International

The guiding principle of the international initiatives that NASSA aims to deliver is localisation, helping communities abroad to develop better futures for their inhabitants. This involves collaborating with local non-profit organisations to co-design development initiatives that benefit their local community.

We use sport as a catalyst for change and develop local capacity on both sporting and human rights levels and the dual nature of their influence on people’s lives. While it is essential to acknowledge the substantial impact that sport can have on society, it is also crucial to utilise this influence to uphold human dignity.

NASSA is an incredibly diverse organisation with 151 different languages and dialects spoken by our participants. Many NASSA participants are from migrant families. They bring their cultural heritage to the basketball court and share their experiences and life stories. Because of this open sharing of knowledge and pride, NASSA spoke to participants and their parents/carers to see how NASSA could benefit international communities that reflect the cultural roots of our participants.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, NASSA organised collections of colouring and reading books, pencils and used basketballs to send to communities in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

Working in partnership with local organisations, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), we have since developed a programme to take the NASSA experience to rural communities in Egypt, India, Jamaica, Malawi and Zambia. The programme works on both a personal and an online level.

A NASSA coach will journey to, for example, India to set up basketball sessions in a rural setting, bringing their expertise to a community in which young people often have never had an opportunity to play any organised sport. The coach will educate local people in basketball coaching and mentoring, instilling the NASSA principles, while also establishing an online connection through which the new coaches can gain UK basketball coaching qualifications through Basketball England-accredited courses. The local coaches will also benefit from online mentoring support and guidance from NASSA coaches as their local basketball programme develops and for as long as they need.

NASSA has identified communities in these countries through our previous work and links with United Nations programmes, as well as through links with migrant families in east London.

Sports can surpass limitations. It can motivate and teach beneficial principles while promoting physical fitness. NASSA’s international programme protects, educates and empowers children to heal from the harsh realities of war and abuse. It helps to change their behaviour and protect them from disease, to go to school, graduate and create a better future for themselves and their families.

NASSA uses sport to enhance the physical and mental health of communities, while also promoting the development of social, educational and leadership skills through enjoyable and engaging activities.

We work to:

increase access to inclusive and high-quality training and education for children, young people and adults
involve communities in promoting and championing human rights, as well as ensuring access to quality healthcare and education
promote greater empowerment of women and girls to assert their rights and overcome the obstacles of gender-based violence and detrimental customs
undertake efforts to forge stronger alliances with governmental entities, civil society organisations, religious leaders and other local stakeholders.

While the programme spreads the NASSA message and the positive, life-enhancing work that NASSA does across east London, we also aim to help children to grow physically and mentally from a young age in the international communities we support.

NASSA International

We work to:

While the programme spreads the NASSA message and the positive, life-enhancing work that NASSA does across east London, we also aim to help children to grow physically and mentally from a young age in the international communities we support.