Advancing education and opportunity through Rugby

2023 has been a busy year for Atlas, with our projects continuing to help thousands of deprived children across the globe though the power of rugby.

We recently partnered with SKRUM in Eswatini for the Big Give Christmas Challenge, where all donations until we reached our target of £15,000 were doubled, thanks to our pledgers and our Big Give Champions, The Reed Foundation. Thanks to your donations in the Big Give we smashed our target and raised over £16,000 for SKRUM! The funds raised will go directly to children who need it most in Eswatini.

SKRUM works with schools across Eswatini to educate children on HIV/AIDS and gender equality, using rugby to keep the children engaged. Eswatini has the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world, fuelled by a serious lack of understanding of the virus. A vicious patriarchal culture makes this situation much worse, as female rights are completely ignored and gender violence thrives. Through their rugby sessions and classroom lessons, SKRUM are teaching children about these 'taboo' issues and are giving children a way to create a better future for themselves and their communities. SKRUM's visits are normally the only chance the kids have to learn about these topics, and many come out of the sessions feeling empowered.

Thanks to your help, HIV/AIDS rates in Eswatini have started to fall for the first time since the pandemic began. SKRUM continues to work with hundreds of schools in Eswatini, and plan to visit more schools and help more children in 2024!

You can make a differerence to children in Eswatini by donating today - help us make 2024 a better year for the worlds most disadvantaged children.