Uweza Girls League

Our girls coach Joyce has organized for the Uweza girls team to play in a league with other girls Under-16 teams from outside of Kibera for a few months now. Every weekend, 25 girls cram into a 14-seat minibus and travel to Dagoretti to play a match. They are currently in fourth place in the league, having won two matches and drawn two.

Today, they had their hardest match yet against a team who has been playing with senior (adult) girls teams for a long time and has won several tournaments. There was also extra pressure on the girls as the league's sponsors were watching the match.

Every week as part of the league, both teams sit down for a small life skills talk before they play. Today's talk was about stigma.

The girls played a great game but struggled in the second half and lost 0-2. It was a very emotional loss for a lot of the girls as it was their first loss in the league and they really did their best. Many of the fans were commenting on Uweza's players and how talented and hard-working they were.




Two players from each team participating in the league, chosen by the league's organizers, will get the chance to attend a course in photography, life skills and soccer in Kilifi on the Kenyan coast.

Despite the loss, the girls had a great time. They have four matches to go and still have the opportunity to place in the top three in the league, which would earn them a new set of uniforms and some balls. We wish them the best of luck and will keep you posted!

Third Soccer Prize Giving Day

Uweza held our 3rd Uweza Soccer Program Prizegiving Day this past Sunday, which awarded educational prizes to all of the players on our teams from under 8 years old to 18 years of age, including girls. Uweza holds prizegiving day for our soccer program at the end of each school term, three times a year. This Prizegiving Day was particularly special this time because it was the first time we invited the parents to attend with their children.

The day went amazing with many of our kids being accompanied to the field by their parents for the first time! The day started with the finals round of the U-18 league, with the coaches jumping in as one
team for good fun. The parents were cheering on for the players as they wrapped up their final matches for the term.

After the tournament finished, all the parents and children piled into the meeting hall to have refreshments and begin the prize awarding. At the end of the awards, each child who had been a dedicated Uweza player had received something toward their education. The top prizes for the most dedicated players included school uniforms, school shoes, and book bags while other players received school exercise books and pen sets. In addition, each coach brought up each and every player in front of the parents to say something about each one of them before being released back to their seats.

By attending prizegiving, parents were able to see the educational rewards that their child received from dedication, discipline and effort in the Uweza Soccer Program. In addition, they learned more about our organization and heard firsthand through speeches by players at the end, the impact the program was having on their children. All in all, the day was a great success!






More photos have been posted in a gallery here: http://uweza.org/gallery/mayprizegiving.html

Uweza Soccer Team Away Match

Our soccer kids have been training hard Monday through Sunday for the
last month during the school break of April where all school kids in
Kenya remain out of school. For the last week of their training
sessions before the start of school, Uweza provided funding for all of
our teams to attend a day of matches outside of Kibera to gain
exposure outside of the slums they live in. The kids traveled to
Githurai, roughly 45 minutes outside of the city and far from Kibera,
for a great day of fun, food and soccer.

We had around 130 kids in attendance and included all of our teams
from Under 8 to Under 18, and even our girls team. The kids had a ton
of fun as they met in the morning around 7am to begin traveling to the
match in two large buses, which were even equipped with tvs and music
for all to enjoy.

The kids had a full audience, as members of the community in Githurai
came to cheer on their home teams along the sidelines. Uweza players
had their own fanbase, as the girls and Under 8 teams did not have
matches, but instead came for moral support. The Uweza teams
performed well with our younger teams winning their matches! After the
games, the teams were treated to all they could eat lunch in the area
before returning to Kibera. The day ended with their return home to
Kibera—happy for their wins, full of food, and rested after their naps
on the bus on their way home.

Uweza Girls Soccer

We have struggled for a while to create and maintain a girls soccer team with girls from Kibera. We have found that girls don't have the freedom to come to practice on the weekends like the boys do, as they are often busy helping with chores at home or their parents aren't as willing to let them walk freely through the slum. The girls also don't have clothes to play in and are less willing to play barefoot like the boys do without shoes.

To address these issues, we decided to recruit girls that attend Toi Primary School, the school where we rent our field to join the team so they could come and play right after school. We also created girls uniforms for them to wear every week and the girls take turns every week washing them. Our newest coach, Saidi, has taken on the task of being their coach.

We know that a lot of the kids, and likely many of the girls, come to soccer because of a lack of other fun, organized activities to participate in during their free time. We are looking forward to being able to offer a variety of activities that cater to all talents and interests once we build the community center.

There is now a team of about 15 to 20 dedicated girls that have been coming every week for the last five months. Our girls may not necessarily become the next women's professional soccer player (although you never know!), but they all have been having a great time and spend the entire practice giggling and smiling - that's what counts the most.






A photo gallery of the girls at practice has been posted on our photo page: www.uweza.org/framephoto.html.

Field Clean Up and Uniform Washing

We have recently been trying to get our players more actively engaged in the team in ways other than just showing up to practice and playing soccer. We want them to feel ownership of the team and to gain a sense of responsibility and pride in what they are doing.

In December, the players and coaches all participated in a clean-up of the field that they use every week. The field belongs to a school and the grass often grows long without being cut and trash is regularly dumped on the field. The coaches suggested that the teams start participating in regular field clean-ups so that they learn to take care of the place where they play (and earn the good graces of the school that allows us to use their field). It was also a bonding experience as all ages of players gathered together to pitch in. As a part of our points program, players were given extra points for participating.




More pictures of the field clean-up have been posted on our photo page.

Washing of our uniforms has formerly been taken care of by our coaches or by someone hired and paid to wash them. Our head coach suggested that we start allowing the older boys to wash the uniforms and earn something in return for their work. Starting in January, the older boys have been washing the uniforms every week in order to earn a new pair of shoes to play in. Each player is credited 200 Kenya Shillings (or about $2.50 USD) every time he washes. A pair of soccer shoes costs around 800-1,000 Kenya Shillings. After about a month and a half, many of the boys have washed enough times to earn a new pair of shoes that will be given to them this week. Most of the shoes that we purchase stay at the field and are used only during practices or matches but these shoes will be special to the boys as they have put in the work to earn ownership of them. Great for the boys and great for us as our uniforms are now always clean!

Soccer Program Update and New Team Photos

Our Soccer Program has been growing rapidly and we now have 160 boys who have signed Uweza contracts of commitment to the team as well as 25 girls. Because the players are currently on break from school, the teams have been holding practice every day. The Points Program is still ongoing and prizes will be awarded in January. We have invested a lot of resources and funding into the program in recent weeks, purchasing new uniforms, goal posts for all of the teams, shoes and socks, and renting the field on Sundays (in addition to Friday and Saturdays). We have also hired three new coaches. The players have noticed and are having a great time being able to come and play every week.

Here are some pictures of the teams in their new Uweza uniforms:

Uweza Girls Team
Uweza Under 14 Team
Uweza Under 12 Team
Uweza Under 10 Team

Here is a video of the Uweza Under-12 team cheering on the Uweza Under-10 team as they play in a match against another team from Kibera. Uweza won the match 3-0.

New Under 8 Soccer Team

A few weeks ago, we started an Under 8 soccer team from a few of our most soccer players. These boys have been playing with the Uweza team, showing up to every practice and match since 2007 when our program was just one coach, a few balls, and a few cones. They have been playing on the Under 10 team but because they were so young, they didn't have the chance to really play and participate.

We noticed their dedication and decided to create a new team especially for them, with their own coach and gear. More boys started coming and the Under 8 team is now up to 10-15 players. Hopefully, we can recruit as many as 30 players and we can start enrolling them in tournaments, giving them soccer shoes and shorts, and getting them a lot more playing time and attention.

They have been having so much fun at practice and have smiles on their faces the entire time.






More photos of the team have been posted on the website: http://uweza.org/framephoto.html.

East Africa Cup Tournament Results

Last month, three of our teams participated in a three-day tournament with teams from throughout East Africa.

Each team played in 4 matches. The Under-12 team won one match and lost three. The Under-14 team also one one match and lost three. The Under-18 team won one match, drew one match, and lost two.

Although they were not victorious, the boys did their best and all had a great time and it was a really good experience for them to interact with players from throughout Kenya and all of East Africa. When they weren't playing, most of the boys spent the whole day at the tournament watching other teams play. We provided all of the boys lunch every day as well.



A photo gallery of the tournament has been posted on our photo page: http://www.uweza.org/framephoto.html

We recently bought new sets of uniforms for the teams, including a set of pink uniforms for a new girls team so check back for more info and pictures soon!

Ligi Ndogo East Africa Cup Soccer Tournament

Today, our soccer teams will be participating in a tournament with 60 other teams from throughout East Africa, including Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda. Uweza has three teams participating in the tournament, Under-12, Under-14 and Under-20. The teams will be playing in multiple matches per day until the tournament ends on Sunday.

Both the players and coaches have been training overtime for the past few week in order to prepare for the tournament. They have had practice every day, sometimes twice a day and are really excited about getting the opportunity to participate in such a big event. Our coaches plan to use bicycles so they can quickly rotate between matches, which will be occurring simultaneously throughout Kibera and surrounding areas.

This week, we purchased new balls, first aid supplies, and 20 new pairs of shoes for our Under 12 team.



We wish them the best of luck in their matches today and will post again soon with the results!

Interviewing our Soccer Players

In May, we interviewed some of the players in our soccer program about why they like playing on the Uweza teams. Their responses surprised us and speak to the impact the program is having on their lives.

More prize giving!

Last weekend, the winners of the first round of our Points Program were officially given their prizes. Prizes included new school uniforms, backpacks, school shoes, pens and pencils, textbooks, exercise books, soccer gear and clothing items.

The winners were thrilled to receive their prizes. The next round starts in August.

Thanks to our coaches for pictures of the ceremony and fancy wrapping of the prizes!

Prize giving day!

Last month, we held the prize giving day for the new Points Program we have started with our soccer teams. Points were awarded by our coaches during every practice from January to April in five different categories and the three boys from each team with the highest total were given a prize.

On prize giving day, everyone had soda and a ceremony was held where the winners were recognized and given certificates. We are currently working on distributing their prizes, which will consist of school needs such as backpacks, uniforms, school supplies and school fee payment.

The winners were really excited and a lot of the boys expressed that the team was helping them build skills in all areas of their life, not just soccer.



Under 10 winners from left to right: Wycliffe Nyariki (First Place), Enoch Ouma (Second Place), Austin Shikwekwe (Third Place)
Under 12 winners (with coach) from left to right: Boniface Odhiambo (First Place), Paul Kiminza (Second Place), Samuel Wilson (Third Place)
Under 18 winners from left to right: Charles Omondi (First Place), Bernard Chacha (Second Place), Ferdinand Odhiambo (Third Place)

The captain of our Under 18 team explains why he loves playing for Uweza

More videos coming soon!

Guest blog: Gilbert Nyakundi Bita

Gilbert has started working with us as a health education facilitator in Kibera. He has worked with our soccer teams and spoken to them about issues such as self esteem and HIV/AIDS. Today he has written a blog about what he would like to accomplish through his work with Uweza.
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According to the World Health Organization, Health is defined as: The general well being of an individual, physically, socially and mentally; not merely the absence of disease or infirmity! This in itself tells us that none of us is healthy! We all have areas that pins us down, and so is the community we live in!

Coming together as members of the global community, we can be able to achieve a healthy community. We at Uweza Aid Foundation are up to the goal of a healthy community, working with different departments but all under one goal “Healthy Community”

My name is Gilbert Nyakundi Bita; I am working as a volunteer facilitator in Uweza Aid Foundation. In the facilitation Department my aim is achieving the following goals:
* To enhance Behavior change and Behavior formation in regards to HIV/AIDS.
* To create awareness on HIV/AIDS.
* To enlighten the youth on how best they can use their free time.
* Help bring out the potentials within individuals
* Unite the youths and the community towards a healthy growth.

To achieve the above goals I have set up plans working with the youths starting with just few youths as follows:
* Recruit youths to peer educators
* Have regular seminars with the youths and some older members of the community.
* Recruit youth groups within the community
* Have the youths give regular reports regarding the peer education and the activities they are involved.
* Link the youths with other groups and organizations within and out of the community.

To have a healthy you and I, a healthy community is for sure. Through education, transformation to the community is achieved or carried out!

Involving the youth is helping the community use her potential at early stages. Remember “a well informed community is always for the positive incoming change and easily makes wise decisions” resources within the community are well used and managed through education by involvement of the youths too. I mean what can we say of security? Talk of manipulation, how about wasting a full potential in people? All these are taken care of by giving the right information to the subjects (Youths and community members). In brief Information followed by action is an achievement!!!(Gilbert 2010)

Most of the people are interested to know what propels this work especially what makes me like my job as a facilitator! Just to borrow some of Myles Munroe’s fact “Our minds are not empty vessels to be filled!.....”…..our minds just need a tapping reminder to be active!

I do facilitation first to bring out the you in you and help me get the me in me!

Another important thing is to give back/contribute to the community. It’s very fulfilling to see community members implement what they learn from me!

Gilbert N. Bita

New Soccer Program!

In January, we started a new program with our four soccer teams in order to help them build skills and adopt behaviors that will be useful throughout their lives. Our coaches told us of a concern that many boys that play soccer in the slum become distracted from school or put all of their hopes into becoming major league soccer players. As a result, they become disappointed as adults when they find they should have focused more on academics or discover that they won't be able to play soccer for a living. Many of these boys may turn to drugs or crime.

As part of the new program, coaches award a certain amount "points" to their players during each practice. Points are awarded for performance in six different areas:

1. Attendance
2. Cleanliness
3. Timekeeping
4. Attitude/Discipline
5. Soccer Skills, Effort and Improvement
6. Academic Performance in school

At the end of each school term, coaches will total the points for all of the players. The three players with the highest point totals will receive funds toward educational costs (school supplies, school fees, uniforms, etc). Older boys that are no longer in school may receive funds for business start-up or training in a specific area such as driving or computers.


Joel Otieno, age 13, Points Leader for the Under 14 team

During the term, the boys with the highest point totals are eligible for special privileges. This coming weekend, the 22 players on our Under-17 and Under-14 teams that have earned the highest amount of points will be participating in a two-day tournament. They will be traveling out of Kibera to play against other teams from throughout Nairobi and receive brand new shoes to play in.

Our coaches have reported that attendance and the efforts of the boys have improved and we hope that the new program will motivate them to always do their best in soccer, in school and in life.

Under 10 team wins third place!

Since we last wrote about our Under 10 and Under 17 teams playing in a tournament with about ten other teams from Kibera, both lost the match that would have qualified them for the tournament finals.



However, because of an earlier victory, the Under 10 team had the chance to play in a match for third place yesterday. Our team played well and the game went into a penalty shootout. The shooters made two goals in a row and the goalie blocked two in a row and we won the match!



The boys were so excited and jumping all over each other and cheering. As part of their win, they received a trophy, new uniforms and some balls from the tournament organizers. After the game, they all huddled up with their coach and said a prayer. Then the coach asked them what they were playing for, to which they all responded in unison "LUNCH!!"



So after the game, all 22 of them headed to a restaurant where they were rewarded for their victory with a hearty meal.