Children empowerment through sport at TARA

For Rashid, football is the best stress burner and the most effective girl catcher! “I think everybody should practice sport. My favourite sport is football. I like playing in a team because we need coordination and we all bring our different strengths. I also like the game because you must focus. When I am sad or frustrated, I know for sure that playing will allow me to think about something else, to get a fresh mind. It’s also a perfect way to show off to girls!

I played football in the State selection level. Unfortunately, we lost, but it was a very big experience. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose but you learn. We’re back this year, and we’re going to win this… if we work hard enough (laugh).”

“In TARA, we do different activities like badminton, Jiu-jitsu, boxing, dance or volleyball. I like to do boxing because I like to use my energy. It also helps me get rid of my anger in a correct manner. In boxing and Jiu-jitsu, respect is very important, and if you don’t respect your opponent he won’t let you train with him again. It is also good for our safety to know how to defend ourselves.

I also like volley-ball because we can play in teams and it’s very fun with my friends. Everyone needs to know the rules, so we can play correctly. If someone doesn’t or is cheating, it’s impossible to play.”

Sport is one of the cornerstone of the education in TARA. Quoting Father of modern Olympic Games Pierre de Coubertin “Sport mobilises your fear to help you dominate it, brings fatigue to teach you how to triumph from it and calls upon difficulty to vanquish it.” Sport is a key element in a child development and in the case of vulnerable children, it is essential for the process of resilience. Knowledge and aptitudes gained from sport activities greatly contribute to the growth, not only of the body but the spirit of the children. It allows them to familiarise themselves with important values like honesty, team play, fair-play, respect others and play by the rules. Thanks to sport, a child can discover competition, how to manage his bliss for a win and his frustrations for a loss. All those different teachings have an essential impact on his moral and social growth.

TARA educative approach is to favour the empowerment of the children and guarantee their active participation in the process of their own protection. To do so, TARA accentuates the practice of self-defense sports. Martial arts allow one to learn self-control, to dominate anger and fears, to regulate doubts, to develop one’s spirit channel one’s emotions. Thus, TARA Girls are future French boxing champions and TARA Boys learn about the mysteries of Ju-Jitsu. And what could we say about the TARA Tots cherubs! Behind their smiles and hugs are hiding hours of Judo practice, an excellent mean to teach them how to canalize their energy, wisdom and discipline.

What a revenge on life for these traumatized children to see themselves become performing athletes, and to be proud of their aptitudes. What a pride to see them grow, become everyday stronger and able to live life to the fullest.

We wanted to especially thank all our sponsors whom support the sport activities of the children, and the commitment to the cause of the Foundation Robert Abdesselam, the Foundation Air France, Lara Reiki Memorial Fund and the Australian-funded sports activity program.