INT’L DAY OF SPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE: Salesian Missions highlights sports programs that build bridges among youth
2026 theme is ‘Sport: Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers’
(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and the international community in celebrating the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, which is celebrated each year on April 6. The United Nations General Assembly designated the day in 2013, and it has been celebrated each year since 2014. The adoption of this day signifies the increasing recognition by the U.N. of the positive influence that sports have on the advancement of human rights and on social and economic development.
This year’s theme is “Sport: Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers”. In a statement about the day, the U.N. noted, “This year’s theme underscores sport’s unique capacity to foster connection, inclusion and peace in an increasingly fragmented world. As a universal language that transcends cultural, social and boundaries, sport serves as a powerful catalyst for social transformation. Sport connects communities across borders and generations, reducing isolation among marginalized groups, and creating spaces for dialogue, solidarity, and mutual respect.”
In countries around the globe, Salesian schools and youth centers offer sports programming as a way to teach life lessons in collaboration, team building and sportsmanship, as well as help increase physical activity.
“Sports programs build bridges by educating about tolerance, inclusion and respect,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “Learning and playing team sports teach important social skills while giving youth opportunities for growth and maturity. Salesians offer sports to both boys and girls in youth centers and schools.”
In honor of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Salesian Missions highlights sports programs in countries around the globe.
ECUADOR
In Ecuador, Achuar youth in multiple communities benefit from Salesian soccer schools.
The Salesian Yankuam Jintia Soccer School benefits youth in the Achuar community of Wichimi, in the Amazon of Ecuador. Currently, there are eight Salesian schools which educate more than 700 youth. Under-12 soccer leagues have been organized to strengthen the bonds of fellowship between the communities.
Father Agustín Togo explained, “Through soccer, which is so important in the lives of the Achuar population, children learn values such as respect, discipline, responsibility and teamwork. But it is also an invitation for young people to meet God.”
The operation of the Salesian schools is possible thanks to the collaboration of monitors, who are people in the community who volunteer to guide everything related to training. Through the support of the Salesian centers, the monitors have mobile phones or tablets, which help them remain in contact with Fr. Togo to carry out the planning and evaluation of the activities.
MOZAMBIQUE
Youth from low-income families in Mozambique access education and sports through the Don Bosco Social-Sports School of the Real Madrid Foundation.
The Don Bosco Social-Sports School of the Real Madrid Foundation in Maputo, Mozambique, serves as a safe haven for children from the Chamanculo and Luís Cabral neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city. Youth at the school come from families with low incomes, many of whom rely on informal, unregulated work and face limited access to basic necessities such as water, food, hygiene, and sanitation.
The Don Bosco Social-Sports School is part of the Real Madrid Foundation’s global network of social-sports schools that have the motto “They play, we educate”. These schools promote a model of education that goes beyond the classroom, blending academic learning with athletic training. This holistic approach supports mental and physical development, encouraging youth to have a healthy balance between study and physical activity.
Ildo, aged 14, shared how the school has impacted his life. “The Real Madrid Foundation project brought many positive changes to my life — both in school and in sports. It also improved how I relate to my classmates and my family.” Ildo highlighted the values the program teaches — teamwork, perseverance, respect and solidarity — as vital not only for personal growth but also for preparing to face life’s challenges both in and out of school.
SIERRA LEONE
Don Bosco Socio-Sports School in Lungi, Sierra Leone, provides learning and training in soccer, basketball and volleyball to youth through the Real Madrid Foundation.
Salesian missionaries operate the Don Bosco Socio-Sports School in Lungi, Sierra Leone, thanks to support from the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid and the Real Madrid Foundation.
As part of the Real Madrid Foundation’s “They play, we educate” program, participants receive nutrition, family and psychological support, regular health checkups, the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops, gymnastics, crafts, reading, and citizenship activities. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values, and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse are also provided.
The Don Bosco School has four soccer teams, two basketball teams and three volleyball teams, involving 70, 45 and 98 students, respectively. The school has been renovated for this season, and youth have access to all the equipment they need to learn and practice the sports. Students will also engage in competitions.
Ansuma, one of the youth involved in the school, said, “The school taught me much more than soccer. I have learned to control my temperament and now I also help at home and in school activities.”
UKRAINE
Students in Ukraine are playing on a new volleyball pitch thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions.
Salesian missionaries with the Salesian Lyceum in Lviv, Ukraine* were able to use donor funding to install a volleyball pitch thanks to funding from Salesian Missions. The pitch was set up over the summer and ready for the start of the school semester in Sept. 2025.
More than 400 students were impacted by the donation and have been able to now play volleyball during their physical education classes and afterschool activities. UNICEF reports that since the start of the conflict with Russia, more than 1,600 schools have been impacted by the bombing. Education has been interrupted for many students and they are no longer able to access coursework or have leisure activities with their friends.
The Salesian Lyceum has been meeting these needs for many students, many of whom have been internally displaced in the country. Some of the students are orphaned and in the care of relatives or the Salesians.
Father Taras Bayovskiy, headmaster of the Salesian Lyceum, said, “I am grateful that we now have a volleyball pitch. What we have available for students is limited, and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports activities without adequate sports infrastructure has always been a challenge for us. We now have a soccer field, a volleyball court, and modular locker rooms. These facilities enable us to participate in three student sports leagues including soccer, volleyball and rugby.”
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Sources:
ECUADOR: Achuar youth benefit from soccer school/Photo courtesy of Misiones Salesianas
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
MOZAMBIQUE: School provides education, sports for youth from low-income families/ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
SIERRA LEONE: Youth receive sports education/ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
UKRAINE: Students access new volleyball pitch thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)
*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.
