PLAY it DREAM It October Boot-Camp

FAME Foundation, in collaboration with Laureus Sport for Good, held the October edition of the PLAY it DREAM it Boot-Camp on October 26, 2025, at the Area 3 Football Pitch, Garki, Abuja. The event brought together over 70 children from the Durumi IDP Camp, offering them access to sports-based activities designed to build confidence, teamwork, and important life skills.

The boot camp provided a safe and supportive environment where every child could participate freely, learn new skills, and have fun. The activities combined physical fitness with values-based learning, showing how sport can be a powerful tool for education and personal development. Through games, mentorship, and peer interaction, the children were encouraged to discover their strengths, improve communication, and develop positive character traits.

The day began with an energetic sports session led by Coach Sechivir Orhena, who focused on fitness, teamwork, and discipline. The children started with simple warm-ups such as stretches, jogging, and light drills to prepare their bodies for the activities ahead. Afterwards, they engaged in a series of group exercises including football matches, ball-passing challenges, skipping games, and relay races.

Each activity was designed to promote movement while teaching valuable lessons in cooperation, respect, and perseverance. Coach Sechivir ensured that every child was actively involved by grouping them into small teams where they learned to communicate, share responsibility, and celebrate success together. The football games helped the children understand the importance of trust and coordination, while the skipping and relay races improved their balance, focus, and endurance. The energy on the field was vibrant, filled with laughter, encouragement, and teamwork.

Following the sports activities, Ms. Utibe John led a mentorship and character development session titled “Doing the Right Thing Even When No One is Watching: What Integrity Means.” The session aimed to help the children understand the meaning of integrity and how it applies to their everyday lives.

Ms. Utibe began by asking simple questions that prompted the children to think about what honesty means and why it is important. She explained that integrity is about making the right choices, even when it is not easy, and that being honest helps build trust and respect. She used relatable examples, such as owning up to mistakes, returning lost items, helping classmates, or admitting when they have broken a rule. These scenarios helped the children connect moral lessons with real experiences.

The session was highly interactive. The children spoke openly about times they were tempted to lie, hide the truth, or take shortcuts, and how they felt afterward. Ms. Utibe helped them understand that doing the right thing often requires courage and self-discipline, but it always earns respect in the long run. She also explained how integrity extends beyond school to how they treat family members, friends, and teammates and how it shapes the kind of leaders they become in the future.

To reinforce the message, she guided them through a short role-play exercise where groups acted out everyday situations involving honesty, fairness, and responsibility. The activity allowed them to express themselves creatively and reflect on the consequences of their choices. By the end of the mentorship session, the children had a clearer understanding that integrity is not just about following rules but about building a strong moral foundation. Many shared personal commitments to practice honesty and fairness in their daily lives.

The October edition of the PLAY it DREAM it Boot-Camp once again highlighted the value of combining sport and mentorship as tools for child development. The children left the program more confident, aware, and inspired to become responsible individuals in their schools and communities.

FAME Foundation remains committed to using sport as a means to promote inclusion, leadership, and lifelong learning among women, girls, and children, especially those from underserved communities.