Dream Sports Africa

𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 On this valentines day I feel grateful to be doing what I love and making an impact in a world that has many challenges. I am a 22 year old empowered young woman that has been transformed into a leader of self and others by my work in the Wellbeing space as a Deputy Director in an International NGO called Dream Sports Africa. It seems like just yesterday when I was at the University of Abuja without a vision or plan for my future.  Read on as I share my journey to purpose and becoming a transformational leader the last seven years.

𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐘 (𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟) 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 We are incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to take part at the Being Global Gathering for Youth Mental Health in Rabat, Morocco. It was a landmark event dedicated to finding sustainable solutions to improve mental wellbeing for young people around the globe. This convening of donors, sponsors, and innovators was a unique opportunity to share insights about our MY program and NaijaCore approach, spotlight solutions, and amplify our mission of empowering Africa’s youth through sports and mental health initiatives. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐑𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐭: Dream Sports Africa led an energizing NaijaCore workout session during the gathering, bringing participants together to experience the synergy between mental and physical health. We’re thrilled to announce that a 𝟏𝟓-𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 of this session will soon be available on YouTube for everyone to enjoy and be a part of that experience! Our Country Director, 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐧𝐞𝐣𝐨 engaged in meaningful discussions and knowledge exchange sharing the heart of our MY program and Naijacore approach in schools and universities across Abuja, Lagos,and other communities. These moments were powerful reminders of how the convening power of sports and mindful movement can drive change and improve lives in our communities. It was inspiring to learn from global innovators who are leveraging technology, education, and partnerships to create impactful solutions. Their stories reinforce the importance of collaboration in addressing mental health challenges. We extend our deepest thanks to the amazing organizations that made this gathering possible: Grand Challenges Canada Being Initiative Fondation Botnar Orygen We are grateful to be part of this impactful community and are committed to furthering these efforts in Nigeria and Africa at large. To our partners, donors, and supporters, Let’s continue the dialogue. Together, we believe we can scale solutions and create meaningful, lasting change.

I’ve had the privilege of working with incredible organizations driving mental health innovation in LMICs over the past few years, and many of the individuals at the Being Initiative Learning Network Global Gathering in Rabat are colleagues and friends I greatly admire. While I wish I could be there in person, I’m excited to catch updates from this amazing group of innovators and changemakers. Looking forward to continuing the journey with organizations like these to advance mental health for young people around the world! 🌟 Brittney Dudar Sahil Chopra Natasha Comeau Jonathan McKay Agha-Nwi Fru SameSame (SiyaFanaFana) Sangath India Dream Sports Africa StrongMinds Friendship Bench Zimbabwe #SembeCameroon Who else is in Rabat that I'm sad I'm not seeing?!

Yesterday marked an inspiring Day Two of the Being Initiative Learning and Support Network Global Gathering! This event brings together mental health innovators from around the world to strengthen and promote youth mental health and wellbeing globally. On a personal note, waking up on the anniversary of my dad’s passing, I felt far from family and struggled to gear up for the day. But the morning yoga session led by Dream Sports Africa was exactly what I needed. It grounded us in the connection between physical and mental health, highlighting the strength we gain through community. A heartfelt thank you to Nagma Thakor from Sense International India for literally helping me stay balanced—it was a poignant reminder of the support we give and receive from each other. The day was packed with rich discussions, particularly on measuring individual mental health outcomes at scale—a critical topic for mental health innovation: Jonathan McKay SameSame (SiyaFanaFana) discussed the challenges of working the digital mental health world where you can't retain users in the same way you can for an in person program, creating challenges around the ability to gather long-term data and inform program improvements. Uttam Kumar (Sense International India) and Rand (Tamer Institute for Community Education) shared amazing experiences using observational measurement approaches to understand mental health outcomes among children/youth who have difficulties communicating such as persons with deafblindness or in conflict settings where current measurement approaches are challenging. Paula Yarrow (Waves for Change) emphasized the value of deep research on smaller samples, ensuring ethical and effective data collection while focusing on program improvement. She also reminded us of the challenges of self-reported emotions, especially among youth, and the importance of avoiding unethical or triggering approaches to data collection. Green String Network showcased culturally tailored tools to better measure emotions in diverse contexts. Key takeaways for funders supporting youth mental health initiatives: 1️⃣ Support deeper research on small, representative samples of service users. 2️⃣ Recognize the value of qualitative data. 3️⃣ Provide funding and timelines that account for personnel needs in M&E and time for sharing findings beyond donor reports. It’s incredible to see the collective commitment to ethical, context-appropriate, and impactful youth mental health outcomes. These conversations are laying the groundwork for transformative change. Grand Challenges Canada Orygen United for Global Mental Health Fondation Botnar Science for Africa Foundation Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada #YouthMentalHealth #GlobalMentalHealth #Innovation #MentalHealthOutcomes #BeingInitiative

Recapping Day 2 at the Being Initiative Learning Network Global Gathering in Rabat. We spent some time discussing the role of schools and public education in supporting positive youth mental health outcomes: 👉 Young people need safe "third spaces". Molebogeng Mangoale shared that too often, home and even school can be threatening environments. Tamer Institute for Community Education and Waves for Change are just 2 examples of organizations doing this well. Tamer has established a mental health ER network within community libraries, and Waves for Change through it’s flagship surf therapy program. Check them out!! 👉 There is a big emphasis on the importance of engaging parents and caregivers in youth mental health programs. But, it can be challenging and costly to do in practice. 👉 Meaningfully including young people can catalyze sustainability. Bright Shitemi and Florence Adong shared that when students nominate teachers to be mental health school club patrons, teachers feel honoured and motivated to continue endorsing these initiatives. Basic Needs Uganda has seen that when youth advocates join district-level program review meetings, they're successfully catalyzing government buy-in for the program by emphasizing the importance of protecting extracurricular time in schools for mental health clubs. 👉 Supporting the mental wellbeing and self-care of those responsible for providing mental health support to young people is critical. A big thank you to the Dream Sports Africa team for leading us through morning yoga, and to our wonderful hosts at the Children's Autism Collective for the afternoon tour. Heading into our final day together and there’s loads on the agenda! 

🌟 Day 2 Highlights from the Being Global Gathering! 🌟 We began with a refreshing 🧘🏾♀️ yoga energizer led by Dream Sports Africa before diving into a day filled with impactful discussions, practical insights, and on-the-ground inspiration. Here's what stood out: 💬 Parallel Discussions on: Social Media & Technology for Youth Mental Health 🌐 Lifafa Kange from LIFAFA RESEARCH FOUNDATION and Tiffany Mwathi from Mental 360 explored how digital tools amplify awareness, improve service accessibility, engage youth participants, and support fundraising efforts. Schools Driving Mental Health Outcomes 🏫 Florence Adong from BasicNeeds Uganda emphasized self-care for mental health providers. She shared successful approaches to engaging young people in district-level government advocacy. 💡 Fundraising Workshop featuring: Reinserta: Ana Echeverri, Ximena Palacios, and SANDRA IZQUIERDO highlighted innovative strategies like fundraising events, crowdfunding, and digital campaigns as key to success. SameSame (SiyaFanaFana): Jonathan McKay stressed the importance of diversifying funding, building an online presence, and leveraging storytelling. He shared insights on working with accelerators, being transparent about support needs, and fostering collaboration with funders. Women Friendly Initiative: Modupe Owolabi offered tips for proposal development, stressing early preparation, meticulous RFP reviews, and aligning proposals with funder priorities to maximize success. IFMSA-Morocco: A student organization emphasized engaging donors early to understand their priorities, ensuring alignment before pitching. 🚶♀️ Site Visits: InspireCorps (featuring Jihad Bnimoussa): Since 2019, they have been tackling stigma through youth development. They run creative workshops like mandala art for anxiety, train teachers in 3,000+ schools, and create tools like the Periodic Table of Emotions. We ended with a fun activity designing mental health solutions—and we won Moroccan sweets! 🍬 Collectif Autisme Maroc: This national network of parent associations offers lifelong support for youth on the autism spectrum through specialized education, early intervention, therapy, IT training, and life skills programs. Ar-razi Psychiatric Hospital: This outpatient facility, led by medical residents and a psychiatrist, treats youth under 18 with conditions such as autism, ADHD, and anxiety. Schools are critical in referrals, while the hospital supports families facing stigma and socio-economic barriers. We're excited for Day 3! 💪 #BeingConnected Orygen Grand Challenges Canada Fondation Botnar United for Global Mental Health Science for Africa Foundation NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada

Our NaijaCore approach transforms the wellbeing of over 20,000 youth in secondary schools and universities across Nigeria, annualiy. The Grand Challenges Canada funded MY-Mind Yourself Program is informed by a growing body of research which shows an underlying reciprocal relationship between physical activity and social and emotional development. Physical activity requires core social, emotional, and cognitive competencies and provides opportunities for participants to learn and use these skills that ultimately improve performance and well-being in sports, school, and life.