In 2023, Tomás Seré was the first Argentine in history to be selected by the International Olympic Committee's Young Leaders Program, a global initiative that selects, finances and mentors 25 people from around the world to carry out their own social sports project in their community for four years. It was thanks to this support that, in May 2024, Proyecto En JueGo was founded in Buenos Aires, under the pillars of inclusion, education and development. It is a proposal that seeks to provide training tools so that children and adolescents who live in transit homes, are in vulnerable conditions or have intellectual disabilities can become the captains of their own ship.
In this way, through the practice of different sports, a space for inclusion and personal and professional development is promoted for those who, for different reasons, found themselves in a marginalized situation during the course of their lives. This includes young people who were separated from their families due to various issues (such as violence, abuse or abandonment), as well as adolescents with intellectual disabilities or under high socioeconomic exclusion.
With this logic, Proyecto En JueGo works with young people in two age ranges:
- For children between the ages of 6 and 13, the premise is to teach and transmit principles through play and sport. To the various dynamics of school support, we add moments of interaction and learning through the implementation of the Olympic Values Education Model (OVEP).
- For adolescents from 14 years of age, the task is to position sport as much more than a simple competition or physical practice. Thus, the proposal is to see sport as a space for containment, growth and personal and professional development. In this sense, the tasks are focused on the training of participants in the field of various trades, technical courses and/or arbitration.
In turn, for adolescents with intellectual disabilities, the intention is to bring all the benefits of sports practice in relation to forming a community, independence and respect. Of course, at all times the premise is to transmit love and joy, knowing that physical activity is also synonymous with well-being and health.
Here it is worth mentioning that Proyecto En JueGo is possible thanks to the daily efforts of its volunteers, who organize and participate in each of the activities. In fact, in only 6 months, more than 35 people have already joined the initiatives, either in person at events or with essential administrative support. From those who started the initiative, such as the journalist Joaquín Guarella, the psychopedagogue Paula Penela and the soon-to-be graduate Sebastián Szwarcberg, to those who were key in its consolidation, such as Diego Calvo, Candelaria Socorro, Tiziana Rodríguez, Ángeles Magariños, Renata Sposato and Alma Bringas, they are day by day the heart of the transformation through sport.
Currently, Proyecto En JueGo has several ongoing activities:
- For months now, every Thursday school support sessions combined with sports initiation exercises have been held in a children's home in Florida. Those same children started with Beach Volley classes every Sunday in Palermo.
- This modality, based on the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP), began to be repeated every Friday at the Pimpinela Home in Vicente López.
- It began with a small basketball school every two weeks in a transit home in Moreno.
- Four monthly clinics for young people with mild intellectual disabilities were organized in conjunction with the Secretary of Sports of the GCBA.
- Sports and training sessions began in the Padre Mugica Neighborhood (former Villa 31).
- Together with the Acá Sí Community Center of the Moreno district, a basketball clinic was started for young people over 14 years old, with the purpose of providing new opportunities and avoiding tragic paths.
- From the foundation, the different sports days were articulated in alliance with Fundación Socialmente, which groups friends with intellectual disabilities.
- Together with the Athletes Commission of the Argentine Olympic Committee and former Olympic athletes, in November open classes of combat sports for marginalized children and adolescents will start.
Finally, it is important to mention that the International Olympic Committee's Young Leaders program selects 25 young people from all over the world every two years to support the development of their own sports projects, which so far has had an impact on the lives of more than 36,000 people. In 2023, Tomás was chosen among more than 3,000 applicants as the first Argentine representative in history to be part of the initiative, which will be open again until October 21 to choose the 2025-2029 generation.
If you want to know more about Proyecto En JueGo and see what their activities are about, you can access their Instagram page through the following link:
https://www.instagram.com/proyecto.enjuego/?hl=es
Comments