Youth players & coaches
A unique opportunity for a group of 16 year old footballers (at the end of 5th year high school) and a small group of experienced coaches
We’re inviting a group of 16 (8 boys, 8 girls) talented young Scottish footballers to volunteer in Rwanda for 10 days at the end of June each year
Note: if demand is high we may limit the opportunity to 4 players and one coach per club
On afternoons they will assist a small group of experienced, highly qualified Scottish coaches, helping them to set up and then demonstrate a training session before integrating with the local Rwandan youth footballers
They will also get the chance to plan and deliver a session or two themselves
2008s - June 2025 (sold out)
2009s - June 2026
2010s - June 2027
2011s - June 2028
In the mornings they will spend time volunteering at various community projects, such as Batsinda ex-street kids centre and a school for disabled children. Additionally they will visit 2 important genocide memorial centres, to understand more about the tragic past of Rwanda, and the incredible resilience of the Rwandan people
Coaching qualification
As an optional part of this programme, the young players will also be encouraged to do a Scottish FA level 1.1 coaching qualification course (1 day)
Costs
As volunteers, each player will be asked to donate around £2,000 to the charity, to cover the cost of their time in Rwanda, ie travel and accommodation. They are also expected to donate an additional £250 which is passed on 100% to a project in Rwanda. Our Board will be happy to support any fundraising or entrepreneurial initiatives over the course of S5
At the end of the trip, as well as a set of memories to last a lifetime, they will be able to look back on an outstanding set of achievements:
10 days volunteering with Rwandan children
Optional fundraising or entrepreneurial activity to raise part or all of their donation to the charity
An optional SFA football coaching qualification
IMPORTANT: About Rwanda…it’s safe
Located in the heart of Africa, Rwanda is home to 14 million in an area the size of the Scottish Highlands, making it one the most densely populated countries on the continent. It is also one of the poorest
It has a tragic history – the 1994 genocide claiming approximately 1 million lives in 3 months of violence
However despite this, Rwanda is also now one of the safest countries in Africa, with relatively low levels of violent crime despite the poverty
Our track record
As well as our 4 football trips, SFR’s Chairman Mark Fleming also has many years of experience in taking groups of Scottish high school children to Rwanda, before he began to take football coaches in 2019
To find out more about this trip, please contact carey@rwandafootball.org