Annual Resource Mobilization Campaign in Mathare North

Story Telling - How Well Do You Know Your Story

 Story Telling " The best story teller of your story should be YOU" - Wilson Masaka, Youth Advocate & Social Entrepreneur 

Did you know there are many versions of our stories? It takes great skill to tell it well, #WellToldStories  I decide to share my story so that others may find hope, courage and focus in their own journeys. 

Everyone has a story which can be similar, different or unique but no one can tell your story better than you. It take great skill to ;- 

1. Present your story 
2. Own your story 
3. Share your story 
4. Write your story 
5. Narrate your story 
6. Know your story 
7. Be your story 

Link up with me for skill up master sessions in 2021. My January calendar is open, I do freelance consultancy and training for different targeted groups. Book me today! Good read for more great story telling quotes at https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/storytelling-quotes Startup journey 101 #FoundersJourney Blood, Sweat and Tears... 

Somebody once told me two things; 

 If you have an idea look for money. 

If you have money look for an idea. 

I agree, but one thing he didn't mention which I have experienced. If you have an idea, passiion and no money you can still make your idea happen. Wilsen Initiative since inception I have been looking for funds to support the educational pillar which needs quite a number of resources from physical space, computers, personnel, library section etc. Having no funds in place hasn't deterred me from pursuing my mission towards the vision through my individual efforts and my extended networks especially for the soccer pillar. More about the project www.wilseninitiative.wordpress.com 

10 things you can consider to kick-start your idea in 2021 with less budget or zero budget. You just need to:- 

1. Segment your idea into smaller bits that doesn't require a big budget. 
2. You need to build a network of support there are things you can't do alone. 
3. Give your best in terms of Commitment, Consistency and Culture.
4. Celebrate your small wins, document every step of your journey. It is what will also encourage you to do more and be more.
5. Think impact not money, even though money makes a difference if you don't have it, still strive to create an impact at the individual levels.
6. Build meaningful networks that you can rely on to amplify the idea to the next level.
7. Don't forget to develop yourself as the idea evolves, it might need more skills. 
8. Look for mentors, they come handy when you run out energy and resources.
9. Have something else that you're doing that pays your bill because if your life is shaken your idea also will fade.
10. Create room for freedom, choices, breaks and learn from failure. Don't beat yourself too hard when things aren't working. Love what you do, do what you love.

 I take this opportunity to say a big thank you for everyone who has supported my vision. I want to wish you all the best in 2021. www.wilsenx.blogspot.com

My Story Of The Year 2020, Marked As The Year Of Uncertainty, Hope And Resilience

The journey! #LifeHack 

 Life is a test and what follows are many results in terms of testimonies. On many occasions when we are greeted, how are you doing? We usually answer boldly I'm OK, but sometimes the reality is that we are afraid to say weren't OK, because we don't know how our situation might be taken by the second party which sometimes can leave us in a vulnerable situation whereby you don't know who to trust with your story should you shared it.

It is normal for people to be tuned, more on the I'm OK mode, but should you break the barriers and say you aren't OK, chances is that both parties will open up to many different versions of not being OK and their hardships or challenges they are going through.

I still believe in my hardships or challenges I can still find that chance to help someone because our situations might be at different levels of need or urgency. Anyway, as I bow down in prayers, I seek for a more sustainable breakthrough of the year to come 2021.

I want to share some trails of testimonies of my life in 2020 which I hope might encourage someone. 

To kick start the journey...

Philosophy about money and fame

Money isn't everything, but fame without something to show for it or something to live for, sometimes can be depressing. This may lead to faking it until you make it situation. Just a point to remember, when you're winning you will have many 'friends' whom you wouldn't know, they will make sure they tag along in your journey provided they are benefiting. On the contrary, when you are down or may be losing, a few true friends will stick with you all through your journey until you rise again.

Lessons I learned, never shy away from sharing your story with your close circle (family and trusted friends who know you so well) they might offer different types of support, seek for help where you're stack as you look for ways and means to stay afloat in a more sustainable manner etc.

Thanks Giving 

I'm lucky to have  good number of friends and my immediate family who will always stay side by side with me when I seek for help or if they sense some form of challenges within my journey they will make efforts to reach out. I say a big thank you for coming through for me, family, referrals for master classes and especially in supporting my project vision at Wilsen Initiative (Wi) the annual resource mobilization for the grassroots soccer team in Mathare North for the year 2020. You know yourself :) Asante Sana! and may God bless you in your journey come 2021 and beyond.

I have learned that sometimes it's OK not to be OK, to be real, apply stop / start model, and accept how things are, no matter what expectations, opinions and standards of other people have on how you. Never do things to impress people, be real and the first happy person should be you then you spread that happiness to others people's journey.

Your candle can lite many other candles for a breakthrough in other people's journey even when yours is delayed for greater opportunities in future.  Trying to match what is on other people's mind about you is a mission of impossibilities with a bundle of failures which will leave you vulnerable to many situations. Set your own pace, start the race, compete with self and never look back. Only choose healthy competition which adds value to what success means to you.

Some other life lessons I have learned during the Covid-19 pandemic era are as follows:

Covid-19 and Education.

Going to school can stop, but the schooling in us is a never ending experience that touches many aspects of our life. Dear parents, as you push for your children to get good grades in school, don't forget to encourage them and do what it takes for them to get great values for life because it is what will give them better grades for life.

Mind Set & Skill Set 

Any great innovation or creative idea was housed within the perimeter of impossibilities that someone or a team was determined to break through into possibility even if it wasn't in its original form.

Opportunities

 Two things that bring you closer to your next opportunity are:- 

1. What You Know and What You Can Do (tell, show & do) 

2. Who You Know & If they Can Help You (Time, referrals, support etc.). Basically, your network worth.

Youth Space 

Be realistic, patient, build a meaningful network, stay focused and allow God's time to take place it's the best. Just a note, God's time can happen when you don't even expect. Plan, do you, be at your best, follow up etc. then the rest leave to God.

As I review the year 2020 journey and gear up for 2021. I don't expect 2021 to be on a smooth ride, but with great knowledge, skill, attitude, tools, network, great experiences, etc. I will figure out a winning formula for a breakthrough for self and others. Wilson Masaka Youth Advocate / Social Entrepreneur.

Let us do more with your team in 2021, sign up for master session conducted at your preferred location.

Great Resilience Quotes

 1. “Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free 

2. “Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.” ― Angela Duckworth 

3. “The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.” ― Robert Jordan, The Fires of Heaven 

4. “Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you've lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that's good.” ― Elizabeth Edwards 

5. “‎Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself-and be lenient to everybody else.” ― Henry Ward Beecher 

6. “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo- far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance.” ― Jodi Picoult, 

7. “If your heart is broken, make art with the pieces." ― Shane Koyczan 

 8. “No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That's the only way to keep the roads clear.” ― Greg Kincaid 

 9. “It is really wonderful how much resilience there is in human nature. Let any obstructing cause, no matter what, be removed in any way, even by death, and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment.” ― Bram Stoker, Dracula 

10. “My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon.” ― Mizuta Masahide (17th century Japanese poet and samurai) 

 More great quotes on - https://home.hellodriven.com/50-resilience-quotes.html 

 

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Annual Resource Mobilization for Grassroot Soccer Teams in Mathare North.

Wilsen Initiative (Wi) Soccer for Change. Categories: U10, U12 and U15 years Background

In Mathare North we have more than 20 teams and all these teams face numerous challenges that hinder them from achieving their desired dreams in soccer. 

We continue to encourage the young-stars and their coaches to pursue their soccer talents to the best levels that they can despite the many hurdles they encounter. At Wilsen Initiative (Wi) we strive to build a sustainable approach that will help eliminate the hurdles like lack of soccer balls, lack of soccer shoes, lack of exposure, lack uniforms etc. 

We believe if we bridge these gaps in resources, we will boost both the coaches and players' self-esteem, amplify their performance, promote a more dignified environment for play while they avoid unnecessary injuries. 

We also envisage a situation where the players will learn vital skills at an early stage in their soccer pursuit for example, they will learn more about the rules of the game, contracting, scouting, players' welfare, employability skills, entrepreneurship etc. 

This knowledge will help in their transition from grassroots soccer level into the next level of professionalism and opportunities both local and abroad. Resource Mobilization Campaign Inspired by Wilsen Initiative founder Wilson Masaka Growing up in Mathare North as a kid of ages between U12- U14 years, Wilson Masaka played barefoot in most of his childhood years. 

He faced a lot of injuries incurred because of lack of shoes playing in different soccer fields which poses a great risk for injuries. He faced rejection and low self-esteem whenever he played with other kids who had quality shoes and nice soccer jerseys. Even though he couldn’t do much about his situation he had a passion and love for the game which enabled him to achieve part of his dream which was to play in the Norway cup in Oslo Norway. 

On his list of top achievements in soccer he cites the prestigious sports fellowship at Dekeyser now known as Do School in Hamburg, Germany and participating in Norway cup in Oslo, Norway. He played for MYSA Kenya teams in Norway cup in 1997, 1998 and 1999 respectively he acknowledged the annual international soccer tournament as his best life changing moments in soccer. 

To date Wilson Masaka continues to train and mentor young emerging soccer stars from Mathare North. He is one of the pillars of hope through his network where he strives to support emerging soccer talents in his community and acquire necessary resources to uplift their soccer journeys especially by acquiring uniforms, balls and soccer shoes. 

 The first soccer shoes campaign that he started was in 2000, actually his first soccer shoe that he wore was donated to him back in 1996 by the late Helge, who was a friend of the Mathare Sports Association (MYSA) from Norway. Read more http://wilsenx.blogspot.com/2020/10/soccer-balls-and-shoes-boots-campaign.html?m=1 

 “ My soccer journey is what continues to drive me towards achieving a bigger vision where there will be no child playing barefoot in my neighborhood whilst offering the best platforms for upcoming soccer stars to see their stars shining from the local scene into the international markets. I envision a model that will enable the young-stars to play in a more dignified environment where they won’t get unnecessary injuries and lack the basic needs to nurture their careers in soccer. 

It is unfortunate to see similar hurdles existing today like those during my journey more than 20 years playing barefoot. During my early childhood development stage, my parents weren’t able to offer soccer shoes (boots) as one of the essential items towards my growth. I started the soccer shoes and resource mobilization campaign after realizing that many youths are playing without shoes or if they have shoes it wasn’t safe enough to protect them. 

This situation contributes to their low self-esteem towards playing to become future stars because there are no clear pathways from the grassroots to the top levels. On the other hand, the majority can't afford to buy shoes because parents have other priorities on their list other than buying soccer shoes. I want to thank all my friends who have come on board sometimes on short notice in helping us acquire balls, uniforms and soccer shoes for the players and teams U10, U12 and U15.” Wilson Masaka, 

Our Mission, Goal, Philosophy & Vision 

Our Mission; to create safe spaces in soccer activities where children and youth receive mentorship, training and have fun to explore more in soccer activities and self. Our goal to have qualified soccer stars with the right skills, positive attitude and well-equipped from the grassroots. Our Philosophy We use soccer as a tool to drive positive social transformation and economic well-being. 

• Our vision: Well-equipped (materials, equipment and skills) soccer stars in Mathare North. 
• Our main objectives; Train at least 10 soccer grassroots soccer clubs in 21st century skills, life skill and employability skills per year. Organize one annual soccer tournament for U10, U12 and U15 years. Mobilize resources for at least 5 soccer teams per year, i.e., soccer shoes, balls and sets of uniform. 

Our Sustainability Model  

1. Inculcate a saving culture where the players can start saving for the next shoe, especially those above 15 years. 
2. Talk to parents to save and support their kid’s development despite the many life challenges.
3. Ensure a more collective team responsibility and contributions (merry go round) especially targeting the senior players.

Next Generation Star +throughMylens 

 Our mission is to assist young soccer stars in the urban informal settlements in Mathare play soccer in a more dignified way. Acquiring the right resources will protect them from unnecessary injuries while at the same time boost their self-esteem and aspirations to grow their talents into the next levels through structured exposures outside their neighborhoods.

 “The dream of every child playing soccer in the informal settlements is to own a soccer ball and a pair of soccer shoes. We want to bring that dream closer to them at an early stage possible.” Wilson Masaka

Our Target Groups 

Grassroots teams, players and coaches in Mathare North The majority of the youth and children between 12- 25 years are the most vulnerable when it comes to crime, drug abuse, alcoholism and political intolerance. The same group also lacks the necessary platforms, mentors and resources to help them pursue their talents to the best levels they can. 

Wilsen initiative (Wi) founded Mathare North Rangers F.C in 2010 to help nurture talent, mentor the children and youth in matters school life, entrepreneurship, leadership and soccer while providing a healthy and safe environment for the kids and youth to become responsible citizens in an environment infiltrated with many challenges. 

During the weekends and school holiday, you will find kids roaming the streets engaged in nothing meaningful especially in urban informal settlements. This situation poses a great risk in children and youth well-being by blocking them from exploring more of what they can become by focusing their energy on talent and skills development. 

Next Generation Coach (NGC) 

The question is how much resources have been invested in grassroots coaches to become better tactically on the field and great role models off the field? Next Generation Coach (NGC) is a program by Wilsen Initiative (Wi) under soccer for change that seeks to mentor the grassroots community coaches acquire vital skills in personal branding, work ethics, technical skills, leadership, business skills etc. 

The Challenge 

Resources like soccer shoes, balls and uniforms are the bare minimum a team requires, but most of the teams at the grassroots struggle to get the necessary networks or even mobilize for the funds to purchase the materials and equipment. On our side, it has been a big challenge to conduct the yearly tournament in a sequential manner due to lack of funds. 

We don’t have the required resources to live our full desire of helping grassroots clubs and players acquire the right gears from soccer shoes (boots), balls, uniforms etc. We solely rely on well wishes support to make it happen for the teams, together we can reach all the teams before 2030. 

 The majority of teams, especially from the informal settlement lack the necessary resources and support to make the soccer journey of a young star painless. Below are some of the main highlights;- Lack of transport to and from tournaments. No uniform for the team and if they have, it’s either one set and worn out. Quite a number play barefoot on gravel and bumpy fields prone to injuries. In case of injury, lack of necessary medical attention and lack of basic first aid. 

The majority of the coaches lack the necessary on and off the pitch technical and soft skills. Lack of dedicated space for kids to play. Lack of enough exposure to play locally, regionally and internationally. Lack of planned and timed transition from one age group to the next one and still maintain high standards and interest to play even at the professional levels. 

"My mission is to assist young soccer stars in the urban informal settlements in Mathare play soccer in a more dignified way. Acquiring the right resources will protect them from unnecessary injuries while at the same time boost their self-esteem and aspirations to grow their talents into the next levels through structured exposures outside their neighborhoods." Wilson Masaka - Volunteer Resource Mobilizer Mathare North Rangers F.C / Community grassroots soccer. 

Our target is to at least reach 35 young stars and 5 teams with soccer boots, uniforms and balls per year. On the other hand, organize one exposure visit outside the neighborhood and offer one master life skill session 

Ongoing activity through the year and areas of possible collaboration; - 

• Soccer shoes (boots) campaign for children U10, U12 and U15.
• Life-skill training for coaches and players. - Soccer resource mobilization from balls, shoes, uniforms, etc. for soccer clubs in Mathare North.
• Organizing and sponsoring U10 and U12 tournaments during school holiday 

 Our bigger vision come 2030 -Beyond Soccer Resource Centre 

Our bigger vision is to have a resource centre in the neighborhood where the children and youth will have space to learn, access to a library and the digital training hub where they will learn how to code, design etc. By the way it doesn’t have to wait until 2030, our only hindrance is the funds to support the idea fully from set-up towards sustainability levels. Lastly, we thank everyone who has supported us and we encourage you not to give up and soon we will reach our 2030 vision. 

 Call for Support Here is a list you can choose from; 

• Sponsor tournament.
• Donate uniforms. 
• Donate soccer balls and soccer cons.
• Training bibs. Training hours. 
• Facilitate outdoor trip for the team (exposure visits and friendly matches). 
• Resource Mobilization (Time and expertise) 
• Soccer shoes. 
• Tracksuit. 

In case you want to support our initiative, please get in touch; Wilson Masaka founder Wilsen initiative / Resource mobilizer wilson.masaka@gmail.com

Oasis Mathare End of Year Retreat and Planning for Next Year 2021.

Oasis Mathare (OM) is community based organization that empowers marginalized youths and children from Mathare slums Nairobi-Kenya with library service, where children can come and do their studies away from home where they face challenges such as electricity and in adequate space. 

 What they do; 

• Youth Economic Empowerment.
• Conduct training in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics and Design (STEAMD).
• Provide Safe Spaces for Early Child Development.
• Community library for youth and children. Read more on https://www.oasismathare.org 

It was a great honor to be offered the opportunity as the Lead Facilitator / Consultant during the three days training workshop held in Hotel Troy Karen.

 Top on the list on what we covered in the three days retreat were as follows :- 

1. Strategic plan reviews :- activities, programs etc.
2. Flashback, challenges, progress (Stop, Start, Continue and Change model).

3. Presentation, research and insights on different topics that relates to Oasis core programs.
4. Realignment of general operations to serve different stakeholders better come next year.
5. Understanding and evaluating the organisation vision, mission, values, systems and structure.
6. How to develop an effective organisation story and culture that is shared by all staff members.
7. Organisation story telling and different types of stories and when to use them appropriately ( content vs. context).

8. Swot analysis, problem tree and Gantt chart for planning.

9. The rule of three in marketing and Unique Selling Point (USP).

 Expected results:

 

1. Actionable plans.
2. Increased performance by the staff.
3. Well defined project visibility and staff job description. 
4. Attract all kinds of new donor possibilities to achieve our mission and vision.
5. Improved service delivery to their target group and all stakeholders. 

 

What I Do Under +throughMylens Consult

Objectives; 

1. To help community based organisations and youth led initiatives explore their full potentials. 

2. To help organisations and youth led initiative build systems and structures for internal operations.
3. To help organisations build a well defined organisation culture towards achieving their vision.
4. To build the capacity of the team through training in 21st century skills (Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Information literacy, Media literacy, Problem solving Technology literacy etc.)
5. To help organisations understand and define their Unique Selling Point (USP) or competitive advantage.

 +throughMylens Best Quote:- "If you don't master your journey, your destination becomes blurry." Wilson Masaka Youth Advocate / Social Entrepreneur

 "The strength of your organisation depends on each individual's learning curve and collective team efforts as informed by the mission and vision" Wilson Masaka Youth Advocate and Social Entrepreneur 

 Get in touch with me for this type of sessions.

#MasterSession Note:- You will get photo documentation as a bonus within the package. Subscribe today for a master session with your team by sending an email to wilson.masaka[at]gmail.com for a quotation.

SkillUp #OrganisationDevelopment #CapacityBuilding #TrainingOf Trainer Organisation Capacity Building At Oasis Mathare 

It is always a great pleasure to train, coach and mentor young people. I offer master classes for youth led institutions and some of my areas of mastery:- Photography, Social media, organisation storytelling, planning, graphic design, business model, blogging, presentation skills, personal branding just to mention but a few.

Watch (Less than 2min) +throughMylens https://youtu.be/d1vBIOIXgEI

 

Inspired 2020