Drama, Dance, Music, & Sport for Kisumu Youth

The Kisumu Youth Football Association’s (KYFA) 2013-14 leagues have begun and Manyatta United, the youth soccer team supported by the Manyatta Youth Resource Center (MYRC) and Equip Manyatta, is the talk of the town.  With direction from the MYRC’s new head coach, Opiyo, Manyatta United has started the season unbeaten in all categories.  This year, the MYRC is supporting more teams and youth football players then ever before.  With u-12 boys, u-14 boys, u-14 girls, u-16 boys, and u-18 men, the MYRC is supporting almost 200 youth soccer players.  With the increase in players and coaches, it is a constant struggle to be able to find enough funds to support so many.  

The performing arts section is also working hard in preparation for this year’s Kisumu Vybez Awardz.  On this night, Kisumu’s top artists, dancers, and producers come together to crown the year’s greatest with performances and awards.  MYRC members have been nominated for best producer, best female artist, best collaboration, best hip-hop artist and best solo song.  One artist supported by the MYRC, Nahna, collaborated with Kisumu diva, Needah, in a video that has been nominated best music video of 2013.  You can view K-Town by Needah featuring Nahna at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpcHPvZgtjE

The MYRC’s recording studio, Starbell Records, has been supporting a new producer, Jamal Malique, as Equip Manyatta sponsors Azaria Juma, the MYRC performing arts director, at Home Boyz production school in Nairobi.  This school is the top music production school in East Africa.  We hope that when Azaria finishes school he will be able to return to Kisumu and collaborate with Malique to make the studio even stronger.  Malique has been nominated as a best producer candidate for the Vybez Awards.  You can visit his Reverb Nation page and hear some of his work at:

http://www.reverbnation.com/jamalmaliqueproducer.

With so much happening in 2013, the MYRC and Equip Manyatta need continuous donor support in order for their programs to stay successful.  The MYRC wants to be able to pay its employees a livable wage and also keep programs going that the youth need.  With your support and the support of others, this goal will be possible. 

Greetings friends of Equip Manyatta and the Manyatta Youth Resource Centre,

Equip Manyatta is proud to have been accepted onto Global Giving’s donation website after meeting their fundraising challenge in December 2012.  Thank you so much for your support during this contest! Without your support, we would not have been able to meet our goal.  Thanks to you, we helped the Manyatta Youth Resource Centre (MYRC) in Kisumu, Kenya continue to support over 150 youth soccer players, dramatists, musicians and dancers.  Meeting our fundraising challenge has enabled us to permanently remain on Global Giving, which allows us the opportunity to continue receiving funds online.

With your support, the MYRC was able to collaborate with two local Kenyan groups, Mavuno FC from Nairobi and Kisumians from Kisumu to host a youth soccer tournament called Pendo Moja: Peace in Kisumu.   This tournament, held on January 4^th-5^th, provided the opportunity for four under-14 girls teams, four u-14 boys teams and eight u-17 boys teams, totaling over 270 players, to compete in a safe and exciting environment.  The message of the tournament was keeping peace in Kisumu during the upcoming general election in March.  The MYRC drama team and MYRC musicians provided entertainment throughout the tournament and performed songs and skits that dealt with the importance of maintaining peace in Kisumu and in Kenya as a whole.  Lunches were provided for all participants and the victorious teams were awarded a trophy, two balls, and a jersey for the top-scorer.  This tournament created an opportunity for girls like Elizareen, pictured here with friends, to compete in her first soccer tournament, playing for the MYRC.  The girl’s team Port Florence won the girl’s category at Pendo Moja.

The money that Equip Manyatta raised has also enabled the MYRC to maintain its office and provide financial support to its volunteers and programs.  The MYRC is now able to continue to rent the building it uses as its headquarters where the MYRC recording studio and dance room are set up. 

Once again, thank you so much for your support, which made this and much else possible.  Let us know what you think about our project and how we can continue to keep you involved.  Though we reached our goal for Global Giving, Equip Manyatta will need to continue to maintain funding for the MYRC while it searches for new ways to support its programs.

 
Sincerely,
Keevan Labowitz, Co-Chair

Links:

• Equip Manyatta and Manyatta Youth Resource Centre