Grassroots365: Meet the Innovators
The Olympism365 Innovation Hub has announced the grantees of the Grassroots365 fund, which will fund local innovators driving social development through sport within their communities.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will provide USD 170,000 in grants to support grassroots projects in developing, testing and expanding local innovations that tackle pressing societal issues aligned with specific community needs, with emphasis placed on equitable access to resources.
Meet the recipients of the Grassroots365 grants and find out more about a wide array of their innovative approaches!
African 1000 Days Action (ADA)
African 1000 Days Action uses soccer tournaments to equip girls with awareness of child marriage, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, STIs and HIV infection. Through their Girls Win Health and Hope programme, they aim to provide free services to 2000 girls in South Sudan, encouraging them to make informed decisions about their health and their future.
Amazon Women’s Sports Association
Amazon Women’s Sports Association encourages women’s participation in mountain biking by training local teams to organise sporting events. Their engagement with the community is an essential bridge for women’s health and citizenship in the Amazon region, and adds to the local development through sport and income generation.
Association des Jeunes pour le développement de Sangarébougou (AJDS)
AJDS transforms basketball courts in Mali into accessible spaces for people with physical disabilities. By using eco-friendly materials and integrating renewable energy solutions, the project combines social inclusion with environmental sustainability, thus challenging stereotypes and raising community awareness about the importance of equal access and sustainability.
AYNI Skate Project
The AYNI Skate Project transforms neglected areas in La Paz, Bolivia into safe and inclusive spaces for marginalised youth, especially girls. By combining skateboarding with educational lessons that teach leadership, gender equality, social responsibility, environmental care, physical and mental wellness, the programme engages youth in learning, while promoting resilience, confidence and social change.
Finaa Organization
The Finaa Organization engages the community around secondary schools for girls in Petra, Jordan, in building safe and accessible football pitches and fostering a sustainable culture that encourages girls’ participation in sports. The programme equips PE teachers with coaching skills and establishes school football teams, building a local network of role models committed to promoting girls’ sports participation and personal development, teamwork, resilience, and confidence, ensuring sustained, long-term impact.
Freedom Restoration Project
The Freedom Restoration Project supports women and children survivors of gender-based violence by scaling physical fitness initiatives into a comprehensive and resourced football league in the migrant community of Mae Sot, Thailand.
Dream Big for Inclusion and Anti-Racism
Dream Big for Inclusion and Anti-Racism is an initiative dedicated to supporting asylum seekers and refugees in Cyprus. Their project consists of organising football tournaments for refugees and migrant communities, and promoting physical education, well-being and coping mechanisms for the prevention of mental health issues.
Hawa Feminist Coalition
The Hawa Feminist Coalition aims to leverage the transformative power of sports by providing girls in Somalia with access to sports programs, mentorship, and support networks to create an inclusive and empowering environment where they can thrive and challenge the barriers they face. The programme targets girls who are survivors of or at risk of gender-based violence, and who are part of marginalised communities, such as internally displaced people and refugees in the towns of Galkacyo and Garowe in Somalia.
Impact Academy ‘Qadereen not for profit’
The Impact Academy engages with women from Egypt and Nile Basin countries as ambassadors for climate justice and Nile water conservation. By including refugee women and women from marginalised communities in sports and climate justice activities, the programme promotes peacebuilding, communicates broadly about water conservation, and increases awareness of water usage in sporting facilities and homes.
Psychology Spa
Psychology Spa is a Palestinian organisation that uses accessible interventions like Yoga and Zumba to manage stress and trauma from ongoing socio-political instability through mindfulness, relaxation, and physical expression. Their activities offer community-based alternatives to traditional mental health services in underserved areas, addressing isolation, fostering social interactions, and contributing to overall well-being, supporting education, economic productivity, and community resilience in Palestine.
SOMA Surf
SOMA Surf uses surf therapy to promote gender equality and social inclusion in São Tomé and Príncipe, contributing to long-term, sustainable development in Africa, where empowered women can lead the way toward social justice and unity. Surf therapy enhances mental and physical well-being, helping women overcome trauma and build resilience, and supporting them in contributing to social cohesion, justice, and environmental sustainability.
Watoto Wasoka
Watoto Wasoka is a Ugandan organisation whose programme Football 4 WASH integrates football drills and play-based learning with Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene health education. This playful and peer-led approach empowers children to adopt healthy habits that prevent life-threatening diseases and promotes safer health practices with entire communities.
The Olympism365 Innovation Hub is a collaboration between the International Olympic Committee, Beyond Sport and Women Win designed to support a diverse community of innovators leading new and impactful approaches to sport for sustainable development.
