Olympafrica centers
International Foundation
In 1988, the President of the IOC (International Olympic Committee), Juan Antonio SAMARANCH, put forward the idea of the Olympic movement helping developing countries by creating community sports centers to convey the Olympic ideals.
Following this idea, Senegalese architect Ibrahima MBAYE created the first Olympafrica Center at La Somone (Senegal), inaugurated in 1992 by President Samaranch and Federico Mayor, then Director-General of UNESCO.
Olympafrica was officially created in 1993 and obtained Association status in 1994.
It then signed a headquarters agreement with the Senegalese government on May 22, 1996.
The Olympafrica
Foundation
The Foundation's objectives are as follows:
1. To promote the creation in all African countries of a network of centers for the expansion of Olympism, called upon to propagate, under the OLYMPAFRICA label, the Olympic ethic as a messenger of peace and brotherhood;
2. Rely on the prodigious popular impact of sport to motivate its followers in the first place and, in the process, give them the opportunity to become resolutely involved in integrated development programs;
3. Ensure close supervision of young people as part of an outreach strategy based on participatory teaching through objectives;
4. Encourage the emergence of young talent through basic sports programs offered in the centers for the benefit of the younger categories.
multifunctional complex
CULTURAL SECTION
SPORTS SECTION
socio-economic activity
A medical station
A literacy and basic education center
A community development center
An economic interest group
- The Foundation has gone through several phases in its development. The first phase (1994-2005) mainly involved building centers in countries requested by National Olympic Committees, as well as setting up a number of training activities for sports coaches.
- Since the construction of the Somone center, 42 Olympafrica centers are currently in operation, two are in the process of starting work (Kenya and South Sudan) and 4 (Togo, Benin, Ghana) are currently under construction.
- The second phase of the Foundation's development began in 2006, when the IOC, ANOCA (Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa), donors, sponsors (Daimler, Samsung, Allianz...) and the International Federations financed the program.
They were later joined by government institutions such as GIZ (German Development Cooperation).
Nearly $25 million has been invested, enabling millions of young Africans to benefit from sports facilities and equipment.
- The centers welcome around 5 million young people every year, over 3 million of whom are regular visitors. They are also open to adults who want to practise sport in good conditions, and in particular to certain clubs that do not have training facilities.
- Nearly $5 million will have been invested during the 2017-2020 period, and the budget for the 2021-2024 quadrennium is close to $6 million.
- Many schools use the facilities for physical education classes. As schools in Africa often lack sports facilities, the presence of Olympafrica centers provides them with good-quality facilities.
- These centers help to effectively combat idleness and primary delinquency among young people, provide them with additional education and break down barriers (social, religious, ethnic, gender...) between and within the various communities living in the surrounding area.
As Olympafrica is a social development program, the Foundation has funded many non-sporting activities:
- Creation and development of micro-enterprises enabling parents and out-of-school youth to improve their living conditions.
- Safeguarding sessions to keep children safe and combat all forms of aggression and abuse.
- Building schools for disadvantaged young people.
- Construction of a health center and development of health awareness programs.
- Development of environmental programs
- Financing training programs for young people
- Donation of sports equipment
- Creating libraries for young people
- Scholarship allowance