Using the power of soccer to fight HIV/AIDS

The last week of October has been a busy week with a series of Skillz Kenya graduations conducted in various schools before schools lock out for the long holidays that will see schools reopen in January. The week is an exciting week as both 8^th grade students in primary schools and form 4 students in high schools are sitting in for their final examinations. Despite being confirmed as HIV community ambassadors and agents of change in their respective communities, the graduates are expected to share and amplify what they have learnt to their families, friends and the entire community. With the communities now expected to be busy and full of youth everywhere, VAP has lined up a couple of HIV awareness forums, football leagues, HIV testing tournaments, referral activities including voluntary medical male circumcision, family planning etc.

  Inclusion Walk

 Over 120 youth participants with and without intellectual developmental disabilities including teachers, volunteers, VAP staff and coaches, participated in a 4 hours procession walk that ended with a petition statement at the central organization of trade union offices (COTU). The petition letter presented to the secretary general, banked heavily on inclusion to the: society, schools and job opportunities for people with intellectual developmental disability.Additionally,leaflets with inclusion messages in the  society, schools and jobs were distributed  to various entrepreneurs and employers. The 7 kilometer procession walk aimed to amplify VAP’s commitment of integrating youth with intellectual developmental disability into our society, programs and moreover into employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through vocational training courses.

With football at the core centre of passing out health information, VAP was amongst other global health advocates who converged at the United Nations headquarters in New York for the UN High-Level Meeting (UN HLM) on Universal Health Coverage that took place on 23^rd September 2019.The meeting attended by various heads of states provided a great opportunity for all universal health coverage (UHC) champions and advocates to make voices heard and help mobilize high-level political attention globally in respective countries. With the theme being ‘Universal Health Coverage: Moving Together to Build a Healthier World,’ the meeting provided the last chance before 2023,the mid-point of the SDGs,to mobilize the highest political support to package the entire health agenda under the umbrella of UHC,and sustain health investments in a harmonized manner.

 Battling For Top 8 Honors

A total of 16 teams of mixed gender (8 male and 8 female) converged at mukuru community ground to battle it out for the annual Top 8 coveted football tournament. The tournament final which is a climax of the 8 chapters consisting of boys and girls teams playing during weekends on different areas of Nairobi provides an opportunity for the participants to share different ideas to address social challenges and issues affecting young people. With the matches being played on a knock out basis, participants create vital conversations in a safe space during and after the games led by VAP coaches.