‘Sport for all - health for all!’ - Promotion of walking as a popular sport in Burkina Faso and Mali

The ‘Sport for all – Health for all!’ project is being implemented in the rural communities of Finkolo in Mali and Koloko in Burkina Faso and aims to promote walking as a popular sport. The target groups are children and young people as well as adults, with a particular focus on women and men over the age of 40. The aim is to identify 90% of people in the project area who are at risk of heart disease and refer them to the existing health centres.

The construction of a walking route will create a high-quality infrastructure suitable for running and walking. People over 40, who are particularly susceptible to heart disease, will also be able to exercise and maintain their health.

Strengthening the capacity of the actors will consist of training them in sports medicine and pedagogy to give them the necessary tools to teach the techniques of walking, knowledge of laws, norms, rules and equipment that are essential to supervise participants in walking.

To strengthen cultural cooperation and the health benefits of sport, the project will organise sports and cultural events. This is not only very effective for social cohesion, but also encourages participants to take part in the training days in large numbers.
Sport in a group and under the guidance of well-trained counsellors is an effective means of combating all forms of discrimination. These days are a moment of sharing and joy, but also of screening for heart diseases among people at risk.