Last week we had head teachers and teachers from 12 UK schools here in Ethiopia to meet partner schools – I met them on Saturday. 30 counterparts from Ethiopian schools will be in the UK on a reciprocal visit at the end of March. This was all within the framework of the International Inspiration Programme – the details of which can be found at the British Council website.
This visit was a direct result of a pledge made by the UK when we won the bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games 5 years ago, to engage young people with the inspirational power of the Games and create long-term, transformational change in their lives through sport. It’s a ground-breaking intenational legacy programme. Altogether some 12 million children will particpate in the scheme. Ethiopia is the 19th country to be involved – and last November some 4,000 children from local schools and youth centres participated in a race in association with the organisers of the Great Ethiopian Run in order to launch the Programme, including 200 who took part in a special International Inspiration race. I am really soorry I didn’t arrive here until mid-December and therefore missed this exciting event.
At the time of the launch the famous Ethiopian Olympic Gold medallist Haile Gebreselassie spoke the following, thoroughly appropriate words: “‘Physical education is one of the most important tools available to schools to help develop young people’s leadership skills and give them confidence, irrespective of gender or ability. Communities are brought together through sport and play, be it a game of football in the park or a race to win gold on the world stage, and I’m thrilled that International Inspiration will be working with the Ethiopian Government to ensure schools and communities are engaging young people in physical education, sport and play.”
An aim of the International Inspiration Programme is to share best practice on the role of sport in education. I am very glad that in Ethiopia, International Inspiration will specifically use sport to promote inclusion by reaching girls and marginalised children, including those with disabilities, and provide leadership training to young people. This fits very well with our overall development goals for the country, which is now our biggest bilateral partner. In a nutshell, this is all about building a framework of hope and opportunities for Ethiopia’s future generations. The International Inspiration Programme fits perfectly into that framework.