Playing for a Safer Future: How Sport is Helping Children Stay Safe, Stay in School and Dream Again

Blue Dragon met Tuan when he was only six years old, walking the streets of Hanoi selling snacks. Like many vulnerable children growing up in poverty, he had already dropped out of school and faced a future shaped more by survival than opportunity.

Today, ten years later, Tuan is a bright and energetic teenager with a very different future ahead of him. Known among his friends for his love of football and hip hop, Tuan shows his teachers and social workers relentless determination. Playing sports helped him develop his characteristic resilience. Sport was not just a mere recreation for Tuan but a source of confidence and motivation to keep building a better future.

In January, Tuan joined the Vietnam Trail Marathon, pushing himself through orchards, tea fields and forest trails alongside other young people overcoming hardship. Finishing second in his age group, Tuan said: “The training process and advice helped me have a great race. I really appreciate the opportunity to join this event, and I hope the image of me with my trophy will bring positive energy to other kids at Blue.”

Tuan’s story reflects something Blue Dragon has believed in for more than two decades: sport can be a powerful tool for protection, healing and long-term change. Today, children whose first experience of Blue Dragon was a football game 20 years ago are enjoying successful careers as chefs, graphic designers and business owners.

Sport to end exploitation and human trafficking

For many children growing up in rural Vietnam, staying in education is not easy. Many young people have to take on the responsibility of being the breadwinners for their families at an early age.

When children leave rural communities in search of work in larger cities, they can become trapped in exploitative labour, unsafe working conditions or life on the streets. Many others grow up in remote areas where poverty, limited infrastructure, and barriers to education increase their vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation.

Over the past two decades, Blue Dragon has seen how sport can support children through both prevention and recovery. For some, it becomes a pathway back into education and community life. For survivors of trauma and exploitation, sport can also provide moments of healing, joy, and emotional recovery after extremely difficult experiences.

At the centre of this work is a simple belief: every child deserves a safe and happy childhood, with the freedom to play, grow and dream about the future.

Blue Dragon supports disadvantaged students through sports activities in rural schools across central and southern Vietnam. Through a recent initiative with our partner Nike, we have expanded opportunities for more than 3,000 children to take part in safe, structured sports activities while also integrating life skills and human trafficking prevention into every session. Through football matches, school clubs, and regular physical activities, children are building confidence, strengthening teamwork, and developing leadership skills that support them both inside and outside the classroom. 

Sport to Stay in School

This is where sport can make a meaningful difference. By creating positive and engaging school environments, sports activities help children feel more connected to their schools, classmates and communities.  

They also encourage children to see school not as a burden, but as a place where they can belong, grow in confidence and build a future for themselves. 

With Nike’s support, Blue Dragon has expanded sports activities to disadvantaged children in schools and care facilities across central and southern Vietnam. Through the initiative, children can take part in sports such as football, volleyball and badminton, not only at school but also through large community sporting events where they can meet and connect with new friends. As a result, many students now feel more engaged with their school and more connected to their local community. 

These initiatives focus not only on physical activities, but also on emotional wellbeing, teamwork, leadership, and life skills development. Important skills to prevent human trafficking are cleverly woven into the lesson through playing, inspiring children to absorb the knowledge in a more effective way. 

Sports to empower girls

For girls, these activities can be especially transformative. In communities where traditional gender expectations still cause many obstacles for young people, girls are often less encouraged to speak up, take leadership roles or join physical activities. With support from teachers and social workers, more girls are now actively participating in sports clubs, helping them feel more confident, included and empowered within their schools and communities.

The badminton club pictured above is an example of this. Every Saturday, children come together in a safe and joyful environment where they can exercise, learn new skills and simply enjoy being children. What began as a small extracurricular activity quickly became something the students looked forward to each week, with many showing remarkable enthusiasm and commitment from the very beginning.

Even teachers were surprised by the students’ passion for the sport. As one teacher shared: “They genuinely want to learn, not just hit a shuttlecock around.”

Schools have seen stronger participation in extracurricular activities, improved engagement in learning and growing confidence among students. Children are not only becoming more active physically, but also developing the skills and resilience needed to better protect themselves from exploitation and trafficking.

For disadvantaged children, these opportunities can help shape futures way beyond the hardships they were born into. A football match, a running club or a school sports activity can become the first step toward confidence, connection and hope. 

Blue Dragon truly appreciates the commitment of Nike and other supporters to building a safer, brighter future for disadvantaged children through sports.