spaces, and on digital platforms.

To conclude the mentorship segment, Coach Illerika facilitated an open discussion, creating space for the children to share their thoughts, ask questions, and reflect on what they had learned throughout the day. The participants were highly engaged, sharing personal experiences and demonstrating a growing understanding of teamwork, safety, and respect.

The bootcamp concluded on a positive and inspiring note, reinforcing core values such as integrity, teamwork, discipline, and mutual respect. The November PLAY it DREAM it Bootcamp successfully combined sport, mentorship, and child protection education, contributing to the holistic development of the children and strengthening their confidence to make positive choices in their daily lives.