Community Table Tennis

PSD International

The state of Odisha in Eastern India is one of the poorest states in India, with 33% of the population living in poverty (World Bank, 2016). Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, has a total population of 840,834, with a slum population of 301,611 (36%) living in 436 slum pockets (Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, 2020).

The prevalence of gender disparity in these slums manifests itself in the public health and well-being concerns, impacting girls and women. In the slums of Bhubaneshwar one-fifth of girls are described as “developmentally vulnerable, having poor adaptive and cognitive functioning” (Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences study, Panigrahi & Das, 2018). In addition, “one in three women in India aged 15-49 years experiences some form of physical or sexual violence during her lifetime” (National Family Health Survey, 2016), leads to a high prevalence of gender-based discrimination within communities in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Project support start: 01-04-2021
Status: DBF support completed
Project location: Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

Through the Community Table Tennis project, PSD Int uses table tennis as a vehicle for development through a structured, goal-oriented and gender-sensitive curriculum. The programme provides girls and boys from slum communities in Bhubaneswar, Odisha with the tools to become gender-sensitive, confront harmful gender-based stereotypes and impact gender-perceptions of peers, family members and schoolteachers. PSD Int chooses to focus on youth as current and future leaders of their communities in order to address gender-based discrimination today and for the future.

Contribution to the Global Goals

Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere

  • Individual Change
    • Young girls and boys living in the slum communities of Bhubaneswar, Odisha are empowered to recognise and resist gender-based discrimination.
  • Community Change
    • Move from a rigid to a more open and flexible mindsets of parents, siblings, teachers, peers and community members regarding gender are challenged.
  • Behaviour and attitudes
    • Young girls and boys become gender-sensitive and change their attitudes towards gender-based stereotypes
  • Knowledge and skills
    • Young girls and boys develop gender-sensitive leadership ability and build soft skills
  • Circumstance, quality of life or well-being
    • Young girls and boys articulate life choices and make decisions concerning their life, leading to greater economic and social well-being
  • Create a well-structured, goal-oriented and gender sensitive curriculum using table tennis as a tool, focusing teaching soft skills, imbibing leadership ability and facilitating the concepts of gender, stereotypes and violence.
  • Setup sustainable table tennis infrastructure in community-based schools.
  • Collaborate with and engage key stakeholders (industry experts, sports associations, parents, teachers and the community) to draw their attention towards the project.
  • Build capacity of coaches, youth leaders and school teachers to understand and deliver the curriculum effectively.
  • Trained coaches deliver the programme weekly in mixed-gender groups utilising the curriculum developed, supported by youth leaders and school teachers.
  • Provide participating children with sport kits and table tennis equipment.
  • Organise mixed-gender public events, exposure matches and summer camps for the participating children.

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