Sagure St. Mary Social-Sports School (with the Real Madrid Foundation)

In March 2025 we announced the signing of an agreement between the Real Madrid Foundation and Fundación ADS to create Real Madrid’s first social-sports school in Ethiopia. The Real Madrid Foundation advises on the project, trains the coaches and provides the teaching materials; Fundación Parentes funds the school.

It’s no accident that the school is in Sagure. It’s the result of years of ongoing work by Fundación ADS in the area, together with the Holy Rosary Sisters and Fundación Parentes.

“For a REAL Education”: the Real Madrid Foundation’s method

The Real Madrid Foundation uses a method that has been tried and tested in dozens of countries, “For a REAL Education: Values and Sport,” which treats football as a tool for learning. In every training session, the coaches pass on core values that go beyond the field and carry over into home, school and everyday life.

Ten local coaches up and running

In September 2025, the Real Madrid Foundation traveled to Sagure to train the ten local coaches who run the school. Training sessions are already underway, and the trainers themselves highlighted “exceptional motivation, an ability to put what they learned into practice right away and remarkable potential for growth.”

When a coach says, “If you make a mistake, it’s fine, we learn together,” they’re teaching that mistakes are opportunities. When they say, “We need everyone to take part, everyone matters,” they’re teaching dignity. When they celebrate a teammate’s goal instead of getting frustrated, they’re modeling generosity.

These lessons will shape how these 250 children see themselves and relate to others.