Using the power of soccer to fight HIV/AIDS

Coaches Refresher Training Course

Dusting off the December holidays and its attached hang-overs, three seasoned master coaches with vast experience about Skillz program and HIV, led a battery of forty coaches through a three day refresher training course for all SKILLZ coaches. With newly recruited coaches on board, the aim of the workshop was to introduce Skillz program to the new coaches and getting the rest of the coaches stay on course with the program, catching up with the emerging trends and to make sure that everybody reads on the same page as far as program delivery is concerned. The trainings also included the importance of measuring the impact and how to conduct appropriate and effective qualitative and quantitative monitoring and evaluation with the program participants.” The trainings have been very effective and interesting. The inclusion of some plays and fun as they learn fit the youth so well.” Said Wanja, a new Skillz coach.

Training With Coaches Across Continent

For the sixth consecutive year VAP played host to Coaches Across continents in conducting a 5 day sports for social impact trainings with over 40 coaches, some from VAP and others from different clubs and organizations. With a split of the coaches being returning coaches and some being new, the aim of the training was to introduce new football for social impact games and learning new games and skills from the local coaches in attendance. CAC’s certified community impact coaches from VAP led in most of the games teaching new games and skills to the rest of the coaches Some of the new games learned and shared included topic covering;HIV,EDUCATION, and ENVIRONMENT.The invited coaches and organizations who partner with VAP programs took home a bonus knowledge of football for life skills that they would implement with their respective teams, while the host the trainings supplemented additional knowledge and expertise in delivering sports based life intervention programs. The coaches in attendance agreed to form a whatzz up and a facebook networking group where they would share out their activities, information including child protection policy etc.

Programs Around The Schools

With schools having kicked off in the month of January, it’s all systems go, with different programs actively running in schools. Armed with fresh information from the refresher course with targets and goals already set, the coaches are reaching out to secondary and primary school students as well as community members across Nairobi. Despite the awareness programs, plans are afoot for this year’s thematic community events that are generally perceived as a ‘bonus’ to the ongoing awareness program both for the participants and community members where they would access health services and other life changing information from various partners. Additionally with the approval from Kenya medical research institute and the partnership of other institutions,VAP is setting up the stage to run a couple of pilot studies surrounding its

After graduating in their school last year,19 years old Stephanie Njeri has just made her mind by joining VAP as a volunteer coach. Stephanie was an active participant of Skillz Kenya program at her former school where she was involved in all the sessions that led to her program graduation. Despite participating in the Skillz Kenya program, she was an avid football player in her school and a charismatic student leader.
“I want to give back to the community what was given to me.I want to help other young children to get an opportunity to better themselves, make informed healthy decisions and contribute towards developing our communities. This experience will act as a springboard to my future career of working with the community even as I await for a college call up.” Said Stephanie

A mixture of 3 young girls and 2 young boys was part of the team that represented VAP at the just concluded third edition of East Africa streetfootballworld Festival held in Iringa at the backyard of IDYDC who were the host organization. The one week event was also attended by a cross section of other twelve streetfootballworld member organizations from East Africa. During the one week event, the young participants were busy involved in football games, workshops and cultural exchanges geared to address social challenges across the region. The football games were played in a football3 format a unique way of playing football considering the basic principles of fair play, inclusion and respect conducted by the participants themselves in the absence of the referee. The event also featured skills sessions from English premier league and the British council conducted by Zambian educators who have been trained by the British Council and the premier league. In this session, VAP was represented by Coach Kenneth Otieno who also doubled as the youth leader. “As the head coach of VAP football club and the organizer of all VAP leagues in schools and community centres, the ripple effect of the knowledge gained would go a long way in strengthening VAP football activities.” Said coach Ken