Sports For Change – Mathare North Festive Season Soccer Tournament (MNFSST 2019)

 Since inception in the year 2011, we have been in the forefront in Mathare slums promoting soccer activities either in conducting soccer clinics, life-skills training and donating training kits to community grassroots clubs in Mathare North. Our biggest success has been running an annual soccer tournament for teams of between U12, U14 and seniors during the Christmas holiday and Easter holiday.

 Problem Statement 

 Majority of the youth and children between 12- 25 years are the most vulnerable when it comes to matters crime, drug abuse, and political intolerance just to mention but a few. The same group also lack the necessary platforms, mentors and resources to help them pursue their talents to the best levels they can. During the festive season there is a risk of indulging in unwarranted activities because schools are closed and everyone falls into a more festive mood of parties and other explorations.

 We started the annual tournament to offer a platform where the both the children, the youth and community in general would interact in a competitive safe space, be awarded with the important resources and most important stay away from bad influence in the community. In informal settlements like Mathare and Kibera it is normal routine to find kids roaming the streets engaged in nothing meaningful. Our intervention has helped the children and youth realize their full potentials while also finding a meaningful environment to engage in soccer and life-skills training that helps them grow into responsible citizens.

 HOW WE DO IT

 We use the soccer tournament, soccer clinics, boot camps to sensitize the youth on the issues that affects them directly and indirectly for example drug abuse, technology, peer pressure, education vs. sports among others. Soccer is a great tool that provides a platform for social inclusion while embracing diversity that promotes a peaceful co-existing of people in the society. Our main focus is addressing the future generation on how they can be agents of positive change through their character, behavior and habits (role modeling). Our activities creates a platform where youth leaders, coaches and players interact. Rarely, the coaches and players receive any form of coaching especially off the pitch that promotes their well-being and interaction with the wider society.

 Our objective: Soccer activities

1.  To encourage peaceful co-existing of people from different diverse background through soccer.
2. To promote soccer talent in the community where young people participate in meaningful activities away from different vices like drug abuse and crime. 
3. Create awareness about playing safe, importance of education and sports. 
4. Striving for transformation of different realities / stimulating positive change in the society through young people’s talents and skills. 

 SUPPORT NEEDED 

To meet our set goals, each year we seek support from different people; friends, well-wishers, personal contribution and corporate. Fundraising and resource mobilization are the biggest hurdles in rolling our project fully whereby having a consistent programming that we can promise our target group. You can make contribution by supporting us with funds or in kind.

 Below are some of the areas that we need your support or activation;

1.  Donate funds to support our program (Soccer initiative or Plus One Talent Boot Camp).
2. Linkages – referrals and connections with ideal partners 
3. Time – proposal writing, training during the boot camp, think tank to ideas and training our teams.
4. Material support- Mobilize for soccer equipment and materials for our teams.
5. Technical support – Documenting our events and interviews in terms of video or photography. 
6.  A shoe for a soccer star (Right to Play safe Soccer Shoes Campaign) – Donate soccer shoes to players.

Get in touch wilson.masaka@gmail.com