Uweza Kibra League Awards

by Sharon Akinyi

On Sunday 25th November, we went to the field as part of our Journalism Club activities.  We went to watch the Uweza Kibra League awards ceremony, which was held at Toi Primary School.  Many children attended the function in order to cheer for their team and accept their awards for the 2012 season.  The league is held annually and includes teams from throughout Kibera.

I first interviewed a coach known as Abel, who coaches Marren FC.  He told me that the team deals with players 8 years old to 15 years old.  The club has approximately 50 players. Abel told me that they had played thirty games as a part of the Uweza Kibra League and finished the season with 80 points.

Journalism Club members interviewing League Coordinator Joash Ngaira

Joash Ngaira, the league coordinator and Uweza coach for Under-12, was hoping for his team to win.  Before they played their match, I asked him what he hoped for.  He answered, "as a coach, I only expect the best and that's winning."

Uweza Under-8 played a match with Brothers Under-8 and won the match 1-0.  Henry Waweru, a young and ambitious player, scored the goal for Uweza.  Their coach Said was happy because they did not draw.  He said that Henry Waweru was one of his best players on the Under-8 team. "He has determination even though he is small.  He knows where he wants to reach and to him, not even the sky is the limit.," he told me.  The Uweza Under-8 team usually trains on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.  They are almost 25 in number. 

Uweza Under-8 vs. Brothers Under-8

The opponents of Uweza were not sad.  I interviewed the Brothers FC coach, Edu, who thought the game was cool but "the minutes were very few."  I asked him who his best player was he and he told me they were two, named Diblo and Imoli.  In the next match, coach Abel's team Marren FC came head to head with coach Joash's team Uweza Under-12. Even though they played and fought tooth and nail for a victory, the match ended in a 0-0 draw.

After the match, we went to the awards ceremony.  Coach Joash encouraged all of the players to keep putting more effort into everything they do and in improving their talents in football.  The guest of honor, known as "Solo," who is a former international soccer player, told the players to set goals and play well in order to view themselves like their role models.

Uweza Team Manager Charles Kaindi addresses the players and coaches

"Solo" also told them that they had to be disciplined. "You could be doing well in everything but without discipline, you won't go anywhere."  Many prizes and awards were given to different teams. The first prize for Best Defender went to Quinter Anyango of the Uweza Queens (girls team).  Top Scorer of the Uweza Kibra League was Rashid Abdul of Marren FC, with 21 goals.   The prize for the Most Disciplined went to Juma Suleiman of Marren FC.

Slum Soka team captain accepts certificate on behalf of his team

The winning teams for Under-8 and overall categories received certificates, medals and a trophy.  Truly, all that starts well ends well.  The league for the year was over and was closed by Managing Director Jen Sapitro.  She thanked each and every one for coming and participating.  

Marren FC players with their first place trophy

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Sharon Akinyi is 14 years old and a member of the Uweza Journalism Club.

Today's Entrepreneurs

by Rebecca Musanga and Thomas Bwire

Have you ever wondered why some businesses thrive and end up being big companies? And have you ever asked yourself why some big companies end up to their downfall? Well the answer to a better managed business entity is through proper planning, undertaking a market research to understand its need.

November 3rd 2012 was a day set aside by Barclays bank staff that came all the way to Kibera to undertake a community service among the children of Uweza Foundation.  Their mission was to teach and mentor youths aged between ages 12-23 on life skills, financial skills, and entrepreneurship skills. Despite the chilly and rainy muddy day, all the participants both from the Barclay’s team and Uweza had the energy to go all the way. Sessions were organized for different age groups in some of the classes at Toi Primary School.

Uweza youth ages 12-14 received mentorship on life skills from Barclays staff members

The older youth were taken through the fundamentals of growing a small business with as little capital as 1,000 Kenyan Shillings and the major points that are essential for business growth.  One of the major factors one should consider in starting a business is the demand of product. Second is the package, available market and quality of the product. These factors play a big role because many people consciously or unconsciously buy things not because they need them but because they saw them and were attracted to them.

To become a good entrepreneur, one needs to be bold and good in negotiating skills, social, persuasive, determined and goal oriented. At the end, the greatest investment one can ever make is in the people themselves and not in the machines. With the help of some of the facilitators like Ramesh Kavil, Charity Kimathi and Francis Mwango, the group of older youths were now able to understand how things work in the real business world.

Ramesh Kayil of Barclays leads a lesson to Uweza youth ages 19-23

An in-depth interview with the Barclays Africa, Chief Operating Officer (BA, COO) Mr. Eric Modave noted that Africa is still the best place for market investment opportunities that can easily target the youth. “Youth comprise of a bigger population though we see many disparities among them, and that’s why Barclays is here to support youth ideas and possible ways of creating new jobs for them” noted Eric. 

Eric Modave teaching youth ages 15-18 about Africa's potential for entrepreneurship growth

 The Chief Operating Officer also added the need to embrace technology advancement in this area since most youths own mobile handsets that can hasten use of mobile banking, call centers, and internet use.  To put all the theories taught into practice, a section of the youths were divided into groups of three and each given a Ksh.1000 to purchase some clothes at the nearby Toi Market with an aim of selling to make profit. This had to be done within a time frame of 1 hour.

Organizing their goods purchased at the market

Upon their return to the event, some shops were opened and business took center stage as Barclays staff members bought some of the clothes displayed and gifted them to younger kids who had emerged winners in a dancing competition that was held.

Dancing competition winners with their new clothing donations

“I feel much different now, and I am thinking of possible ways I can start a small business one day,” were Ali Juma's sentiments.  While Dennis Odhiambo, age 19, also appreciates the few learned entrepreneurship skills that he had never given a thought to before.  Thank you to Barclays for their support in making this great day possible!

The Finals

Finally the day came for the young footballers to show the results of their hard work to everyone. On 6th October at DC grounds in Kibera, the Uweza FC Under-10 team was playing against Marren FC Under-10 in the finals of the Young Generation Englightenment Programme (YOGEP) tournament .They had earlier on played against Katerlands FC and won 3-2 which made them qualify for the finals. They were shining in their blue jerseys as they warmed up under the supervision of their coaches Said and Joash.

Uweza Under-10 team lines up before the match

At 10.00am, the game kicked off as the two teams made several attempts to net goals in their opponents’ goal posts. At the 10th minute, Uweza got their first goal through their dangerous player Samwel Fredrick who drove the crowd  wild and immediately after the celebrations, he scored a second goal making the team celebrate even more.

Uweza Under-10  in action

At the end of first half, Uweza had a 2-0 lead. One yellow card was given to Marren FC player after a foul.  In the second half, Marren FC made efforts and were able to get their first goal through Ali Munyi hence making the game end at 2-1. Uweza FC had won the game!

Shortly after the Under-10 match finished, the Uweza FC Under-12 players played against Salama FC for the finals. Earlier on in the semi-finals, they had played against African Heroes and beaten them 2-0 to qualify for the finals.

At first the two teams were afraid of each other as each played carefully in the first half. In the second half, Salama FC scored their first goal which made Uweza up their game and in the last five minutes, a super swap of Ferdinand Leo made Uweza score a goal hence it ended with a draw of 1-1, leading to penalties.

Uweza Under-12 player scores a goal in penalties

In the penalties, Salama FC were able to score 3 more goals while Uweza scored 2 making Salama FC the winners of the Under-12 category. The Under-12 team from Uweza were disappointed, considering the fact that they were playing in their new yellow, dazzling jerseys but at least they were in the second place position.

Uweza Under-10 with their first place trophy!

Uweza Under-12 captain Wycliffe Odhiambo accepts the team's prize voucher

After completion of the final matches for all categories, Uweza Under-10 players were officially handed over their precious cup through their captain while the Under-12 players received a voucher for 500 Kshs, making the day end it joyous celebration.

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Rebecca Musanga is a member of the Uweza Journalism Club.

My Story: Alfred Nyongwe

"My Story" is a new blog series intended to provide a platform for Uweza beneficiaries to tell their own stories about their lives and their involvement in our programs.  First up is Alfryed Nyongwe, a fourth year high school student, who plays for Uweza's senior soccer team and is a recipient of an Uweza sponsorship. Alfred will be taking the KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) exam next month.  

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by Alfred Nyongwe

It is true that opportunities are rare.  It is only at Uweza Foundation that opportunities are well and fully offered.  Some of these opportunities are as follows: We have soccer, which is the mother of others, journalism, drama, arts and crafts, sponsorship, counseling and free tuition. This creates, prepares, and nurtures talents for the young generation.

Alfred Nyongwe

As an individual, Uweza really helped me to cater for my school fees.  I count myself among the luckiest students due to the benefits I have been acquiring in this organization. As I am preparing for my final examination, they offered me a conducive environment for learning. They provide all requirements for the examination such as: revision books, past papers, pens, exercise books, and a place where one can have a moment of peace of mind to study.

In addition, they have encouraged me by giving tips for passing an examination. This led me to have a positive attitude and mind about education for my future life. Their main interest is to see great people in the future coming from the "Uweza family."

Alfred studying at the Uweza Community Center

My coach gave me time to concentrate with my studies and resume attending soccer training sessions on 29th of November after the National Examinations.  He did this out of a good heart and the interest he had for me. He allowed anyone who is preparing for the final examination to concentrate on his/her education because education is life and it is only this examination that will determine who you will become in the future.  I really appreciate him for the good intentions toward my life and I won't forget his words...."I want to see you by next year with a suitcase coming from Kenyatta University...where your dreams will come true."

Alfred, left, with his coach, Team Manager Charles Kaindi

In conclusion, I thank Uweza Foundation and all of the staffs for the great work they have been doing to create, nurture, and empower talents. My prayers to all is that our mighty Lord give them long lives and strength to continue supporting the needy. In addition, God bless the work of their hands and increase mercy on their hearts to make Uweza Foundation become a throbbing heart for the needy.

Let the feet speak

Story and photos by Rebecca Musanga

Football is the most common game in the world that can be played by different people and at the same time unites them. That is a fact for sure. Yesterday at Woodly grounds at exactly 4.45 pm, Uweza FC played a friendly match against a team of Kibera All Stars commonly known as “Help Them Lord."  The Kibera All Stars team includes players from Kibera that have made it to the Kenyan Premier League and other Kibera celebrities.

Before the match began, Uweza FC players were busy warming up under the supervision of their team manager Charles Kaindi famously known to his players as “Coach Stam.”  Coach Stam also took the rare opportunity to play with the team. The opponent team, Help Them Lord, arrived a bit late which made the game start behind schedule.

Uweza FC warming up before the match

 In the first 20 minutes of the first half, Help Them Lord got their first goal from Kriss Darling, a  famously known Kibera DJ.  23 minutes later, Jesse Were, who plays for Premier League team Mathare United, added a second goal making his team lead by 2 goals to nil. This made Uweza FC even stronger although some of the players had injuries.



In the second half, Uweza FC finally scored a goal with the help of Ali Juma, making the Uweza fans go crazy. The match was heated as everyone tried his best to score another goal. The referee gave three yellow cards to players who proved to be rough on the field. Uweza FC had many opportunities of scoring at least 7 goals but they lost their balance of the ball. After 90 minutes of hustle and bustle, the whistle was blown to mark the end of the match.

Uweza player Ali Juma after scoring his goal

“Luck was not on our side today but  we played a good game," Team Manager Stam told me after the match. "I decided to organize this match with the All Stars from Kibera to encourage our young players from Uweza and help the older guys give back to the community. We are going to work on our mistakes and continue to improve."

Uweza FC has three matches remaining in the Nairobi County League. This Saturday they will be playing Liberty FC, who is currently ranked first in the league. The team had a brief meeting with their coach as Kibera All Stars players left the field. The players put on a brave look hoping that come next match, they will achieve a win.

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Rebecca Musanga is a member of the Uweza Journalism Club.

Rewarding Excellence

Story by Nicholas Gisemba.
Photos by Dorcas Kirwai and Rebecca Musanga


Saturday 1st Sep 2012 at was a day to remember as the boys and girls at Toi Primary School all looked in a jovial mood. Perhaps this was a result of the good work they had put into their soccer program. The day presented an opportunity to showcase the talent the players from the Kibera community have offered in different disciplines, such as best goalkeeper and best timeliness.

Girls team players

The guests of honor were area Langata District Officer Mr. Joel Mwangala, Kibera Chief Mr. Nassir Mohammed, Sarang`ombe area Chief John Mutai, two Kenyan Premier League players and the parents.  In attendance was also the Chief Executive Officer of Children of Kibera Foundation, Kenneth Okoth.

 An exhibition match between the players and their coaches drew much attention as the spectators were also treated to skillful play presented by the players.

C oaches vs. senior team exhibition match

The day also presented an opportunity to enjoy a dance performance from the Uweza dancing group who showcased their dancing skills to the parents and visitors present. Our team from the journalism club was also in motion by capturing all the moments as they unfolded.

The first performance of the newly formed Uweza Dance Club

The climax of the day was came when the winners in different categories of excellence started receiving their certificates, books and pens. The main focus of the day was to instill the spirit of hard work in all areas among the soccer players.

MacDonald Ochieng, with his mother and younger sister, accepts the certificate for Best Goalkeeper from AFC Leopards player Shaban Raul

In his addressing speech, area Langata DO Joel Mwangala, appreciated the work done by Uweza in nurturing talents among the Kibera community besides the focus given to education. He also gave the example of countries like Brazil which had excelled in sports by investing in their youth. On his part the CEO of Children of Kibera Kenneth Okoth put up an a encouraging spirit to both the parents to support their kids in education and not look down upon themselves as coming from poor families but work hard to excel in life.

Distroct Officer for Langata Joel Mwangala's closing remarks

The award ceremony also offers parents an opportunity to meet the coaches of various categories and get involved in progress of their children. The ceremony is held each term in accordance to the school curriculum.

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Nicholas Gisemba, Rebecca Musanga, and Dorcas Kirwai are members of the Uweza Journalism Club.

Uniting Kibera through Soccer

by Jen Sapitro

On Sunday August 19th, I paid a visit to Toi Primary to watch the Uweza Kibra league in action. The league, which brings together soccer clubs from throughout Kibera to compete in matches every Sunday at Toi Primary School, is now in it's eighth month after kicking off in January 2012 .  Uweza hosts and manages the league and provides the field, goal posts, balls, and referees.

According to League Coordinator and Uweza Under-12 coach Joash Ngaira, the league was initiated to enhance competition among young soccer players in Kibera.  Normally, players in Kibera are only able to participate in tournaments during school holidays and the league gives them the rare chance to play in competitive matches on a weekly basis.

Kibera Mtaani Girls play against Brothers FC Under-12

Players from seven different soccer clubs are currently participating in the first edition of the league.  Joash Ngaira says that the first edition was intended as a pilot project to see if there would be interest and participation among Kibera clubs.   So far, the league has been a success and there are plans to expand it's reach in the second edition, which will begin in January 2013.

Marren U-12 vs. Villa U-10

Uweza Team Manager Charles Kaindi hopes to recruit nine more clubs next year to bring the total participation to 16 Kibera clubs. A Junior League will also be started for Under-8 teams, who have been getting the occasional chance to play in the league but rarely participate in tournaments or friendly matches due to their young age.

Uweza U-8 vs KiMMta U-8 in action

To motivate the players, teams will be asked to contribute to a participation fee that will be used to make management of the league more professional and to purchase certificates, trophies, and medals to award the winners.

Uweza Team Manager Charles Kaindi adds that the league was intended to unite players, coaches, and Team Managers from throughout Kibera to improve the quality of soccer in the slum. As the league continues to grow, Uweza hopes to select players to participate in a Kibera United youth team that will represent the best in Kibera soccer in tournaments throughout Kenya and East Africa.

Some of the Uweza Kibra League players and coaches

 Final results for Sunday 19th August, 2012:

Barclays Africa (Uweza U-12) vs Brazaville (Uweza U-10) : 4-1                               
Marren U-12 vs Villa U-10 : 3-1                                              
Brothers U-12 vs KiMMta Girls: 2-0                  
Uweza Girls vs New Stars (Brothers FC) : 1-0          
Uweza U-8 vs KiMMta U-8 : 3-0            
Brothers U-8 vs Marren U-8 :1-0
Slum Soccer U-10 vs. New Stars (Brothers FC): 0-6
Slum Soccer U-12 vs. Black Stars: 2-0             

For league standings, check out: www.uweza.org/soccer/kibraleague.html. 

If you are a Kibera soccer club interested in participating in the next edition of the league, contact us at 0714371964 or uwezakenya@gmail.com.

Discipline counts in what you do in life

She is busy and very keen when with the girls on the pitch as she gives instructions during her soccer training. As a female coach, she has the determination to nurture talent among the Uweza girls soccer teams.

Meet Coach Joyce Khoyi who has come a long way in matters of soccer on the pitch. Just last month she was selected to be the Team Manager for a girls team representing Nairobi Province in the nationwide Copa Coca Cola tournament. She had the privilege of travelling to the coastal region and leading the team against girls teams from throughout Kenya. Two of the soccer girls from Uweza Foundation were also selected to travel with her to Mombasa to represent Nairobi province. Though they lost to Mombasa province in the finals of the tournament, this did not deter them from keeping their focus.

Coach Joyce leads all age categories of girls teams for Uweza

How has she found herself in love with the ball on the pitch? Her inspiration was realized from her father who was a strong soccer player with one of the local clubs. She used to escort her father to matches, and noticed that most of the coaches were male and kept thinking to herself whether one day she can also make a name as a female coach in the country. Her love with the ball started when she worked as a coach volunteer an organization known as Vepa in Dagoretti.  Here she stayed for a period of 4 months before being taken for a course to gain more skills as a coach. There on she formed her own girl’s soccer team in the Dagoretti area.

Besides coaching, Coach Joyce also participates as a coordinator and in involved in coordinating senior teams within Dagoretti.  During our interview I did pose a question to her, “how she came about to join Uweza Foundation?”   “I joined Uweza last year in April 2011 and got myself a chance to train girls under 16 years of age,” she notes. One outstanding thing I noticed during her training session is that she starts with prayers, before anything else.

Joyce leading the girls in a prayer

“I want to empower girls and besides coaching them on how to play soccer, I also incorporate life skills in my coaching. Life in Kibera can be very challenging and there are many challenges that girls do face and if they cannot get someone they can trust to guide them right, then they will really struggle in life,” says Coach Joyce.

Instructing the girls

Her advice to girls, “discipline counts above anything else, do not be cheated because of your talent, and end up wasting your God given talents, have an objective in life and be principled in whatever you do, and remember to always thank God for your being alive.”

Road to Success

by Nicholas Gisemba

Dennis Odhiambo is a slum born guy who has been brought up in Kibera slums his whole life. The 19 year-old joined Uweza Football Club three years ago. Uweza Foundation is an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) that supports youth and young children by creating and nurturing talents as early as possible. Examples of programs running in the organization include Journalism Club, Art Club, Soccer Club and lastly Tuition for both Primary and Secondary Students.

Dennis Odhiambo, Uweza senior team Captain

Today, I am interviewing Dennis about his experience as the Captain of Uweza FC, the senior team of uweza Soccer Academy. Life was not good for Dennis as he was growing up.  Things changed for him when he landed in the hands of Uweza Foundation. “In the second year after I joined Uweza FC, I was chosen as team captain due to my availability and contributions to the team. Being a captain is not an easy job,” he adds.   “I have to make sure that everything is in good order, which something that I was not used to. But now I am a responsible person not only on the team but also at home.”

Dennis talks with Nicholas Gisemba, Uweza Journalism Club member

Uweza FC plays in the FKF (Football Kenya Federation) Nairobi County League where the club is position 10 out of 20 teams in the league in their first year of participation. The team is provided with everything, so the players are divided into groups to wash the jerseys and boots after their matches.  Dennis organizes the washing every week. Beside the Nairobi County League, the team also participates in friendly matches and tournaments such as the upcoming East Africa Tournament. The team contains more than 20 players and 17 of the players are high school students.

“It is normally said that an idle mind is a workshop of the devil and the Soccer Academy was created to prevent idleness among youth in the Kibera community who might otherwise engage themselves with bad company or abuse of drugs and waste their lives at young age,” concluded the Captain.

Well, a winner never quits while a quitter never wins. Dennis promises that he will not stand to see his dream vanish like smoke in the air without any success.  In the future, he wants to see himself perhaps in the national team or another recognized team so that he can create vacancies and opportunity at Uweza FC for other young stars like himself.

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The author of this story, Nicholas Gisemba, is 22 years old and a member of the Uweza Journalism Club.

Previous stories by Nicholas:

Uweza FC vs. Githurai United
Celebrating World TB Day

Aspire Football Dreams Selection in Kibera

by Mathew Musyoka Muema 

On Thursday 31st May, Kibera football players gathered at Uweza's field at Toi Primary School in hopes of being selected to receive a scholarship to the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence in Qatar.  The Aspire Football Dreams scouting program is the world's largest-ever football scouting program.  It began in Africa but has since spread to 16 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The Aspire program is run in East Africa by Vision 21 Sports Consulting.  Uweza met one of Vision 21's staff in 2009 and was able to become one of 100 centers in East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) tasked with recruiting players to go to Qatar. 2012 is Uweza's second year of participating in the program.

Aspire staff member, Uweza Assistant Team Manager, and Aspire scout

Aspire scouts visit each of the 100 centers to select 50 players to attend the Final 50 Camp, held at Kasarani stadium in Nairobi from 6th to 9th June. This year, a very impressive four Kibera players (including one from Uweza's team) were scouted from Uweza's center to be part of the 50 to move on to the next stage.  Only a few players will be selected from the Final 50 to travel to Qatar.

Players participated in a series of matches to showcase their talent

I had the chance to interview some of the people involved on Thursday, here is what they had to say:

Coach Said, Uweza Aspire Center Coordinator: 

"We have held this Aspire program for two years now and I am happy our center produced four players.  Last year, only one player was selected so this means we are working hard and we have talent."

"We did have challenges, like the event being held on a school day, which meant that the turnout of players was low.  The program asks for players who are 13 years old but if you bring players that age, they are too young so we learned the lesson from last year and brought older players this year.  All of the players should continue to believe in themselves and coaches should encourage them."

From left: Uweza Sponsorship Coodinator Mathew, Uweza TM Stam, Kibera Stars Coach Ken, Uweza Aspire Coordinator Said, Uweza Aspire Physiotherapist Mobi, Uweza Aspire Assistant Coordinator Joash, Uweza Assistant TM Tilen

Charles Omondi, Uweza Senior Team Assistant Captain and Selected Player

"I enjoyed playing today and being selected to go to Kasarani," Charles told me with a big smile on his face. "The advice from our coaches was the best advice.  I am disappointed because some of the best players from our team were not selected and they deserved to be. I wish all the players would always follow the coaches instructions, because it helps."

Coach Stam, Uweza Team Manager and Senior Team Coach

"Charles is very lucky but I will express my feelings if he becomes one of the top three at Kasarani.  I'm happy our center was able to produce four players and have a lot of talent.  The scout mentioned that we have a good team of players which was very encouraging." 

The four selected players, from left: Felix Onyango, Charles Omondi, Joshua Kitheka, and Douglas Nyangareli

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Mathew Musyoka Muema is Uweza's Sponsorship Coordinator. He formerly coached the Uweza Under-16 team and still volunteers as a coach regularly.

Uweza FC versus Githurai United

Story and photos by Nicholas Gisemba

Although the most watched soccer league, the English premier league, is over, Kenyans are now getting a treat from the local league that involves local soccer clubs. Last Sunday our boys of Uweza FC traveled to a Githurai for an away match. Our boys were upbeat that they would do well just a few moments before the kick off time at Githurai  Primary School against Githurai United.  

Warming up before the match

11am sharp and the whistle was blown to kick start the match.  From the start, our opponents seemed to be hard on our boys as they dribbled the ball across the field, that kept all players alert and chasing the ball.

Uweza FC in action

On the 22^nd minute, the home team netted their first goal against our Uweza FC boys. And just before half time, another score was recorded by our opponents. At half time, the score remained 2 nil against our boys.

During the break, Team Manager Charles Kaindi, also known as coach Stam, had to give words of encouragement to his team, asking them to remain focused and never lose hope of overcoming their opponents in the coming second half after the break.

Team talk at halftime

The second half went on smoothly during the initial time, but come the 68^th minute, Githurai United had another chance and scored a third goal.  Despite the loss, team captain Dennis had to encourage his team members that all was not lost and that they need to practice more and work hard in their up-coming matches.

Uweza FC is currently ranked 9th out of 20 teams in Zone D in the Nairobi County League.

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 The author and photographer of this story, Nicholas Gisemba, is 22 years old and a member of the Uweza Journalism Club.

The Determination of Coach Said

by Thomas Bwire

As I watched the senior soccer team play today during their training session, I found myself drawn into the game as the ball kept running across the field while young energetic young men kept their momentum. Amidst the players was one coach by the name Said Mohamed whom you could easily mistake as one of the players, instead of a soccer coach. He played with his team members to keep the game strong from the opponents who were the senior boy’s category.

Coach Said, left, warming up with Sponsorship Coordinator Mathew and Coach Tilen

Time flew so fast that when the referee blew the whistle for the first break, I got the rare opportunity to grab coach Said for a small interview and get to know how his soccer journey has been.

He shared with me that his passion for the soccer started at a tender age of 7 years while still living with his parents in the coastal region. At that time, he used to accompany his elder brother by going to watch local matches that kept increasing his interest day by day. By the time he joined class seven, he found himself training with a senior soccer team.

Coach Said, on left, playing in a coaches vs. players friendly match

The greatest impact came from his mother who supported him throughout his journey to success as she could sacrifice her small savings from her business selling fish to give him money to purchase any soccer kit he required.

He later moved to Kibera in 2007 and had to stay with a relative as he looked for a casual job to enable him have some savings for himself. While staying in the city, he got to meet Uweza team manager Charles Kaindi, famously known as Coach Stam, who later introduced him to the organization program.  Said started with Uweza as a coach for the girls team and is currently tasked to manage the youngest categories, the under-8 and under-10 teams.

Coach Said Mohamed

Coach Said says that his greatest passion now working at Uweza is that he is happy to be working with the small team of both girls and boys from the Kibera community.  "Kids love to learn even if they see a challenge ahead of them, they keep up with the spirit, they are also flexible and don’t like to lose a game," says coach Said.

If he were to change something in the soccer industry, it would be to create ways of nurturing talent among the less fortunate children.  Most of them have great talents but no one notices them, since most of the soccer officials fail to scout for the best talents that can be beneficial for the country and their respective clubs as well.

Celebrating Success

by Jenipher Awuor

Today’s soccer was very different from the one known to each one of us, the traditional soccer played on the pitch with players running after the ball for 90 minutes to get the 3 crucial points awarded for a win. Well today’s soccer treat was a special one of its kind as all of the Uweza Soccer Academy players from the under 8 category to senior category all sat in one of the classrooms at one of the local primary schools in Kibera, Toi Primary. Sitting in the front rows were their parents who all came in large numbers to oversee the achievements realized by their kids.

A section of the parents present

This prizegiving event is held three times a year during the last Saturday of the month when schools are on vacation.  The exercise involves awarding kids in the soccer academy with certificates of awards on different areas ranging from the best disciplined, best timeliness, the best goal keeper, best defender, and best midfield and many other achievements. The last on the list are the third, second and first place awards for participation in the Uweza Soccer Academy's Points Program.

Earning points doesn’t come that easy for the players, their coaches carry out observations and write their reports at every training session and determine the points they award to their kids in areas such as discipline, effort, and attendance. The three players with the highest number of points from each category also receive prizes for their education such as school bags, uniforms, and payment of school fees. All active players in the program receive school notebooks and pens to hep with their studies.

The day started with a parents meeting, led by the Uweza Soccer Academy parents committee.  About 20 parents of players from different categories met to discuss issues such as the Points Program, community fundraising, and following up with coaches to discuss how players are doing in the program.  The meeting was led by Baba Faith, the elected Chairman of the committee who has three daughters participating in the girls team.

After the meeting, the prizegiving ceremony started with a word of prayer from one of the parents, followed by introduction of all the soccer coaches. The awards were first given to the girls’ team appreciating success, as each player received a certificate for having been active members of their club. The award for first place in points went to Sharon Chadota whom during my interview informed me that for one to be in her current position of success it takes so much hard work have patience and be presentable at all times as people look upon you. "I am very happy to have been awarded to day and I feel very much honored.  I know there is a lot to be done in order to still maintain this position,” Chadota told me.

Julia Adoyo receives the award for Most Disciplined on the girls team

Laurence Migele receives Leadership Award for boys Under-8 category

The next presentations that followed were for the boys categories, under-8 then the under-10, under-12, under-14, under-16 and finally the senior category. Alphonce Otieno took center stage by receiving a certificate of appreciation as the team's best player. "The fact that I have been chosen as the best, it doesn’t mean I shall stick on the same spot forever. I am looking forward to maintaining the same achievements come next time,” says Otieno.

Alphonce Otieno displays his Best Player certificate

With that the day came to an end after Mr. William Moi, the Program Manager took center stage in appreciating all the kids present including their parents for creating time to be here today.  "Working with the kids requires a joint effort both from our side as Uweza and also your side as parents. These kids playing soccer is not all in vain but for a purpose and that one day, they can all benefit,” noted Mr. Moi.

Mr. William Moi addressing the parents

Refreshments were served to all present after which everyone was at liberty to go at home at their own pleasure. I guess everybody was a winner in their small way as a victory in soccer needs combined efforts and the spirit of teamwork to get the most needed 3 points.

Uweza senior category

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Jenipher Awuor, pictured here with Journalism Club Instructor Thomas Bwire, is a Form 2 (second year) high school student at Gigiri Lions Secondary School.  She is a member of the Uweza Journalism Club.