Description

The Real Madrid Foundation's socio-sporting school in Angola, which we are developing with Manos Unidas, is situated in the town of Luena. The NGO Manos Unidas, with its aim to promote education as a key tool for breaking the cycle of poverty and social exclusion, has joined forces with Esclavas del Divino Corazón. The Collaboration, which has been working in Angola for over twenty years, arrived in Luena in the year 2008 to head up a centre for primary and secondary education. The centre is located in the Alto Luena neighbourhood, a deprived area on the edge of town characterised by poor health infrastructure, poor education and areas of deprived, chaotic housing settlements that are mostly inhabited by refugees who returned from Zambia after the war.
 
The socio-sporting school’s project is emerging in an area with a distinct lack of opportunities. Their aims include creating living spaces; reducing unrest among youths from different ethnic and religious groups, whose families have recently returned from refugee camps; and reducing the high illiteracy rate and lack of motivation to study amongst young people.
The beneficiaries are the students of the Esclavas del Divino Corazón school, who come from vulnerable family backgrounds and are at risk of social exclusion. The school activities are carried out in the school’s own sports facilities, which include two basketball courts and an indoor football pitch, built in 2015 thanks to the help of Manos Unidas.