ITTF Foundation's Inspiring Visit to Kapadwanj Kelawani Mandal: Smash Barriers Project "Every Table is a Playground"

In September 2024, the ITTF Foundation embarked on a crucial visit to Kapadwanj Kelawani Mandal (KKM) as part of the Dream Building Fund (DBF) project, "Smash Barriers: Every Table is a Playground." KKM, a trust established in 1940 with a focus on quality education for boys and girls, has expanded its vision to include sports since 2016. Their partnership with the ITTF Foundation aims to further integrate sport as a tool for development (S4D), helping KKM become more prominent in fostering positive change within the communities they serve.

The DBF powered by The Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD) project will run across three years, engaging three local communities in Kapadwanj, and is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG 10) – Reduced Inequalities. The visit, which took place from the 8 to 12 September, was led by Julia Tappendorf, ITTF Foundation’s Social Impact Manager and lead for the DBF programme, alongside Khushal Palicha, Senior Manager of Strategy and Marketing.

Workshops That Matter

Three insightful workshops were conducted during this visit, aiming to build capacity, knowledge, and vision within the KKM team, school administrators, and local coaches, as well as participants from the Dani Foundation’s Sport for Transformation Fellowship. Each session was designed to not only share knowledge but to encourage open dialogue and mutual learning.

Table Tennis for Development

The first workshop laid the foundation for the concept of using table tennis as a development tool. Participants explored the difference between the development of table tennis as a sport and table tennis for development (TT4D), a strategic approach to harness the sport's power for positive social impact. Key takeaways included understanding various approaches to TT4D and creating practical, engaging activities for communities. One outcome we are proud of is that some participants were even inspired to start using and adapting the TT4D exercises presented, and even created their own variations.

Girls’ Positive and Safe Coaching Pathway

A crucial component of the visit was the Girls’ Positive and Safe Coaching Pathway workshop, part of an initiative by TAFISA and Nike to address gender inequity in sports. This two-day workshop focused on fostering equitable, safe environments for girls to participate in sports.

Through group discussions and local insights, participants identified challenges such as body confidence, period poverty, and safeguarding issues and worked together to create practical solutions for the community context.

Monitoring and Evaluation Workshop

With a focus on strengthening project monitoring and evaluation, this workshop was tailored specifically for the DBF project team at KKM. The co-designed Theory of Change was revisited, new findings from focus group discussions and additional community visits were incorporated into measurable outcomes. This workshop provided a vital space for the team to reflect on their research methodologies and ensure alignment with the project’s ultimate goals.

Community Visits: A Glimpse into lives that can be impacted

We also visited two of the three communities involved in the project, gaining first-hand insights into their daily struggles and aspirations.

Madaariwas Community

Madaariwas is a marginalised community whose members historically earned their livelihood through snake charming. With the practice now banned, many families live in temporary housing and face severe economic challenges. However, the importance of education is gradually being recognised, and sport is seen as a potential bridge to better integration with broader society in Kapadwanj.

When the team visited, the community was celebrating a significant milestone: the first girl to advance from grade 8 to grade 9. This celebration reflected the community’s hopes for the future, with sport serving as a channel for both fun and learning.

Maulik Bhatt, CEO of KKM, emphasised the transformative potential of engaging children: "It is important for us to start interventions with children because they are less biased. Kids want to have fun but don’t have any expectations, it’s a new experience. And through regular engagement in sport, we can open doors to integrating them into society, later followed by the adults of the community."

Marwaadiwas Community

The Marwaadiwas community, though slightly better off economically, faces its own challenges, including substance abuse among adults, especially men, and the overburdening of women who work to support their families. Community champion Sanjay, a pivotal figure in engaging children from his locality in the DBF project, has been a vital part of its early success.

His commitment to encouraging boys and girls to participate in table tennis reflects the project’s core mission – to use sport to drive social change.

Voices from the Ground

Maulik Bhatt (CEO, KKM) expressed his gratitude for the hands-on approach ITTF Foundation takes: “We’re grateful to see how ITTF Foundation truly gets involved in supporting us as not just a funding partner but one that gets involved holistically.”

Aniketh Mendonca (DBF Project Leader from KKM) highlighted the significance of engaging communities: “With KKM and ITTF Foundation visiting, communities open up more, feeling valued, human and heard.”

Bharati Odedara (DBF Project Manager from KKM) shared her positive experience working with the ITTF Foundation team: “I appreciated the thought-provoking discussions we had. I look forward to taking these ideas forward. With your visit there is a lot of positivity that we feel to get into the project wholeheartedly.”

Julia Tappendorf (Social Impact Manager, ITTF Foundation) leads the DBF programme and felt fulfilled with the visit: “The project visit was everything we hoped for; we shared learnings from our experiences, spoke about universal concepts through workshops and in return got enriched with better understanding of the local reality of this crucial project.”

The way forward

This visit was not just an opportunity to assess early progress but a moment to witness the human impact of the work being done by KKM and what can be achieved further through the DBF project. The children’s laughter during a game of table tennis, the celebrations of the community on individual achievements, and the collaborative spirit in the workshops all serve as reminders of power of using sport for development. Every table is indeed a playground, but more than that, it's a stage for personal growth, societal integration, and community empowerment.
As the project unfolds, we remain committed to smashing barriers, ensuring that every child, regardless of their background, has access to education, opportunity, and the joy of sport.