Peru: Reclaiming the streets (children and drugs)

Summary: Peru's Sport and Life (Deporte y Vida) schools are helping to prevent drug abuse and delinquency among disadvantaged children and adolescents through a programme of cultural, educational and sporting activities, including street football.

Street football is an important strategy in the fight against drugs thanks to "its great character-building, educational and life-changing potential," says Sara Diestro, the Director of Sport and Life. Children learn self-confidence, discipline, teamwork and fair play. Sport also helps to "reclaim the street so that people can join forces to prevent and combat violence, gang activities and drug use."

Apart from promoting street football, Sport and Life organizes cultural activities like dance, theatre, musical performances, juggling and other circus acts. It also assists children with their homework, thus reducing absenteeism and drop-out rates.

Rubén, 17, for example, began to take an interest in school when he joined the Sport and Life programme and was told that he could only play football if he performed well in his studies. He has been playing and learning under the programme for three years. Others his age are not as fortunate. Rubén says that many boys from his neighbourhood use drugs and join gangs. "But I'm doing well thanks to football; I feel good physically and I've got more friends.

With support from UNODC and the Drug Abuse Prevention Centre of Japan, Sport and Life is running a drug prevention programme for approximately 1,500 people in Villa El Salvador, Lima. The aim is to mobilize adults and children, families and neighbourhood leaders. Children, adolescents and those close to them participate in street football festivals, anti-drug cultural evenings and drug abuse prevention workshops. Information pamphlets are also distributed.

Street Football World Festival

Street football matches are played with such themes as "Play for fun," "Friends forever," "No to drugs, yes to life." Participants agree to abide by three or four rules for playing together, such as "Goals by girls are worth double," "No physical or verbal attacks on other players" and "The whole team should celebrate the goals."

The rules of the game foster inclusion since all members of the team take part: starters, substitutes, boys and girls. Fans can also score from the stands and influence the result of the match, as they get points for supporting their team. This is done to create a festive atmosphere.

The global street football network promotes peace and tolerance and rejects drugs, racism and all forms of violence.

In 2005, the Sport and Life schools were among 240 projects chosen to be part of the global network. Their team also qualified to play in the first world festival, which took place in Berlin, Germany, in July 2006. The Peruvian team came fifth. In total, 200 young people from five continents participated in the festival that was held at the same time as the World Cup. Each street team consisted of eight footballers of both sexes, aged between 16 and 21.

Youngsters play in the streets of Villa El Salvador as friends, relatives and neighbours watch and cheer.
Karen, one of two girls on the Peruvian team, has been participating in the Sport and Life programme for three years. A resident of Villa El Salvador, now aged 17, she joined because she saw that youngsters were helped with their homework and given books to read-and because football has always been her great passion. Playing football has taught her to respect her teammates, to work in a group and to help others in difficult times. Before joining the programme Karen never used to leave the house or talk to anyone. Her father did not let her go out in the dangerous neighbourhood where they live because he feared for her safety. Today, she is more communicative and cheerful. And she is happy to have represented her country in Germany.

This feeling is shared by Edson, 17, who was selected for the street football world festival because he is a good player and a leader in his neighbourhood. A native of Piura State, Edson has been participating in the Sport and Life programme for two years. He wishes that more young people had the opportunity to take part in sports because physical activity "keeps you away from drugs and bad habits" and "leads you to a healthy lifestyle." Edson thinks that playing football has had a positive influence on his life: it has helped him to be more communicative and tolerant. As an adult, he wants to be a policeman to help people change their lives for the better.