Photo: C. Fischer

Single-parent families, a difficult financial situation, or a refugee or immigrant background: all of these factors can create so-called high-risk situations for young people. To support children’s development independent of social or economic factors and to help them to better settle into their lives in Berlin, the organization “kein Abseits!” (“no Offsides!”) was founded in Berlin.

In the North of Berlin, the organization supports youth from the “neighborhood” as well as secondary-school students with refugee backgrounds. The one-on-one mentoring program, sports program, and career exploration opportunities are intended to help children between the ages of nine and 12 in Reinickendorf.  For these children, language barriers, the family’s limited finances, or their parents’ job situations can mean a lack of opportunities to explore their own interests and develop their potential. “We want to prevent that children with supposedly poor starting conditions later end up in the “offsides” of society,” says Gloria Amoruso, explaining the organization’s motivations.

A particularly important tool is the “Game Star,” a game- and activity center on wheels. Whether with football, jumping rope, or crafts, the goal of the Game Star is to enable children to stay active and explore new things together, rain or shine. The organization brings its “rolling” activity center to schoolyards, youth centers, and refugee homes. “It lets children explore their surroundings, make friends, and at the same time expand their wealth of experiences,” says Jana Weische, the responsible project manager at SAGST.