THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR WORK
Children and young people stuck in long term displacement have so little to do, yet the energy of youth flows through their veins as much as any youngsters!
They are cooped up in tiny shelters, have very little chance to continue their education after primary school level and have lots of time on their hands. They love to play, get out of breath, feel the thrill of sports, games, competitions, get better at physical skills and work in teams.
In refugee camps there are so often tensions between people who come from completely different parts of the country or region they’re displaced from.
Before they were forced to leave their homes they lived in communities that they had grown into; they knew their neighbours, the route to school, the family running the local shop, their parents’ relatives who would always drop by, and their grandparents often lived with them. After displacement all this has gone: they’re in a very unfamiliar location, surrounded by people and a language they don’t know, they may have lost a family member to the conflict and are terribly sad, confused and depressed. They suffer from post-traumatic stress that they don’t understand. If they are girls their families don’t want to let them go outside too much for fear of their being kidnapped or trafficked or forced into labour; if boys, there are worries they will be forced into militias or radicalised groups. Organised and professional sports coaching and training will provide a safe space where families will be comfortable allowing their children and teenagers to join in, to release some of their stress and tension. To glow again with the joy of exertion and exercise, to have more energy to contribute to family life, more ideas on how to survive the misery of endless displacement, more hope to get everyone through another day. Connections with friends and team players, excitement at the upcoming competition and the prizes and recognition that comes from doing well in sport and movement that is practised, that takes hard work and dedication. Why? Because refugees and people displaced within their own country are left behind from sports. Humanitarian efforts focus on food, shelter, water, health and education – and funds for these are never enough to meet all the needs. Organised sports and play are never prioritised and the effort that it takes to provide high quality coaching that is sustained over years is never there.
Our strategy is to empower coaches and mentors from within the communities themselves, equipping them with the training and resources needed to get physical education and sports training going.
Our Approach
These coaches are at the heart of our mission—they represent our most important investment, as they are the ones who directly train and inspire children and adolescents. To enable their full commitment, MIR provides compensation through local organizations, ensuring these coaches can focus entirely on their work. By cultivating local leadership, we aim to create a sense of hope and dynamism, rooted in the local culture and contexts in which refugees and displaced people are living, fostering community resilience and long-term impact. We will work closely with local authorities, families and community leaders to secure necessary permissions and support, ensuring our programs align with and enhance community priorities. In many refugee settings, organized sports and physical activities are scarce, leaving children and youth without access to safe spaces or resources for physical engagement. To address this gap, we are committed to providing culturally relevant sports and fitness programs that are thoughtfully tailored to the unique needs and circumstances of each community. Our programs emphasize the development of fundamental movement skills, fostering teamwork through organized sports, and nurturing individual athletic growth. By creating opportunities for physical activity, we aim to enhance well-being, build community connections, and empower young people in these challenging environments. We recognize the vast scale of the global refugee and displacement crisis and the pressing need to reach as many young people as possible. By prioritizing the training of local coaches and mentors, we aim to significantly amplify our impact and extend our reach. In camps with populations of up to a million people, nearly half are children and young people, highlighting the urgent need for targeted, meaningful action. Our vision is to establish physical education and coaching programs across these camps, ensuring that the majority of young people have access to structured and supportive activities. To achieve this, we focus on thoughtful, resource-efficient planning—utilizing affordable, locally produced, or donated equipment while avoiding high-cost infrastructure that serves only a few. By partnering with organizations and local authorities to secure training spaces and resources, and by maintaining an unwavering commitment to excellence in selecting and developing coaching mentors, we aim to create programs that are inclusive, sustainable, and impactful. Together, these efforts will empower young people and foster lasting, positive change in the communities we serve.
Legal status
Movement in Refuge is fiscally sponsored by Re-Alliance, a UK registered charity.
What this means in practice is that Movement in Refuge is a "project" of Re-Alliance and all donations/payments will be accounted for by Re-Alliance and reported every year to the UK charity commission. This generous service by Re-Alliance is helpful to Movement in Refuge as it saves on expensive start-up/administration costs and ensures more of the donated funds go to the field. Re-Alliance funds pilot projects within refugee/displacement camps and settlements which have the potential to regenerate the lives of the people and the land on which they live. Re-Alliance is committed to a holistic understanding of regeneration that includes supporting people to thrive physically and emotionally. The aims of Movement in Refuge -- regenerating the lives of people suffering displacement -- fit with Re-Alliance's registered objectives. Re-Alliance is based in the UK at the following address: Shawfield, Laughton, Lewes, BN8 6BY. The key themes of Movement in Refuge include: - Supporting sport and other beneficial physical activities for young people who have suffered displacement; - Supporting training and sports education, the formation of leagues, and associated infrastructure for sport in displacement settings; - Regenerating lives to enable hope, physical and mental fitness and a sense of purpose and to create conditions of healing from traumatic experiences. The mutual benefits of a partnership - Cutting overhead costs for Movement in Refuge by the sharing of back-office resources; - Fundholding (aka fiscal sponsorship): Re-Alliance can legally hold UK funds for Movement in Refuge and make payments upon request. Re-Alliance will account for any monies to the UK Charity Commission as part of their annual return. - Movement in Refuge can apply for grants using Re-Alliance as the registered charity. Re-Alliance charges between 7% - 12% for fund holding, depending on the project/campaign/grant.
