Keeping contacts a Live

Last year 2012 in October, at the first ever East Africa Streetworldworld forum in Kigali Rwanda, Gichuki and Ojilo from TYSA meet Sara and Katy from Soccer Without Border (SWB) Uganda. These interactions created opportunity for greater understand about what organizations are doing in the region. As a follow up to this spirit, Gichuki from Friday 9^th and Saturday 10^th November 2012 visited SWB and Whizzkids for an exchange learning. Early this year in January, 10 young leaders form TYSA were hosted by SWB during its annual festival in Kampala.

Katy and Sara  who are volunteers at SWB Uganda on 25^th to 28^th March 2013 visited by TYSA for an exchange learning.  After two days at TYSA, they had this Lasting Impressions:

We are very impressed with TYSA approach to its beneficiaries and partners especially the schools. We participated in one of the secondary schools parents and students meeting. It’s here that TYSA shares its experiences with the parents

We have learnt how TYSA trains young leaders in different skills in order to take lead in the implementation of the activities. This is particularly important as it ensures sustainability of the organization and programs.

We are impressed by the fact that distance is not a barrier to TYSA outreach activities. We covered over 100 kilometers in a day

TYSA has built a strong trust with schools. We received warm welcome from the teachers and students. I could not believe that students follow instructions on the spot without delays and they enjoy every moment of the activity

It’s amazing how TYSA uses simple innovative storytelling to evaluate it impact in the community and its beneficiaries

We have crossed the border and heading to Mbale. Thank you for everything. Your work is truly inspiring. Talk soon. Sara and Katy

 For the two days Katy and Sara were with us, they had an opportunity to visit our beneficiaries and interact with them. These interactions rekindled memories of the past , opened new opportunities and lessons learnt;

Small but Big

When I was in nursery school, I learnt a game which I still played while in the university. I was impressed to find that TYSA is using the same game with children in the remote rural schools. Katy. This game is called on the river on the shore. This game improves the children’s listening, thinking and jumping skills. This game was used during the several activities contacted in schools that were visited.

A sloppy pitch

The St. Teresa’s form two students raised so many challenges affecting theme during the parents meeting. Katy and Sara listened attentively and through translations from Kiswahili to English, they understood the challenges facing the students.  When the school management gave them opportunity to address the parents and students, Katy came in handy and shared this analogy. As footballer, you find a sloppy pitch and you have to play for 90 minutes on it. What would you do! Would you start leveling the pitch!  Would you quit! The wayfoward is to adjust yourself to the pitch and achieve your goal. You must know how to balance in this pitch and what gears to put on.  This confirmed what TYSA motto is:  play, Learn and Act.

Control Ball ; Control Life

While in Uganda last November, Gichuki advised the children at SWB that if they can control a ball, they can control their lives. This was echoed by Sara and Katy to the students of St. Teresa’s Secondary school Tartar in West Pokot. It’s amazing how the girls are ambitious in life. They are talented in football. They are the Kenya champions 2012! TYSA has strong conviction and program on how to translate the skills and values gained in the pitch to normal ordinary lives of the beneficiaries.

 Let Me Play

Learning almost came to a standstill in all the schools that we had games. Children came running to the field of play. Their eyes bright radiating enthusiasm and hope. Every play moment was highly participative.  When the bell rung for them to go back to class, they were very sad and urged us to continue at for some extra minutes. Even the children from other classes were eager to join the games.

We have crossed the border and heading to Mbale. Thanks you for everything. Your work is truly inspiring. Talk soon. Sara and Katy

Dear.

Warm greetings from TYSA.We hope this email finds you well and in good health.

An organization that started 10 years ago as Self Help Group then to a Community Based Organization has now been transformed into an NGO. TYSA is currently undergoing a significant moment in its history. We are developing our next 5 year strategic plan. We are preparing to remain relevant as we reach out to larger and diverse audience.

You have travelled with us in this journey over the years. You know us and you have interacted with us in one way or the either. You have meet our staff, you donated to to our projects and or participated in our programs and we believe you understand us

We are now inviting you to join us in making our next 5 year strategic plan truly strategic and inspirational one. A strategic plan that will propel TYSA into the next level and still remain relevant to its Vision and Mission. Your broad, strategic experience will enrich this strategic plan by  your new perspective.

Please feel free to tear this Strategic Plan into pieces and it will be our responsibility to put them together again and come out with an enriched plan that will serve the organization and its beneficiaries. Your critical analysis is highly welcome.

We want to thank you in advance for taking time to input into this strategic plan that will transform TYSA into a more relevant organization in the 21^st century.

It’s our desire to receive your feedback by Tuesday 12th of February 2013 so that we incorporate it in the final draft which we shall share with you.

Looking forward to your unwavering support

Gichuki Francis

TYSA Executive Director

• TYSA NEW STRATEGIC PLAN (DOC)

 New Year Post Card

Dear TYSA friend,

At TYSA we are proud to serve over 5,000 children by providing safe and inclusive play across the Trans Nzoia County. Everywhere children depend on TYSA coaches, football facilities to have safe and productive play sessions and our education scholarships. They're also learning more than just physical skills; they learn life skills such as team building skills, cooperation and problem solving skills. Our highly motivational and inspirational exchange learning is popular among the children and youth

Your contribution to TYSA ensures that these children continue to receive these daily life lessons. As you decide your year end contributions please consider making a donation to TYSA today. The more than 5,000 children will thank you.

And remember for only $186 you can sponsor one child for an entire year to receive education, life skills, and play.

Thanks for your continued support. We wish you and your family happy holidays.

MY MOTIVATION

Am Wilkister, aged nineteen years. I come from a family of twelve, am born eighth. My family is not well of. my father has major physical disability which he  encountered in a road accident when I was in standard four, this has made my schooling more difficult due to lack of school fees. When I was in form three, I stayed at home for almost the whole year but I still had the passion to continue with my education and pursue a carrier in medicine. With the help of my head teacher at kipkeikei high school, he was willing to pay a half my school fees, the remaining part was done by my impressing performance in sports. Despite of all these problems, I was able to attempt my KCSE in the year 2010 and attained a mean grade of B-.

Football has been my favorite game since when I was still young. While in Primary school, I felt as if my talent was being undermined, this was due to the little interest the teachers had in sports at primary level. But still my passion grew stronger on daily basis. When I joined a high school, I felt the gap was being filled slightly. Later on, through Tran- Nzoia Youth Sports Association I got a chance to participate fully in sports especially football and also train the young people on value based football skills which they can apply in their daily life.

Medicine being my area of interest, I found that the training workshop on HIV and AIDs programming will enact more skills which can be more useful to me as I focus on pursing my carrier

 At TYSA, I run the girls program (Girls we can). Therefore I would like to enhance girls’ participation in football and HIV/AIDs programs after the participation in football and HIV/AIDs program after the training so that they can lead an HIV/AIDs free life.

 I have skills about football and HIV/AIDs. This is after participating in the training workshops such as Society Empowerment Project (SEP) in Oyugis-kisumu, Recreation for Development and Peace (RDP) in Uganda etc. But I feel there is still a gap of knowledge to be filled; since I feel what I got from those trainings is not enough for me to handle a teaching or program on the same. Therefore, I want to add value to the skills so that I can handle the program (football coaching and HIV/AIDs) fully on my own.

In rural parts of Trans-Nzoia, Elgon, Marakwet, West pokot etc, there has been low discussion among young people on HIV/AIDs. Therefore, through the skills I can gain, I will be able to break the culture of silence about HIV/AIDs among the people in different parts of the communities.

Our trip to East Africa Cup started on Tuesday, 26th June 2012 via Bus. We had fewer than 16 boy’s category to represent TYSA in EAC 2012.These includes one team leader, a coach and 11 players.It took us a whole day travelling but we arrived safely in Tanzania-Moshi. On reaching their we embarked on the scheduled program that we were provided with. On the 1^st day we started morning we had seminars for team leaders, coaches and players. The seminars were starting at 8:00am-9:00am in the morning before we go to the fields to play. In the seminars we had various topics which were being taught. This includes:

1. Leadership and Networking
2. Conflict Resolution
3. First Aid
4. Kicking Aids Out
5. Transformative and masculity
6. Faith
7. Coaching
8. Culture

This seminar was compulsory to every participant in East Africa Cup to attend. Therefore all of players and team leaders attended the seminars in any of the above topics. For each topic there was certificate being awarded at the end of the seminar. TYSA received their certificates according to the topics covered there. For example George Waweru who attended Conflict Resolution course says that, “I got skills on how to solve problems during conflict situation in our community and in the field.’’

After we had finished seminars in every morning, we were taken to various fields to play. For TYSA under 16 boys we played in Memorial ground. TYSA played against Migadini in the first match whereby we drew 2-2 and then later played with Chrisc Tanga which thrashed TYSA 2-1.In the following day we played against Edgar from Uganda which hammered us 3 goals nil (3-0) but they were very energetic and beyond our age bracket of the tournament.Therfore in our pool we finished number three(3) whereby we got a chance  to play best losers quarters.Inspite of that we did manage to win that match since we were beaten one nil(1-0).

Challenges faced

We had to pay half of the fare to Moshi and also buy food during travelling since the East Africa Cup did not cater for our transport and meals as they did last year. Also we got some of property being stolen (Team leader phone stolen on the bed while taking shower) since the dorms were not bunged.  The players also faced a challenge whereby their opponents were too big for them which made shy off and we had few 11 players only which become difficult for us to substitute player when injured. We find that when a player gets injury and comes out the team remains less. Lastly; we didn’t send our team leader early so that he/she can prepare way for us simply because when we reached their we found ourselves stuck nobody to assist us and all of us were tired.

Recommendation

We recommend that we need to plan early and prepare the right teams that will represent TYSA in EAC 2013.Aslo we should include the girls team to participate since the girls are doing great in EAC and they are secure after some improvement being made in the security department and venue. In addition to that all players should assemble together 2 days early before departure to EAC.The players should process needed travelling documents prior before the travelling date. In conjunction to that taking less players costs the team for fear that major injuries that might arise to the players and cannot play again.

 Conclusion

To conclude, the players learned a lot not only in the seminars but also in the field and from other children who came from different countries. It was really learning and playing exposure for them whereby they interacted freely with others and make friendship abroad.

In general the EAC 2012 was very good organized compared to the last years. The venue was much secured to everyone. We enjoy the provisions and weather condition which was cool and warm. We hope next time will better than this.

This report was compiled by Lucas, the team leader