Drama, Dance, Music, & Sport for Kisumu Youth

The Training of Trainers workshop, hosted by Manyatta Youth Resource Centre, helped educate MYRC leaders and others about how to use our sports and arts programs to more effectively interact with young people as they deal with the many challenges facing them today.  The workshop was facilitated by MidRift Hurinet, a non-profit founded in 2009, around the same time as the MYRC, in response to the extreme post-election violence in Kenya.  MidRift Hurinet works on peace building and non-violence education training by helping leaders and mentors better respond to the young people in our programs.

Participants were guided through age-effective strategies, learning how to help stressed young people and identify those who might need more intensive engagement.  The training emphasized leadership as a value system, teaching coaches and mentors to cultivate resilience, empathy, and accountability among the youth they guide. 

Discussions on emerging issues, from peer pressure to the risks of unemployment and violence, reminded participants that the playing field is also a classroom for life skills and a way to energize social transformation.  One of the principal purposes of the MYRC has always been to help channel our youth’s energy into productive activities that lead to more stable, productive communities.  The Training of Trainers workshop allowed our leaders and mentors to amplify their skills to help reach those goals.

One of the workshop leaders was Aguero.  Once caught in a dangerous cycle of gang activity, Aguero’s life turned around when he crossed paths with MYRC Executive Director Oballah, who introduced him to our sports-for-peace programs.  He eventually gained skills as a playmaker, but also rose to become a trainer of trainers, guiding peers with the same lessons that helped save him. 

His transformation has extended beyond the pitch; he participates in climate change initiatives, balances his livelihood with a motorbike business, and counsels families who seek his guidance for their children. His acknowledgement of the role of dance, art, and music in inspiring youth reinforces that there are many ways that creativity and resilience can intersect. 

On the football pitch, conflict is inevitable; fouls are made, tempers flare, and mistakes happen. It is within these moments that young people learn to negotiate, forgive, and move forward together.  These lessons extend beyond football fields, preparing young people to handle disputes in classrooms, homes, neighborhoods, and communities.

Among the many challenges for the MYRC, principally funded by Equip Manyatta, is creating pathways that link sports, arts, and music to mentorship, livelihood, and inclusion.  The Training for Trainers event was a solid, effective step along that road. 

We thank you for your support over the years and ask that you help us continue to change lives for the better in these difficult times.