Donate

Sport as Entry. Prevention as Outcome. Education as Pathway.

In many communities we serve, boys do not first engage through classrooms or formal programmes. They show up on the pitch. Football fields and community courts are where identity is shaped, status is negotiated, and behavior is visible in real time. For boys who are disengaged from school or exposed to violence, sport is often the most consistent point of connection.

The Sports Against Violence Project uses that reality deliberately by converting sport into a structured platform for violence prevention, education, and life skills development.

Talk to CHAMP
Call the Toll-Free Helpline

BOYS DESERVE A BETTER FUTURE

GENDER EQUALITY STARTS WITH BOYS

BUILDING BETTER MEN

BOYS DESERVE A BETTER FUTURE

GENDER EQUALITY STARTS WITH BOYS

BUILDING BETTER MEN

BOYS DESERVE A BETTER FUTURE

GENDER EQUALITY STARTS WITH BOYS

BUILDING BETTER MEN

BOYS DESERVE A BETTER FUTURE

GENDER EQUALITY STARTS WITH BOYS

BUILDING BETTER MEN

The Problem

  • Exposure to violence and conflict
  • Low school engagement and weak learning outcomes
  • Limited access to mentorship
  • Harmful peer influence
  • Pressure to conform to harmful expressions of masculinity

In parts of Northern Nigeria, these risks extend further, where boys face real vulnerability to recruitment into violent networks and extremist groups. 

  • School dropout
  • Persistent learning gaps in literacy and numeracy
  • Increased involvement in violence
  • Long term social and economic exclusion

Our Approach

SAVE is built on the simple premise of reaching our boys where they already are, then shifting what happens next. While sport becomes the entry point, structure, mentorship, and education drive the change

Violence Prevention Through Real Time Practice

On the pitch, behavior is immediate and visible, where conflict arises under constant pressure and every decision has consequences.

Coaches and facilitators guide boys through these moments, teaching them to manage emotions, resolve conflict, and act with discipline and respect. These are practiced behaviors, not abstract lessons.

Reconnecting Boys to Education

Participation in SAVE is tied to school engagement. Boys are supported to return to school, remain in school, and improve their learning outcomes.

Structured sessions reinforce literacy and numeracy, ensuring that participation in sport strengthens, not replaces, education.

Life Skills That Transfer Beyond Sport

Each session develops practical competencies:

It connects directly with:

  • Decision Making
  • Communication
  • Emotional Regulation
  • Teamwork
  • Accountability

These skills are reinforced consistently and applied both within and beyond the sporting environment.

Gender Equality in Practice

SAVE challenges harmful norms that link masculinity with dominance or aggression. Boys are taught to act with respect, take responsibility for their behavior, and understand their role in creating safe environments for others.

Gender equality is not taught as a theory. It is enforced through team culture, rules, and expectations.

Reducing Vulnerability to Violence and Extremism

SAVE provides structure, belonging, and mentorship for boys who would otherwise remain outside formal systems.

Through consistent engagement and exposure to positive role models, boys develop a sense of identity and direction that reduces susceptibility to violent pathways.

How this connects to the wider Boys Champions model

Men’s mental health does not sit outside the rest of our work. It runs through it.
Explore Our Programmes
See How We Create Change
Boys to Men

Helps boys build emotional literacy, self-regulation, and help-seeking confidence early.

Gives older boys and men space to reflect, talk, and lead differently around masculinity, fatherhood, and mental health.

Strengthens emotional presence, caregiving, and support at home.

Reaches boys in high-risk settings through sport, structure, mentorship, and conflict support.

Make it easier for boys and men to get help early and stay connected to it.

Work With Us

Explore how SAVE connects with our broader work on prevention and youth development:

  • Explore Boys to Men Program
  • Explore The DearMen Program
  • Partner With Us
  • Support the SAVE League and community competitions

 Start the Conversation

Whether you are a young boy, a man navigating life, or someone looking for support, CHAMP is here.

Fund our work
Partner with us