Winners

What Winners does

Winners Play For Life is a Brazilian-registered nonprofit NGO (CNPJ 37.084.168/0001-32) that delivers sports and education programs to Syrian refugee children in Lebanon and, since 2023, to underprivileged youth in São Paulo, Brazil. Its core product is a portfolio of in-person programs — football, basketball, and volleyball training; English language and computer literacy classes; music lessons; sewing and vocational training for parents; and psychological support — delivered through a 9,216m2 purpose-built facility in Majdal Aanjar, Bekaa Valley, near the Syrian border, plus a São Paulo-based operation. The organization's primary metrics are 400+ children served annually and 200+ taught football daily across schools, shelters, and refugee camps.

The business model is donation-funded rather than revenue-generating. Income streams include one-time donations via PayPal, credit card, PIX (Brazilian instant payment with QR code), and bank transfer through Bradesco; a recurring $5/month (R$25) 'Adote uma Criança' (Sponsor a Child) program; and a 100% cotton merchandise storefront. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: the organization reaches individual donors globally through Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, an email newsletter, and its website, and recruits volunteers in both Brazil and Lebanon. No institutional donation revenue, government grants, or corporate sponsorship is disclosed.

Winners is led by founder and President Helder Roger Silva, formerly of ADRA Brasil, supported by ~15 named staff and volunteers filling roles including project coordinator, football trainer, language teacher, music teacher, social media manager, accountant, filmmaker, translator, and dentist. The organization is LGPD- and GDPR-compliant, was founded in 2016 (previously known as Associação de Desenvolvimento para a Criança Carente e Refugiada), and reports no parent company, subsidiaries, funding rounds, or acquisitions. No AI/ML technology, proprietary software, or patented/trademarked assets are evidenced; the operation is service-delivery-led.

Name

Winners

Legal name

Winners Play For Life

Website

https://winnersplayforlife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Winners Play For Life is a Brazilian-registered nonprofit NGO delivering sports training, English, computer, music, and vocational education programs to 400+ Syrian refugee children in Lebanon and to underprivileged youth in São Paulo, Brazil, funded through individual donations, a $5/month child sponsorship, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Services (611), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

Keywords

• Refugee education programs
• Humanitarian sports programs
• Child sponsorship programs
• Nonprofit humanitarian aid
• Refugee community support

Headquarters

HQ city

Majdal Aanjar

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters globally, with monthly sponsorship program 'Adote uma Criança' (Sponsor a Child) at approximately $5/month
2. Online Donation Processing: Accepts donations via PayPal and credit card through their website

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Winners Play For Life is a Brazilian-registered nonprofit NGO that operates sports and education programs for Syrian refugee children at a 9,216m2 facility in Majdal Aanjar, Lebanon near the Syrian border. The organization delivers football, basketball, and volleyball training alongside non-formal education in English, computer literacy, music, and vocational sewing, reaching 400+ children annually through schools, shelters, and refugee camps. Funding comes from individual donors worldwide via recurring child sponsorships ("Adote uma Criança") and one-time donations processed through PayPal, PIX, and credit card.

Product overview

Winners Play For Life is a charitable NGO operating as a multi-program initiative rather than a unified software product. The organization offers a portfolio of humanitarian programs centered on sports (football, basketball, volleyball training) and education (English, computer literacy, music, and sewing/vocational skills) for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. Supporting infrastructure includes donation programs (Adote Uma Criança sponsorship and one-time giving via PayPal, PIX, and bank transfer) and support services (psychological and social assistance). The organization serves over 400 children annually across schools, shelters, and refugee camps in the Lebanon-Syria border region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Training Programs Sports instruction and training programs including football (soccer), basketball, and volleyball offered to refugee children at the organization's 9,216m2 facility with two football courts, teaching more than 200 children daily through football.
• English Language Classes English literacy and language education taught by volunteer teachers to refugee children as part of non-formal education programs.
• Computer and IT Education Informatics and computer education programs taught by volunteers as part of non-formal education offerings for refugee children.
• Sewing and Craft Courses Vocational sewing and craft training programs, including a women's sewing department, providing skill development for refugee women and parents.
• Music Lessons Guitar and singing instruction taught by volunteers, including public performance opportunities for students.
• Adote Uma Criança (Sponsor a Child) Recurring monthly sponsorship program allowing donors to support a specific refugee child for approximately $5 USD per month (around R$25 BRL), providing access to sports and education programs.
• One-Time Donations Single donation options available via PIX QR code, PayPal, credit card, and bank transfer (Bradesco), with preset amounts of R$10, R$25, R$50, R$100, R$250, or custom value.
• Psychological and Social Support Psychological support and social assistance services provided to refugee children and families as part of the holistic development approach.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ children served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schools and Local CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local schools and communities in Lebanon to deliver sports programs and educational activities for refugee children at schools, shelters, and refugee camps.
• UNAESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with UNAESP volunteers who visited the Winners facility in Lebanon, painted a local school in Majdal Anjar, and conducted tours to understand the community being served.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Right To Play: Global NGO that uses sport and play to educate and empower children in refugee, conflict-affected, and underserved communities. Highly comparable in mission, beneficiary profile (children in crisis), and sport-plus-education programming model.
• Soccer Without Borders: Uses soccer as a vehicle for refugee, immigrant, and underserved youth to build belonging, education access, and leadership. Closely mirrors Winners' football-plus-education approach for displaced and marginalized children.
• Generation Amazing: Qatar Foundation's sports-for-development initiative using football to empower youth, including refugees and displaced communities. Comparable in using football as a development tool, though backed by significantly larger institutional funding.
• Coaches Across Continents: Global nonprofit using soccer to create social impact in underserved communities across multiple continents. Directly comparable as a sport-for-development organization working through local coaches.
• Football for Peace: Uses football to bring divided communities together and deliver education and social programs to youth in conflict-affected regions. Comparable sport-for-peace model with similar beneficiary profile.

Broad incumbents

• ADRA International: Global humanitarian network (parent of ADRA Brasil, where Winners' founder previously led). Operates broader humanitarian programming including refugee response, but not specifically sport-focused; useful benchmark for organizational capacity.
• War Child: International humanitarian organization working with children affected by war, including in Syria and the Middle East. Comparable target beneficiary (war-affected children) but with a much broader scope than Winners' sports-led approach.

Others

• streetfootballworld: Global network of more than 80 football-for-good organizations. Comparable in mission to use football for social impact; relevant as a peer network member and potential partner for shared learning and funding access.
• Beyond Sport: Global organization that supports, funds, and convenes sport-for-social-change initiatives worldwide. Not a direct competitor but an adjacent ecosystem player that could be a partner, funder, or capacity-building resource for Winners.

Regional players

• Moving the Goalposts: Kenya-based organization using football to empower girls and young women through education and life skills. Comparable sport-for-development model but regionally focused on East Africa rather than the Middle East.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/winnersls
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@winners3454/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/winnersls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/winnersplayforlife
• Instagraminstagram.com/winnersls
• TikToktiktok.com/@winnersls

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Winners