We are honored to share that ACTION’s flagship youth development project, the Chikara Programme, was recently featured by the Southeast Asia Sport and Youth Crime Prevention (SYCP) Initiative.
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2026, the SYCP highlighted ACTION’s ‘Karate no Chikara’ (Power of Karate) project is empowering young women in the Philippines to lead, protect themselves, and break gender stereotypes through sports.
The feature spotlights the journey of Maybelline Vargas Manalo, a 10-time karate champion and ACTION beneficiary. Maybelline shares how karate has been more than just a sport for her:
‘Joining karate is a big help in my life because as a woman, it is important to learn self-defence, to protect and defend ourselves. I also learned self-discipline, humility, getting along with other people, and had many friends who enjoy the same sports as me. Most people know me because of Karate and I will never forget its impact in my life. Osu!’“
With the funding and support of the Southeast Asia Sport and Youth Crime Prevention (SYCP) Initiative, Karate no Chikara is using sport to help build safer and more resilient communities in the Philippines. Initiated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Agence française de développement (AFD), the Initiative is coordinated by the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice and delivered in collaboration with a wide network of national, regional and international partners.
[Read the full article on the SYCP Initiative Website] (https://allianceofsport.org/blogs-and-features-from-the-southeast-asia-sport-and-youth-crime-prevention-sycp-initiative/)
