Soccer For Change – Mathare North Festive Season Soccer 2021-2022

Soccer For Change – Mathare North Festive Season Soccer Tournament (MNFSST 2021-22). Tournament Date: 23rd December 2021 to 1st January 2022 during school holiday. 

By Wilson Masaka – Wilsen Initiative (Wi), Nairobi, Kenya Mathare North Slums 

www.wilseninitiative.wordpress.com 

Since inception in the year 2011, I have been in the forefront in Mathare slums promoting soccer activities either in conducting soccer clinics, life-skills training and mobilizing soccer resources for community grassroots kids clubs in Mathare North (U10 - U15). 

My biggest success has been running an annual soccer tournament for teams of the age between U10 to U15 years during the Christmas holiday and Easter holiday. The majority of the children between 10 years to 15 years, are one of the most vulnerable groups and they lack necessary platforms, safe spaces, mentors and resources to help them pursue their talents to the best levels they can. 

During the festive season the risk of indulging in unwarranted activities rises because schools are closed and everyone falls into a more festive mood of parties and explorations while the parents are fully occupied fending for their family and there's no one left to take care of the children. 

At least it is a bit safer playing soccer in a team that has a coach who might not have the right skill set, but they will always find time to provide the necessary guidance away from home. I started the annual tournament to offer a platform where the children, 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 influences in the community. In informal settlements like Mathare it's normal routine to find kids roaming the streets engaged in nothing meaningful. 

My intervention through Wilsen Initiative (Wi) platforms, is to help the children and youth realize their full potential while also finding a meaningful environment to engage in soccer and life-skills training that would help them grow into responsible citizens. We use the soccer tournament to sensitize the youth and children 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 create a platform where youth leaders, coaches and players interact in a meaningful way with targeted outcomes. 

Rarely, the coaches and players receive life-skills training especially off the pitch that would promote their well being and career development. As Wilsen Initiative (WI) we want to make a deliberate effort of filling the skill gap through our Skill -UP master classes that train youth and children in creative and innovative ICT skills, creative arts, creative entrepreneurship, life-skills, leadership and personal branding (21st Century skills). 

My mission is to help the kids play in a more dignified ways using the right resources that will boost their self esteem and also help them avoid the unnecessary injuries. The soccer tournament is a way of having fun, learning, healthy competition and an awarding process for the best teams as per the acquired resources. 

I would have wished to award all the teams, but at the moment, having a tournament is the best way and the most fair way of awarding the needy teams. Call for Support for Mathare North Festive Season Soccer Tournament 2021-2022 (U11 and U13 teams).

This year's theme will be; Do More, Be More and Be Different. 

Goal: - Restoring hope and self drive. 

General objectives: 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 children and youth participate in meaningful activities that keep them away from different vices like drug abuse and crime. 
3. Create awareness about playing safe and 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. 

Last edition; https://wilseninitiative.wordpress.com/2021/01/03/mathare-north-festive-season-soccer-tournament-2020-2021

The Jigsaw Puzzle in Kenyan Football.

Below is My 10 Points Agenda. It is so unfortunate how things have turned to be on the alleged corruption and misappropriation of funds. I have read many online posts of people saying how the looming FIFA ban will be devastating to their career, livelihood etc. 

The only concern that I have is that the people who will be directly affected should the FIFA ban come, have chosen to sit in a corner while watching from a distance as things unfold. If they talk the best thing they can say is we need dialogue, we need to talk, a solution need to be found and so on. I find this vague and lack substantive ideas in terms of solutions.

I'm talking to all current players, coaches, referees, FKF instructors, etc. I know it isn't easy in your situation, but you need to be bold enough and help come up with real solutions rather than play safe. You know what goes on, even if you can't talk in public seek anonymity and reach out to the caretaker committee. 

Well, maybe I'm over ambitious here, anyway below are my 10 points agenda or should I call them solutions; 

1. Accountability of funds given should be timely. It shouldn't wait, let say three years to account for funds given, for example, in the case of funds given for AFCON. 

In any case, if the audit were done the government should seek to audit at the right time and act swiftly should there be any misappropriation. 

2. The football constitution in terms of voters should be reviewed to accommodate all stakeholders which will also increase the number of people who vote for the president of the federation. I find it very strange like less than 100 people can decide our football fate that is loved by millions. 

3. The officials running football matters in Kenya should have the right qualifications (credentials should be reviewed) and be subject to integrity test, professionalism test, education background in relevance to the post, etc. Here I mean at all levels from grassroots to the top level. 

4. The credentials of the FKF president and the vice president should be reviewed. 

5. The vice president of the federation should be given more roles if that isn't the case. 

6. Increase funding and government support. 

7. Meaningful partnerships :- Work with government in coming up with policies that will see all government institutions and parastatals have football clubs. Remember we had NSSF, NHIF, Kenya Airways just to mention but a few. 

8. The government should enact policies that will encourage the private companies to invest, sponsor the clubs and the league. 

9. Help all the clubs to invest in income generation activity by registering as companies. This will also see the clubs have benchmarks for leadership, operations, financial viability, sustainability, etc. that is allowed or approved by the government. 

10. Work on modalities that will bring back the fans in the stadiums. These are my proposals, if you approve them, please forward them caretaker committee 🙂 

"People will come and go, but football is here to stay. - "Wilson Masaka +throughMylens 

 Just remember, the fish start to rot from the head and a system is as good as the people who runs it. We can't fix the system without having the right people in charge. Kenya kuna vipindi nyingi tu sana yaani 'michezo

Creative Moment Out & About + throughMylens

I have had this bracelet for 2 years on my wrist. It is unfortunate it broke this weekend, but on the contrary, instead of throwing it, I decided to develop some abstract concept based on my feelings about our beloved nation Kenya. 

Everyone has a part to play in the Kenya we want so; Do More, Be More and Different. #DoersCommunity #PositiveChangeMakers Blog: - www.wilsenx.blogspot.com +throughMylens 

Don't overly on PASSION, because at some point it fades, 

 Don't overly on TALENT because it comes a time when it obsolete, 

Rather make all efforts to build and rely on your WISDOM because it is one of the surest things that can live in you forever.