As part of efforts to strengthen the capacities of its volunteer coaches, athletes and parents, Special Olympics Senegal, with funding from UMOA-Titres, organised a training session on appropriate coaching methods to support the early care of very young children with and without intellectual disabilities. The main objective of this training was to improve the quality and reach of the Young Athletes programme by strengthening the capacities of volunteer coaches, parents and athlete leaders.

As a reminder, UMOA-Titres signed a partnership with Special Olympics Senegal, which works to promote the inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities and support their social fulfilment through sport, health, training and awareness-raising.

This training session took place from 28 to 30 August 2022 at the Coco Beach Hotel in Mbour. All sub-programmes of Special Olympics Senegal were represented: Ziguinchor, Bignona, Kolda, Saint-Louis, Kaolack, Mbour and Dakar. Each delegation consisted of one parent, the site coordinator, two athlete leaders and the coach in charge of the Young Athletes programme, for a total of 32 participants.

On the occasion of this training session under the Young Athletes programme, UMOA-Titres was represented by Mr Lamine Tigana, Head of the Administrative and Financial Affairs Department, who presided over the opening ceremony. Representing the Director of UMOA-Titres at the event, Mr Lamine Tigana highlighted that this partnership with Special Olympics Senegal was fully aligned with UMOA-Titres’ CSR policy, whose areas of action include education, health and the environment.

On the Special Olympics side, this training session forms part of efforts to strengthen the capacities of coaches so that they can fully contribute to the expansion of the Young Athletes programme.

During the event, Mr Assane Thiam, Director of Sports at Special Olympics Senegal, explained that the partnership agreement signed with UMOA-Titres is fully in line with the organisation’s objective of promoting inclusion for persons with intellectual disabilities. In addition, Mr Assane Thiam welcomed UMOA-Titres’ forthcoming support for the medical consultations scheduled to take place before the end of the year.

Finally, Mr Thiam thanked the Management of UMOA-Titres for all the efforts made in support of this important cause. Mr Thiam concluded by reminding the training beneficiaries of the essential role they will have to play in implementing this programme and achieving the objectives set. Mr Thiam also commended the athletes’ commitment to changing mindsets.

The Young Athletes programme involves children with and without intellectual disabilities aged two (2) to seven (7) in a sport and play-based early-development programme focused on activities that are important for mental and physical growth. The programme benefits both the child and the family. It challenges prejudice against children with intellectual disabilities, builds connections, strengthens support networks and develops essential skills for young children. Its aim is to foster their abilities and competencies.

The impact of this programme was clearly illustrated during the remarks delivered by the representative of the parents of the athletes. The representative highlighted the importance of Special Olympics Senegal in their daily lives, noting that before the organisation existed, the search for inclusion solutions for the representative’s child had been unsuccessful. The representative then shared an anecdote about the mockery experienced by both the representative and the representative’s child when joining Special Olympics Senegal, as well as the doubts felt at the time about the child’s future. Since then, however, the representative observed a positive evolution, with the child becoming more autonomous every day.

The training was divided into two sessions:

• a refresher on the general orientations of Special Olympics, which constitute the organisation’s core foundations;
• the methodology for implementing the Young Athletes programme and the transition phase.

At the end of the session, the site and sub-programme coordinators committed to:

(i) recruiting new Young Athletes;

(ii) training new coaches;

(iii) organising a flagship activity each month — for which they are requesting support to carry out these activities;

(iv) building local partnerships to ensure better support for the target group.

Thanks to the support of UMOA-Titres, all delegations received a set of working materials at the end of the training. These included athletics kits, basketball equipment and fitness materials.