Costa Cruises and Kinder take social responsibility to heart

Costa Cruises and Kinder have signed an important partnership to bring the “Kinder+Sport Joy of moving” project and the right to play into the life of children.

An new international social responsibility project, launched by the Ferrero Group and supported by Costa Cruises, aims to develop engaging and joyful forms of exercise for children and families in the belief that a positive attitude to movement and sport can make the children of today better adults tomorrow.

The initiatives in this project are inspired by Joy of moving, an innovative and scientifically validated educational method that promotes not only motor skills but also the cognitive, emotional and relational development of children.

“Our goal is to bring happiness to the people who board our ships, particularly children” – Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises.

Costa Cruises applied the method within a ship environment for the first time on board Costa Diadema. Positive feedback and results allowed Costa Cruises to extend Joy of moving to all the other ships in its fleet and to get over 34,000 girls and boys and their families involved in almost 5,000 hours dedicated to games.

Joy of moving has become an integral part of the activities run by the Squok Club, the kids’ club that operates on all Costa ships. Implementing the program required specific training to be given to over 200 Costa entertainment staff by specialized Kinder+Sport Joy of moving trainers at the Village of Alba, as well as finding areas and spaces on board for the ad hoc games and exercises that are based on the Joy of moving method.

At the Squok Club, all girls and boys (between 3 and 12 years old) can enjoy an extraordinary range of games that encourage movement, some of which involve the whole family. Monitored by qualified Costa staff, the youngest guests star in a daily program of activities that combine physical movement and fun with making friends, while improving their mental and life skills at the same time.

2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Among the measures contained in the convention is article 31, according to which member states must recognize the right of children to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to their age.

The Joy of moving program continues “ashore”, involving local communities in the countries where the ships call, also targeting the weakest groups to create value and share projects aimed at supporting local economic and social development, with a particular focus on new generations.

The international social responsibility project currently involves 4 million children in 30 countries around the world.

In Brazil, for example, where high unemployment, widespread violence and extreme poverty risk compromising the future of the young generations, Costa Cruises worked with local NGOs that support children and adolescents in situations of distress and deprivation.

In the cities of Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Montevideo, over 800 children have had the opportunity to board the Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa, visit the ships and participate in the “Joy of moving” activities with the entertainment staff, to stimulate their motor and mental abilities, their creativity and their life skills in a context of joy, which can help them imagine a better future.

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