TECNO (www.TECNO-Mobile.com) and Cityzens Giving are celebrating the success of a youth-led virtual football and education programme in Colombia, which has trained 80 Young Leaders from Barranquilla, who in turn have reached thousands of children and families in their communities.

Young Leaders in this CSR programme were gifted TECNO mobile phones and attended workshops on using football, technology and play to uplift local children, before delivering regular virtual sessions to 1,040 participants aged 8 to 10 across 12 neighbour hoods.

The global pandemic has heightened challenges that children in this area of Colombia face, including school drop-out. Through this programme, these children have learnt the importance of prioritising their physical and mental health.

Stephen Ha, General Manager of TECNO said: “We are very excited to make change to the local community through this initiative. It’s the project that combines the charm of football, the power of mobile technology, and the passion of young leaders.

“We really look forward to further building a better community in global emerging markets through our STOP AT NOTHING brand spirit and evolving mobile technology.”

Angie, one of the Young Leaders from the project said: “The impact on the community has been huge. Among the challenges that this community faces are prostitution, teenage pregnancy and drug addiction, and so it is crucial for us that our participants continue benefiting from this type of programme.”

To celebrate the success of the six-month programme and the return to in-person delivery, the Young Leaders organised a community football festival, where participants were formally recognised for their commitment and engagement.

The project was delivered in partnership with Fútbol Con Corazón (FCC), and supported by FCC’s new app, through which children, adolescents and parents can access for free a range of audio-visual material and educational content, as well as posting activities on the app’s social wall and connecting with young leaders via video calls.

Tom Pitchon, Director of City Football Foundation said: “Football and technology are two global connectors and we’re delighted that, through this partnership with TECNO, we’ve successfully trained so many Young Leaders in Colombia to use football to positively impact the health and wellbeing of children and families in their local communities.”

For more information about this program, please check the event video via (https://bit.ly/3EvybH7).