Programmes

Co-created with young people in sub-Saharan Africa and adopting an asset-based approach, Grassroot Soccer’s flagship MindSKILLZ programme for adolescents 15-19 years old aims to foster positive mental well-being, teach coping skills for stress and anxiety, and prevent the development of more severe mental health disorders. 

By training community-based non-specialists, MindSKILLZ was designed to address a critical care gap and alleviate pressure on overburdened mental health care systems. Aligned with existing government community health initiatives (e.g., working closely with Community Promoters) and USAID programs (e.g., DREAMS and OVC) that facilitate effective mobilization and participant follow-up, MindSKILLZ covers crucial topics such as self-awareness, gender norms, mental health literacy, strengths identification, coping skills, emotional regulation, goal setting, peer pressure navigation, care seeking, substance use prevention, and empathy.

A rigorous 2024 pilot study in Kenya demonstrated MindSKILLZ’s effectiveness, acceptability, and potential sustainability at scale. Across four internationally validated mental health measures, the study found MindSKILLZ positively impacted the mental health and well-being of all participant groups, from those who were mentally well at baseline to those who were clinically depressed, achieving a near 50% reduction in clinical depression symptoms (PHQ-9) and poor-well-being (WHO-5). Additionally the study found that MindSKILLZ:

• Improved resilience and coping skills;
• Improved mental health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours;
• Was fun, engaging, and widely praised by young people, parents, and government stakeholders;
• Had positive effects that not only persisted, but grew stronger over time post-intervention; and
• Had positive ripple effects on school performance and Coach mental health and well-being.

The MindSKILLZ package also includes a supplemental mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) MindSKILLZ Magazine, which was separately evaluated in 2023 and awarded as a ”Case Winner” by the USAID 2023 Learning Lab’s Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting Case Competition.

The model has been delivered as both a complete package in several countries in Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe) and integrated into existing CSE/life skills programmes (Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia) through select content.

ADAPTATION IN SOUTH AFRICA: The MindSKILLZ model was adapted and launched in South Africa in 2024. It is currently being delivered at GRS’s Centre of Excellence in Alexandra as a complete package (in-person MindSKILLZ curriculum and supplemental MindSKILLZ Magazine). Additionally, in South Africa, MindSKILLZ content and select practices have been integrated into GRS’s SKILLZ Girl programme for adolescent girls and young women and into GRS’s SKILLZ Guyz programme adolescent boys and young men.

GRS South Africa’s SKILLZ Girl programme empowers adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) ages 15-24 to seek SRHR services and provides a safe space to have meaningful discussions around gender norms, family planning, reproductive health, HIV prevention, risk reduction, GBV, and service navigation. SKILLZ Girl provides a platform for AGYW to participate in sports, flipping the script on traditional norms and stereotypes that typically view sport as a male domain. A recent NIH-funded RCT showed SKILLZ Girl increased the odds of using contraception by 76% and HIV testing by 84% amongst adolescent girls 15-19 years old compared to the control group – results that were sustained 12 months post-programme.

GRS South Africa’s SKILLZ Guyz programme for adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) ages 15-24 engages ABYM in the spaces where they already meet to spark conversations around positive masculinity and SRHR, and generate demand for health services like HIV testing services, HIV prevention, and voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC). 

A 2018 pilot study of the SKILLZ Guyz programme found significant gains in SRHR knowledge, improved gender-equitable attitudes, lower self-reported violence towards young women, and increased willingness to test for drugs and alcohol. Additionally, two RCTs showed GRS’s male circumcision programme, which is a part of the SKILLZ Guyz package, boosted clinical uptake of VMMC by 9x for adult men and 2.5x for adolescent boys within 3 months.

Recognised by PEPFAR South Africa as a key intervention under the OVC Preventative Model, GRS South Africa’s SKILLZ Core programme for very young adolescents (VYA) ages 10-14 reflects the profound changes brought about by puberty and introduces core SRHR topics like HIV and violence prevention. 

External evaluations of SKILLZ Core show enhancements in participants’ outcomes, including improved HIV knowledge-sharing, decision-making, communication about violence and relationships, and gender-equitable attitudes. Under the USAID Children and Adolescents are My Priority project (CHAMP, 2018-2025), GRS has delivered SKILLZ Core as a social asset-building approach to over 70,000  orphans and VYA aged 10-14 across Mpumalanga Province as a primary prevention partner within the broader CHAMP consortium.

GRS South Africa’s SKILLZ Plus programme for youth living with HIV (YLHIV) ages 10-24 enhances adherence support structures at the community and facility levels and facilitates access to HIV care and treatment. Delivered through PEPFAR-funded programmes (USAID/South Africa), SKILLZ Plus sessions are implemented during ART adherence support groups operated through community-based structures for YLHIV. The programme covers HIV prevention and transmission, U=U, treatment adherence, acceptance, healthy relationships, and mental health.A 2021 evaluation found that 83% of SKILLZ Plus participants adhered to ART by the time they graduated from the programme, compared to 33% across the country. Contributing to this outcome are the improvements observed in the participants’ knowledge of SRHR and retention in care. In 2023, SKILLZ Plus increased the number of participants with an undetectable viral load at baseline and 6-month follow-up by 14%.