When Alive & Kicking Kenya sent out footballs donated on GlobalGiving to the Gideon Soldiers Orphanage in Nyanza Province, the last thing we expected is that they would share the joy of having a proper ball to play with, with a fellow home. Newton Atela, Director of the Gideon Soldiers Orphanage wrote the following upon receiving the donated soccer balls:

“I write to let you know that I received the balls for our children. Thank you so much. 1 ball we gave Peace Children (Otonglo). Thanks a lot and kindly note that before receiving those balls the Gideons (Name for the Orphans) were using balls made of polythene. Being that the orphanage is in the rural area, we have large fields and using the polythene-made balls was not enjoyable. Thanks again. Our orphans loved the balls and on the 1st day as they played, it attracted over 30 children. The whole scene was GOOD. Almost like an early Christmas. We love you & thank you again.”

Zacheus Ochieng, Director of Peace Children's Ministry also wrote back to us to express their gratitude for their first ever ball:

“It is with much love and joy that we send our greetings and love to you from Peace Children's Ministry here in Kisumu, Kenya. This mail comes to you to thank you so much for the football that we received from you through Gideon Soldiers Orphanage. The donation was of a great blessing to the orphans in our center and children in crisis who now can have their first ever ball to play with and be happy together. May God richly reward you for your kind donation to the orphans.”

As Alive & Kicking Kenya, we cannot thank you enough for your generous donations that continue to enable us to distribute more soccer balls to needy children across Kenya. We value your support and look forward to putting more balls at the feet of children around the country, and Africa. As always, we value your comments and input so please keep them coming!

Pictures:

• Kisumu_group_pic.jpg (JPG)
• First_ever_ball.jpg (JPG)

Meeting Joel and talking to him gives you so much Joy.

As I walked into the godown where Alive & Kicking offices are along Mombasa, I was met with a strong smell of chemicals. But behind this, there is serious business going on in at this place, lives are changing through this small industry.

I am met by a tall young man sporting a big smile, he ushered me to the offices upstairs, welcomed me to feel at home. The walls of his office are ardoned by a picture of Kenyan sports celebrities and ready footballs. It is indeed a football center.

Joel took me through every step of the project information, and with a tear running down his cheek, he tells me the guy who started this vision passed on. His name is Jim Cogan, "but I am determined to carry it on by all means," he says.

This guy is passionate about this football making business, but he takes pride in making reference to an old man I met as I walked into the premises. This guy is called Martin Juma. He explains to me how a football is made, step by step.

"What are your challenges?" I ask.

"Putting bread on the table for these young people and their families daily. That is my core business - getting them out of antisocial behavior - that is my business for as long as I am 'Alive & Kicking.' That is what Jim taught me."

Joel continues. "We have walked a difficult journey, my team and I have to work extra hours to make sales. You see, if we don't make sales then we can not sustain this project and these young people here will go back to lives of crime."

As we talk, we are constantly interrupted by someone who wants to consult, or by a visitor who wants Joel to send a representative either to assess their project for support or witness a sports event. He takes me to the finance office and then the marketing office. "Leah, would you like to look at our financial records?"

"Yes by all means," I respond. The accountant quickly pulls out some records which I browse through and ten leaves. After the tour, I get back to his office and there is a pile of files for me to look at.

He does not hesitate to furnish me with any information I ask for. I don't know the social family background of Joel, but he left a living impression on my mind that HE CARES for the less privileged members of the society. It is so deep in his heart that it overflows to his face and radiates among all the people around him. "These guys have come to collect some footballs. Would you like to have a chat with them?" he asks.

"Yes, if they have a little time to spare," I say. Then he introduces me to Charles and Julias from Kayole and leaves me talking to them while he attends to other matters.

=============================
A chat with Charles and Julias (beneficiaries)

Charles Owino and Julias Nyandega are teachers at St. Francis progressive center in one of the slums in Nairobi.

They have a sports event at their school and so they had come to collect some balls. "Alive & Kicking has supported us for last 4 years," Charles said. "They found the children using balls that are made from papers out of the garbage. Since then, they have not turned their backs on us. They visit and also donate balls to the school."

"How do you support them from your end?" I ask.

"Sometimes we buy one or two because we realise that they have people to pay. They also visit us and the children feel good. They visited us with Denis Oliech (a famous Kenyan footballer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Oliech) and the kids felt honored. I will never forget that joy and excitement, when they saw Denis Oliech. They also talk to the children about HIV/AIDS, drug and substance abuse."

"When they give you free balls, do they disclose who supports them with that?" I ask.

"Yes," responds Julias, "they tell us that GlobalGiving is behind all this. We are praying for Joel and his team that they may reach more children in Kenya and especially in the rural parts of our country."

Attachments:

• Alive_and_kicking_evaluation_part1_6_15_09.pdf (PDF)
  

Greetings from Alive & Kicking Kenya!



The past few months have been busy and exciting for us here at AKK, and we’ve tried our best to bring you up to speed on all the happenings in the attached newsletter.



We cannot thank you enough for your continuous support, and as always, we welcome your comments, questions and suggestions.

Links:

• Alive & Kicking Introduction Video on YouTube

Attachments:

• Newsletter_September_2009.pdf (PDF)
  

Over the last two weekends of July, we took the Penalty Kick Challenge out to Kayole and the Mukuru slum, where we gave out another 47 balls donated by you to soccer-loving children from under privileged families. Combined with coaching drills that offered the children the opportunity to improve their soccer skills as well as learn about HIV/AIDS, the kids were quick to imitate the moves of their football heroes, expected on the continent next year for the FIFA World Cup, upon receiving the balls.

In total, about 200 children directly took part in the recently concluded challenge, which resulted in 87 quality leather soccer balls landing in the hands of some of the poorest of children in Kenya. Below are comments from some of the participants and recipients of the soccer balls:

I would like to thank the coaches who actually spent their time to teach us more about HIV & AIDS, and also appreciate them for the balls and certificates they gave us.
Kevin O. Asava (Soweto, Kayole).

Thank you for taking the time to visit us. We have a lot of talent in Gatoto and with the balls and training you have offered the children, we can go far. We welcome you to come again.
Teacher Josephat (Gatoto Community Primary School, Mukuru).

In football, we normally say that practice makes perfect, and with the balls we have received, we have already started practicing. I know that by doing that as a team, we will improve our talents and even it will create unity among the different tribes, which will therefore help our country. I am delighted to have a ball.
Yours sincerely,
Baraza Philip, Captain (Kayole).


For the smiles and excitement you helped bring to these children, we at Alive & Kicking, thank you. Moreover, for the part you played in enabling us to create health awareness among these children, and thus addressing their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, we thank you even more.

We hope to take the Penalty Kick Challenge out to more slum and rural areas around the country in November/December. However until then, we shall continue stitching and bouncing balls out of our workshop and into the playing fields of Kenya to engage more children and youth in their fundamental right to play.

As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions, and we are truly grateful for your continuous support.

Pictures:

• You_cant_tell_by_looking_Drill_PKC_Kayole.JPG (JPG)
• PKCMukuru_310709.JPG (JPG)
• PKC_Kayole_Winners.JPG (JPG)

The Penalty Kick Challenge Hits Kibera

With a population estimated at 1 million, Kibera is Kenya’s largest slum. Although famous for all the wrong reasons; pollution, poor sanitation, ethnic conflicts, insecurity, and poverty, the love of the beautiful game is not lacking in this area. Since launching the penalty kick challenge we’ve visited 2 villages in Kibera; Olympic and Undugu where we gave away 40 footballs donated by you to children who proved they could bend it like Beckham and score it like Landon Donovan when up against our goalie in the penalty box.

More than just walking away with quality footballs, the children underwent coaching drills designed by Tackle Africa (link attached) to inform them of HIV/AIDS as well as improve their football skills. Vincent Omuchei (12 years), one of the children who participated in the challenge had this to say, “We learnt about prevention measures and I felt very free to ask questions on HIV/AIDS”.

Kennedy Onyango, one of the local Coaches present at the challenge had this to say of the event, “The lessons were fantastic because it is high time we coaches spoke to our children on areas of life and HIV/AIDS…”

Vincent Kegode, Chairman of Kibera Mpira Mtaani, and a partner at the event said, “It was nice to see children learning on HIV/AIDS. The balls will be a big boost for the kids in Kibera as they prepare for matches. Come back again.”


Upcoming events

This coming weekend (Sat, 25th July), the Penalty Kick Challenge hits Kayole; a densely populated area in the outskirts of the capital city, where more children will get to learn about HIV/AIDS through a medium they enjoy as well as get the rare opportunity to own their very own football. We shall endeavor to keep you posted on the happenings. Until then, thank you for your continuous support, without which the ongoing Penalty Kick Challenge would not be possible.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’d love to hear from you!

Links:

• http://www.tackleafrica.org

Pictures:

• The_HIV_Awareness_Coaching_Drills.JPG (JPG)
• He_shoots.JPG (JPG)
• Weve_got_the_balls.JPG (JPG)

Michael Acton and Christine Illanes are students who traveled throughout Africa and visited a number of GlobalGiving projects. On March 19th they visited "Making footballs that can save lives in Africa ." When asked what they would tell their friends about this project, Mike said: “Great: They are making a difference," while Christine said "Incredible: You need to see this!"

Michael writes:

We visited the factory where Alive & Kicking Kenya makes most of its footballs/soccer balls. Joel picked us up early from our hotel and drove us out towards the airports where they employ about 40 people to make footballs with personalized messages. Most of these messages tell people ways to stay healthy (e.g. avoid HIV/AIDS & Malaria). The footballs are designed and produced wholly in-house.

While the organization creates and sells footballs, it is a non-profit organization and donates a large number of balls during their workshops. The office was covered in posters of Kenyan football stars dispelling myths about HIV/AIDS and explaining how to stay healthy.

The floor manager showed us how the footballs were made from start to finish. Due to the compressed nature of our visit, the only beneficiaries we visited were those who were making the soccer balls.

After visiting the factory floor, we spoke with Joel and the floor manager about Alive & Kicking Kenya. Unfortunately, the global economic situation has affected the number of orders given to Alive & Kicking. They have had to make some cutbacks in the production process. They work with their partner organization in the UK for strategic planning. Nevertheless they work hard at providing quality footballs that will promote healthy living to African children.

Christine writes:

Joel Kinuthia met me at my hotel and drove me out to see the factory where Alive and Kicking Kenya soccer balls are made. Joel told me that prior to Alive and Kicking, no one made soccer balls in Africa and that the synthetic ones that were imported were meant for grass, not the more common dirt fields in Africa. Therefore, Alive and Kicking makes soccer balls using natural materials that are hand stitched by employees.

The employees at Alive and Kicking are some of the people that the organization is helping by providing them with training and income. The other major beneficiaries are the children, since the main goal of Alive and Kicking is to get as many soccer balls to kids as possible by providing them at cost to other NGOs.

The month of June was full of activity for us here at Alive and Kicking Kenya. Apart from distributing over 150 balls to children’s homes and organizations such as Heshima Kenya, and Carolina for Kibera, we have availed balls to various charitable sports initiatives around the country, including the Kenya Homeless World Cup, and the Support Activities in Poverty Eradication & Health (SAIPEH)/Sporting Chance International football tournament in Mumias, Western Kenya.

We also had the pleasure of hosting Leah Ambwaya; the local GlobalGiving evaluator last month. Transparency is important to Alive and Kicking Kenya. As such, Leah’s visit was very much welcome for it will not only give you, our donors open feedback on our activities, but it will also provide us the opportunity to learn and improve as we strive to achieve our goals.
…..

World Cup 2010 – Celebration or Sham?

As exciting as the month of June was, July promises to be even more exciting as we embark on a ‘Penalty Kick Challenge’. In exactly one year, the FIFA World Cup will be hosted in Africa for the first time but sadly this global extravaganza may come and go without positively influencing the lives of young Africans who have been affected and are increasingly vulnerable to infectious diseases. It is in recognition of the latter and the fact that thousands of young children in the slum and rural areas of Kenya continue to use balls made out of plastic bags and string, that Alive and Kicking Kenya aims to promote health as well as land more balls in the hands of children who have never played with a real ball before, let alone owned one during our ‘Penalty Kick Challenge’ starting this month.

Through mini-football clinics to be held around the country, we aim to deliver sport-based health education as well as enable young aspiring footballers in the country, like millions around the world to have fun playing with balls that last. During the clinics, children will receive free football tips administered via unique coaching drills designed to inform them about HIV/AIDS. What’s more, children who sign up for the clinics will get the opportunity to take a penalty kick (at reasonable range of course) for a chance to win and own their very own football. Basically, if they can aim it, kick it and score it, they get to keep it!

Your support this month will therefore go a long way in changing the lives of Kenyan children through football as we count down to the World Cup. Not only will it enable more children around Kenya to have quality, informative footballs to call their own, but it will also provide them the opportunity to exercise their fundamental right to play as well as raise their HIV/AIDS awareness. No donation is too small to help us make the 2010 World Cup more meaningful to the lives of Africa’s poor.

Pictures:

• Terry_Children_Support_Home__Youth_Resource_Centre.JPG (JPG)
• TournamentGirls_play_too.JPG (JPG)
• My_ballbefore__after.JPG (JPG)

Re: Appreciation for the volley balls donation
Heshima Kenya wishes to thank you for your support in providing us with four volley balls for use in the recently established sports component of our Children’s Empowerment Program.

With many thanks and warmest regards,
Talyn Good,
Co-Executive Director

Thanks to your kind donations, Alive and Kicking on 11th July, 2009, was able to present Heshima Kenya with volley balls to start off a sports project, which aims to promote health and restore the highest possible level of normalcy to the unaccompanied refugee girls it caters to. The girls, who have faced a cycle of violence and war, couldn’t wait to get their hands on the balls.

Heshima Kenya is a non-profit organization that specializes in identifying and protecting separated and orphaned refugee children and youth living in Nairobi, Kenya. They run a safe house and a children’s empowerment project that seeks to provide support to rebuild the lives of unaccompanied refugee children; particularly girls aged 13-18 years. Many of the girls they cater to come from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia, and are survivors of unimaginable atrocities. With limited access to formal assistance in Nairobi, they must cope with extreme poverty and the physical and emotional scars from war, and in many cases, prior abuse and exploitation.

In addition to the balls donated, Alive and Kicking also availed a set of health awareness posters to compliment Heshima Kenya’s HIV/AIDS prevention module. With your continued support, we look forward to a long-lasting partnership with Heshima Kenya to keep their girls playing and feeling more like children again, and ultimately nurturing confident and responsible girls who will be able to actively participate in society.

Pictures:

• The_lovely_girls_Isabel__Talyn.JPG (JPG)
• Ready_Set_PLAY.JPG (JPG)

Make no mistake we at Alive & Kicking are very thankful to all of you; our supporters, for believing in our initiative. Below are two of many messages of thanks that we have received for the balls we have been able to distribute through your generous donations this past quarter.

…………………….

I’m Modester Imbuluku; a player of Bravillian Queens Association. On behalf of my team members, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much for the balls you have offered unto us. This has really motivated us and we are working hard to achieve our goals. May God bless the work of your hands for the good work that you are doing.

…………………….

Dear friends,

A short letter of thank you in acknowledgement of receipt of footballs donated to the Baraka Village, South Coast, Kenya.

Baraka Village is populated by those unfortunates who have suffered the debilitating and disfiguring effects of leprosy disease together with their families….The children could not quite believe that the footballs were theirs for keeps until they were allowed to start kicking them. Thank you for caring and please continue to care.

Ken
(On behalf of the residents of Baraka Village)

…………………….

To date, approximately 180,000 balls have bounced out of our Alive & Kicking Kenya factory to provide not just fun for children and youth, but to also educate them on HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention. All this would not have been possible without your assistance. Thus from the children who benefit from the balls; the stitchers you keep employed with every ball that you purchase, and all of us at the Alive & Kicking family, thank you for your continual support. Asante sana!

Pictures:

• My_ball_Maungu.JPG (JPG)
• Happy_Recipients_Brydges_Childrens_Centre_Karen.jpg (JPG)
• football_1.jpg (JPG)

I'm happy to announce that Alive & Kicking hve been awarded one of the inaugural SCORE4Africa football awards, presented by AFFORD - the African Foundation for Development, in recognition of the good work being done by Footballers or Footballing Organisations in Africa.

Our work was recognised as the most enterprising football initiative in Africa.

The ceremony was conducted at a gala dinner held in the House of Lords. Other recipients included Didier Drogba, George Weah and Arsene Wenger - so it seems our hard work is being recognised in high places!

For more info on AFFORD and the event, please visit www.score4africa.org

Have posted a photo of Didier Drogba with his award and one our balls in the gallery.

Read about some very special achievements; a change in leadership; our partnership with Nakumatt - Kenya's leading supermarket chain; our latest HIV Awareness Roadshow; our involvement in Environmental Awareness and Peace & Reconciliation initiatives, and so much more.

Attachments:

• October_Newsletter.pdf (PDF)
  

Alive & Kicking profiled in Beijing

UEFA's support continues

Paralympic Marathon Champion Henry Wanyoike's Hope for the Future Run

HIV/Awareness Posters Launch

Sport for Social Change Network EA Workshop & Per Omdal

Visit of West Ham Goalkeeper - Robert Green

School Sports

New Supporters

News Briefs

Attachments:

• Newsletter__July_08.pdf (PDF)
  

If you saw the recent photos of Prince Harry playing football in Lesotho, he was using a ball made by Alive & Kicking!

West Ham & England Goalkeeper Robert Green came out to Nairobi in June to raise funds for AMREF. Alive & Kicking made 50 balls for the visit. An interesting account of his experiences can be read on http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/rob-green-21-days-that-changed-my-life-865856.html - from which you'll see he's not your archetypal professional soccer player!

Per Omdal - Vice President of UEFA - has made a personal donation that will pay for 3,000 A&K balls to be distributed to kids in Africa. Selected recipient organisations include SCORE in South Africa, SOS Children's Homes in Kenya & Zambia, Moving the Goal Posts, AMREF, MYSA, World Scouts, Red Cross and the Sports for Social Change Network (SSCN) East Africa.


In October, Rob Kinder, Sam Trusty and Jamie Whitcroft will be heading out to Zambia for the month and will be driving around the country distributing Alive and Kicking footballs to schools and orphanages. They are doing the trip as a partnership with The Great Football Giveaway (http://www.thegreatfootballgiveaway.org.uk/future.htm) who are helping to raise money and the profile of Alive and Kicking.

Alive & Kicking's HIV Awareness Posters are finally on their way to all 4,000 public secondary schools in Kenya following a media launch hosted by Safaricom (Vodafone in Kenya). Red Cross and Safaricom contributed to the funding.

Pictures:

• Balls provided by Per Omdal being given to Kenya's Homeless (JPG)
• West Ham Goalkeeper Robert Green (JPG)
• Coaches from Seacoast United assisting Auma Obama and Alive&Kick (JPG)

Open the April Newsletter to find out more about the situation we find ourselves in after the post election violence. Other topics include our start up in South Africa; our HIV Awareness Posters being printed and distributed to all 4,000 government schools in Kenya; our starting a supporters club on Facebook.

Attachments:

• Newsletter April 2008.doc (DOC)

I'd love you to open the attached file and read Ashoka Changemakers' announcement that the project you've been supporting was selected from 382 entrants in 69 countries by an eminent panel of judges as one of the finalists in their SPORT FOR A BETTER WORLD competition. We didn't get the on-line votes to make the top three - but think of the real winners. More people are going to visit this site, more kids are going to get balls, more HIV/AIDS awareness is going to be conducted and more jobs will be created. Now isn't that good news?

Attachments:

• Sport for a Better World.eml (EML)

The violence that has erupted in Kenya following the disputed Presidential Election has resulted in tragic loss of life and a massive problem of internal displacement. More than 250,000 innocent Kenyans have had to flee their homes - simply because of their tribal origins. All the Alive & Kicking balls that you are currently purchasing are being sent to the camps that have been set up to provide shelter for the displaced. Kenya Red Cross, who are overseeing the camps, have been given 200 balls so far, and 70 balls have been sent independently - 20 to a camp alongside Kibera in Nairobi, and 50 and a larger camp in Kitale. According to our friends at the Red Cross, until the balls arrived, there was little else for the children to do to help pass the long hours in their temporary homes. So thank you all for making this possible.

Progress Update

Kenya Government want Alive & Kicking's sports based HIV/AIDS awareness posters displayed in every secondary school in Kenya.

Two rally crews entering the East African Safari Classic raise over US$ 60,000 for Alive & Kicking.

Posters launched at the National AIDS Control Council's observation of World AIDS Day.

Over US$ 3,000 raised at the Nairobi Christmas Craft Fair

New Supporters

News Briefs

Attachments:

• December Newsletter.doc (DOC)

The Kenya Goverment's National AIDS Control Council (NACC) inivted AKK to launch its HIV/AIDS awareness posters featuring Kenya's top sports personalities at their key event on World AIDS Day.

Attachments:

• Global Giving Project Updates 04.12.07.doc (DOC)

Alive & Kicking donate 1,000 balls to the Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association.

Alive & Kicking conduct a 5 week long HIV/AIDS awareness Roadshow using music, drama and sport in Suba District, Lake Victoria.

Alive & Kicking Zambia launched.

Safaricom Foundation appoint Alive & Kicking Kenya as implementation partners

Ball Donations

New Supporters

Pictures:

• Newsletter Page 1 (JPG)
• Newsletter Page 2 (JPG)

Featuring

The Henry Wanyoike Foundation & Balls for the visually impaired;
The Sport for Social Change Network;
KASS FM's Chairman's Cup;
The Mater Heart Run;
New Supporters;
The Alive & Kicking Ladies

Pictures:

• Page One (JPG)
• Page Two (JPG)