Each year on 20 November, the global community acknowledges World Children’s Day to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children's welfare.

World Children's Day offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children's rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children.

Established in 1954, World Children’s Day has seen a number of important milestones achieved on 20 November, including the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Each year, the FIFA Foundation supports non-governmental organisations (NGOs) around the world via its Community Programme. In 2023 it helped 114 NGOs deliver projects, initiatives and outreach programmes. In 2022, the projects supported via the FIFA Foundation spanned more than 50 countries reached over a quarter million beneficiaries – while for the 2024 cohort, a record number of applications was submitted – with the new list of beneficiaries due to be confirmed imminently.

FIFA's Be Active campaign, in support of the World Health Organization (WHO), encourages everyone - but especially children - to engage in regular physical activity. 'Be Active - Bring the Moves' promotes the message that every child around the world needs 60 minutes of exercise every day, according to WHO - and is a reminder that all exercise counts toward that goal. Below are highlights from four organisations supported by the FIFA Foundation that specialise in helping children through programmes which allow them to Be Active.

Atoot is a charity that uses football as well as intensive community engagement to bring empowerment and change in the lives of marginalised girls in rural Nepal.

Their three-pillar model of education, football and life-skills workshops uses sports for development for holistic youth development.

As one of their three pillars, football plays a major part in their work with Atoot conducting football sessions five times a week for girls aged 5-18. The sessions allow girls to become more comfortable with themselves and their bodies: something that is not regularly taught in Nepal.

Connecting with their peers through sport is new to most girls in regional Nepal, which helps them form deep and lasting positive relationships while also learning leadership skills, conflict resolution, the importance of teamwork, time management, and taking responsibility for themselves as well as their teammates.

Street Child are experts in education, economic empowerment and protection programming who want to see all children safe, in school and learning - especially in low resource environments and emergencies.

They work with children in the most marginalised populations in over 20 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Europe. As well as programmes which are geared towards keeping children safe, in school and learning, Street Child also has a rapid response team to address crises and raises funds for emergencies.

Thanks to the support of the FIFA Foundation, Street Child has been able to integrate sport and football into their programmes to improve mental health and support systems for children.

Alianza para la integración Comunitaria, Utopía A.C. is based in Mexico and uses two pillars: education and sport.

In education they work on the development of mathematical skills and reading comprehension, with autonomous and replicable programs and methodology. In sport, they promote the development of discipline, self-control, sense of belonging, identity and self-esteem.

Specifically, the organisation has a One Goal for Peace programme which uses football as a transformational tool to empower children who live in conditions of violence and extreme poverty. The programme uses football to develop educational, physical and psychosocial skills which help to promote a life free from violence.

The organisation looks to build children into future community leaders.

Asociación Alacrán 1997 is based in the Hortaleza District in Madrid, Spain and develops sports, socio-educational and free time projects aimed at children and adolescents, especially the most vulnerable.

The organisation uses football schools and social educational care to promote personal and social development as well as physical and emotional well-being.

Football schools are aimed at children aged 6-18 where values such as personal improvement, motivation, camaraderie, management of emotions and tolerance for frustration are highlighted as the most important.

Additionally, training works on individual technical improvement and basic concepts of team play.