Cairo, 2 July 2019 – Al Ahly Sports Club and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Egypt hosted an event at Al Ahly’s Nasr City Club in celebration of the World Day against Child Labour with the participation of The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The event, which included a football tournament, screenings of anti-trafficking awareness-raising videos, and two health sessions, was attended by over 200 people, including Mr. Tareq Kandil and Mr. Mohamed Serageldin of Al Ahly’s board of directors. Young members of the South Sudanese, Sudanese, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Indian, Yemeni, Filipino, Egyptian and other communities played in mixed teams to promote community cohesion and inform child labour and exploitation. 

Mr. Andrea Dabizzi, Head of the Migrant Protection and Assistance Unit in IOM, said “Child labour results in an unfortunate form of exploitation and one which IOM works hard to prevent and combat through raising awareness of communities, providing alternatives and protection for vulnerable migrants at risk of exploitation, and building the capacity of national partners and stakeholders. IOM is dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of all children. Childhood should be about enjoying, learning and playing, not working; and this message should be disseminated by the participants to their peers, relatives and friends.” Mr. Mohamed added “We at Al Ahly believe we have an important role in raising the awareness of society on this important issue. We are keen to raise awareness against trafficking, especially the employment and exploitation of children in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East by using the popularity of football around the world to engage communities.”

During the tournament, IOM doctors conducted two sessions on first aid and basic hygiene, complemented by the distribution of hygiene and first aid kits to participants. These sessions, requested by migrant community leaders, highlighted areas of child and family health. IOM’s countertrafficking videos were also screened during the event. The day concluded with first and second place awards to the tournament finalists, and participation awards for the rest of the tournament players, presented by Al Ahly board members and IOM staff. 

This event was made possible by the contributions of the Governments of Finland, Germany, Italy and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The activities support the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals; it is also in line with the objectives of Egypt’s Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS): Vision 2030, particularly its Economic and Social Justice Pillars. 

For more information, please contact Omar Awwad at IOM Egypt, Tel: +20 1032 049 144 ; Email: oawwad@iom.int