Just.Play

Just.Play is a Sports for Development Non-Profit based out of Ernakulam, Kerala.

Our vision is to create a society of empowered young people with life skills to take on the world and nurture them into individuals who are sensitive to differences in our society.

Why we do it

1. People from all genders are not treated equally in society.
2. There is a lack of adequate skills to handle challenges in life and flourish in a fast-changing world.

How we do it

1. Programme modules to change attitudes and perceptions that adolescents have developed through years of social conditioning and enable them to question and shatter these norms to discover their true potential.
2. Provide Life Skill Education to children based on the 21st century Comprehensive Life Skills Framework by UNICEF India
3. Empower young children to believe that they don't have to wait to be changemakers and provide support for them to create the difference they want to see.

Our Program - Core Values

Sports for Development -

“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.” -Nelson Mandela

Long-term intervention -

Ensure that we create  sustainable and measurable impact among the youth through  long-term interventions.

NO gender or social barriers

“There are no constraints on human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect” - Ronald Raegan

Age group : 10 to 18 Years

With dynamic and highly-responsive brains, adolescents actively begin to create their own identities that go on to have serious implications on their social and emotional development. 

What we do

We have a 3-year long program focusing on Social, Emotional life skills and Gender, Sex and Relationship education through a mixed-gender sport - Ultimate Frisbee. The program has three main components:

1. Mixed Gender Sports and Activities
2. Life Skills Education
3. Contributing to the community

Mixed Gender Sports and Activities

Engage adolescents from vulnerable communities through the sport of Ultimate Frisbee-a relatively new, self-refereed mixed-gender sport that places the spirit of the players at the centre, to bring them together and communicate ideas.

Our Theory of Change

• Coaching and developing teams having children from all genders, builds mutual respect and understanding.
• Self refereeing enhances communication and conflict-resolution skills. 
• Utmost importance to the spirit of the game inculcates a sense of fairness among participants. 
• Discussions after the game on social issues and life skills education provide awareness and solutions to real life dilemmas. 

Life Skills Education

Impart Life Skills Education through games, activities and discussions based on modules developed by contextualising the Life Skills Framework by UNICEF India.

Our Theory Change

• Connecting life skill education to real life scenarios provide participants with a thought framework to better their day-to-day actions
• Gender, Sex & Relationship Education as part of life skill discussions break existing barriers
• Game Skills like participation, communication, decision making etc. gets translated to life skills

Contributing to the community

Equipping children with the resources and skills to take up a project to address a pressing social issue that they observe around them through a step by step process with mentorship and support to be young changemakers.