More Than a Game, UNICEF and Partners Bring Child Protection Training to the Field
-UNICEF, GFF and RCC Equip Children and Coaches in Region Nine with Knowledge and Tools to Stay Safe in Sport
Georgetown, Guyana, July 30, 2025: More than 50 children, along with coaches representing clubs that collectively reach more than 120 children, 446 players recentlyparticipated in a dynamic two-day sensitization training focused on child protection, child safeguarding, and the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
The sessions were held in Lethem and included participants from St. Ignatius, Nappi, Moco Moco, Culvert City, Tabatinga, and a Venezuelan migrant community.
Led by UNICEF in collaboration with the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) and the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), the sessions represent a significant milestone in the ongoing Youth Empowerment Strategy through Football Initiative, first launched in Georgetown in April 2025.
“My role is far more than on the field. I look out for my athletes wherever they are, in the community, at another ground, or even off the pitch." - Nicole Parks, Coach and Club Manager, St. Ignatius Village.
Prior to a series of competitive football matches among under-18 teams, UNICEF facilitated small group discussions with children to foster open dialogue and meaningful engagement.
The sessions also provided participants with tools to recognize, prevent, and report abuse. Topics included child rights, sexual harassment and grooming, consent in peer relationships, and the importance of child-friendly reporting systems like the 914 hotline. The RCC also provided open sensitization sessions on bullying.
Additionally, UNICEF provided coaches with capacity-building and sensitization on child rights, domestic and international legislation pertinent to child rights and child protection, as well as PSEA.
This Initiative reflects UNICEF’s commitment to ensuring every child’s right to play in a safe, supportive environment, free from harm, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Mark George, a community and school-level coach from Central Rupununi, emphasized the critical responsibility that coaches carry when children are in their care.
“Parents entrust us with their children when we travel out of the village,” he said. “This training is timely. We need to be able to identify when a child has a problem, whether it’s physical, mental, social, or even spiritual. Sometimes we just don’t know what to do,” he stated.
George, who has trained both boys and girls for 16 years, added that he had heard of the UNCRC but had never previously seen or discussed it in detail.
Nicole Parks, a coach and club manager from St. Ignatius Village, echoed the importance of the training, noting, “My role is far more than on the field. I look out for my athletes wherever they are, in the community, at another ground, or even off the pitch. This session opened my eyes to being a better person and advocate for the rights of children,” Parks said.
She added that the region continues to face challenges such as teenage pregnancy and that more proactive, rights-based education is needed. “I believe every child has the right to a childhood. What I had growing up, I want for other children too.”
For young athletes like Amazia Singh, 17, the training was a turning point. “Before this, no one talked to me about my rights or who I could call if I felt unsafe. Learning about my rights made me feel safer and more confident to speak up. I want to be a professional athlete, and knowing my rights helps protect that dream.”
Jaheim Bobb, 15, said he learned about sexual exploitation and the importance of reporting abuse. He said, “It made me sad to know that some kids have to go through that. But now I know I can call 914 or talk to someone if anything makes me uncomfortable.”
Both boys agreed that safe environments are essential for youth pursuing careers in sport and that all children should know their rights.
Dr. Loria-Mae Heywood, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF Guyana, touted the initiative as a success, while reaffirming the organization’s commitment to every child in Guyana.
“Every child has the right to play, to be protected, and to be heard. Through initiatives like this, we are not just raising awareness, we are building safer communities. Children, parents, and caregivers must all be empowered with the knowledge of their rights, as outlined in the UNCRC, and the tools to act when those rights are threatened,” she said.
The UNCRC outlines the right of every child to play and participate in sport, and to live free from violence, exploitation, and abuse, whether at home, in school, in their community, or on the field.
As UNICEF, GFF, and RCC continue their partnership, the focus remains clear: to empower youth and their mentors with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to build a future where sport is not just a game, but a space of safety, growth, and empowerment for every child.
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UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org.
