Right To Play Backgrounder

Right To Play Fact Sheet

• 
  Founded in 2000 by Johann Olav Koss, four-time Olympic gold medalist and social entrepreneur
  
• 
  RTP stimulates and motivates local communities to engage in entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable development practices
  
• 
  RTP trains local community leaders to deliver programs in 20 countries affected by war, poverty and disease in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and South America
  
• 
  Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
  
• 
  National offices in Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK and the US
  
• 
  Currently RTP programs are implemented in: Benin, Botswana, Burundi, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories (West Bank and Gaza), Peru, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, and Uganda
  
• 
  Runs programs in 21 countries around the world with Athlete Ambassadors from over 40 countries
  
• 
  Funded through government agency and UN grants, and through public and private sponsorship
  

• 
  The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child guides RTP’s work
  

Reach:

• 
  By the end of 2009, RTP reached more than 700,000 children in weekly regular sport and play activities, with a combined total of more than 1 million children in regular programming and special sports events and festivals
  
• 
  These activities were facilitated by more than 13,000 local coaches, leaders and teachers and more than 4,000 junior leaders
  
• 
  Almost 50 per cent of children participating were girls
  
• 
  More than 50 percent of coaches, leaders and teachers were female
  

Right To Play in Liberia

• 
  RTP began operation in Liberia in March 2006
  
• 
  Worked with volunteer Liberian Leaders as early as 2001 in camps in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote D’Ivoire, Benin and Ghana
  
• 
  RTP continued its support following the end of the Civil War by establishing programs in Montserrado, Margibi and Bong Counties
  
• 
  These communities are home to a large number of children who are in need of supportive and structured environments and programs
  
• 
  These programs will promote the holistic development of children affected by conflict and improve their mental, physical, emotional, and social well-being through sport and play
  
• 
  In the first year of the project, significant strides have already been made, particularly in the promotion of building peaceful and inclusive communities, as well as partner organization capacity development
  
• 
  In December 2008, the first 25 leaders were trained in Red Ball Child Play and are engaging over 750 children in regular sport and play activities
  
• 
  RTP activities have been implemented in VOA and Caldwell communities of Monrovia
  

Liberia

• 
  Population below poverty line: 80% (2000 est.) (http://www.indexmundi.com/liberia/population_below_poverty_line.html)
  
  • 
    Definition: National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group.
    
  • 
    Rank: 4
    
• 
  An estimate of all people (adults and children) alive at year-end with HIV infection, whether or not they have developed symptoms of AIDS - 35,000 (2007 est.) (http://www.indexmundi.com/liberia/hiv_aids_people_living_with_hiv_aids.html)
  
• 
  An estimate of the number of adults and children who died of AIDS during a given calendar year - 2,300 (2007 est.) (http://www.indexmundi.com/liberia/hiv_aids_deaths.html)
  
• 
  School life expectancy (http://www.indexmundi.com/liberia/school_life_expectancy_(primary_to_tertiary_education).html)
  
  • 
    Definition: School life expectancy (SLE) is the total number of years of schooling (primary to tertiary) that a child can expect to receive, assuming that the probability of his or her being enrolled in school at any particular future age is equal to the current enrolment ratio at that age.
    
  • 
    (Primary to tertiary education) total: 11 years 
    Male: 13 years 
    Female: 9 years (2000)
    
• 
  Literacy rate (http://www.indexmundi.com/liberia/literacy.html)
  
  • 
    Definition: age 15 and over can read and write 
    Total population: 57.5% 
    Male: 73.3% 
    Female: 41.6% (2003 est.)
    Rank: 187