Game Changers: Mini-Van-Tour

Over 150 children learned about equality through sport as part of the Game Changers project. The central playground in Ključ was filled with children’s laughter, sports, and powerful messages about equality and respect as the Mini Van Tour arrived in the municipality for the first time. Over 150 children – from the youngest to 13-year-olds – participated in this educational sports event held under the umbrella of the Game Changers – Promoting Human Rights and Equality Through Sport project.

For years, Mini Van Tour has been visiting small and often overlooked local communities across the region. Ključ is one such community – still feeling the effects of division but showing great potential for unity and positive change. This event provided children, regardless of background, gender, or school team, with an opportunity to play together in mixed teams, learn through play, and develop empathy and mutual respect.

Across various sports stations – including streetkick, microsoccer, volleyball, dribbling challenges, obstacle courses, and fairplay workshops – children rotated in teams made up of both girls and boys, discovering how sport can be much more than competition: a tool for connection, inclusion, and building trust.

“I’m so happy you came to our town because hardly anyone ever does. I made new friends, tried sports I’ve never played before, and I hope you come again!” – Dalila, 11, participant of the Mini Van Tour in Ključ

The event kicked off with an introduction to the Game Changers project and an open conversation with children about what terms like equality, fairplay, and human rights mean to them. The atmosphere was warm, inclusive, and filled with mutual understanding.

The Mini Van Tour in Ključ was organized with the support of the European Union, in cooperation with local partners Lejla and Sabahudin Kulenović, certified Game Changers trainers and founders of the first women’s football club in the town.

This stop served as another reminder of how vital initiatives like the Mini Van Tour are for smaller communities – not only for the fun and games but for the lasting messages they leave behind. Messages that inclusion is possible, that differences are not barriers, and that everyone – regardless of age, gender, or background – has a place in sport and in society.

About the Game Changer project

Game Changers is an initiative that aims to use sport as a tool for achieving social change in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project focuses on youth, particularly vulnerable groups, with the goal of overcoming social barriers and discrimination. It promotes inclusion, gender equality, and greater social understanding across diverse segments of society.

The project includes a range of activities such as workshops, tournaments, and capacity-building seminars, all contributing to the empowerment of marginalized groups and the strengthening of community cohesion. Its slogan, “Changing the Game”, reflects a commitment to establishing new standards in the promotion of positive values through sport.

The Game Changers project is funded by the European Union and implemented by project partners fairplay initiative (VIDC) from Austria and Bosnian organizations Igrajmo Zajedno Inicijativa (IZI) and Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR).