Omega’s Sports Project exists to create a safe environment for kids where they can learn core life values and develop a healthy lifestyle through sports activities
As participants come, they learn about the technical side of sports – but they also learn about core values for both on and off the field, such as passion, teamwork, determination, honesty, respect, and the belief that it’s possible to achieve their goals if they persevere.
The Omega Sports Project began in response to refugee children who weren’t going to school and were often spending their days at home. Sports provide an avenue for kids to get out of their houses, learn soccer skills, and simply enjoy being with others. Over the last year, there have been participants who have gone from being fearful of going out or struggling with depression to becoming passionate team players who count down the days to be there.
Hear from our participants
A model for her children: Nargis and embroidery
Embroidery and mental health may not seem connected at first glance, but for Nargis and many other women in Omega’s Embroidery Course, it has made all the difference. “If I am at home all the time, I get so depressed – I am used to working! I know that if women have a skill, and…
More than a business: “bringing happiness, joy, and music”
“Music can bring us closer to one another,” Jawad says. “Today, whether you are a Tajik or an Afghan, when you hear a song from Adele or Elvis Presley or whoever it is that you know, even if you don’t know what they are saying, you still feel things, you are a little more joyful,…
Counting down the days
Sano had always been interested in sewing and embroidery and was excited to learn a new skill. She had looked at embroidery courses before, but they all charged a fee, which she knew she couldn’t afford each month. When her friend brought her to Nuur Women’s Center – part of Omega’s projects in Vahdat –…
Rozia the Tailor: Growing in skills, growing in business
When Rozia and her family of 7 arrived in Tajikistan – just one month before the previous government of Afghanistan fell – she wasn’t sure how they would make ends meet. While it was good to feel safe, there were still plenty of challenges they had to face. “We didn’t have a place to stay…
Husna’s story: realizing her vision
Husna – a recent graduate from Omega’s Personal Development Course – is warm, charming, and easy to talk to – but she says that hasn’t always been the case. It’s only in the last few years that she has become the person she is today. “If there was something social, I tried to avoid it,”…
“Bit by bit”
Less than a year ago, Robia had never played soccer, but you wouldn’t know it now – twice a week, she is out on the field with her team, excited to be there. “The first day that we went, none of us could really play, and we did some weird things! We were all laughing –…