Due to the over increasing demand of VAP’s Skillz Kenya HIV/AIDS programs around Nairobi’s both public and private schools, VAP had to engage the Nairobi City Council through the city department of education to expand and stretch its programs. The Nairobi City Council, education department is the government arm empowered to run and control all public schools in Nairobi.
After a thorough discussion and explanation of VAP’s Skillz program and its impact to the participants led by VAP’s Executive Director, Enouce Ndeche who had a meeting with City Education’s top officers, VAP invited the education officers to have a firsthand witness of Skillz Kenya HIV/AIDS prevention and see how soccer is being used as a tool for social change.
The officers had to visit several program sites including: Church Army and Our lady of Nazareth schools where they all had an opportunity not only to see but also to join the participants in the activities as well as discussions regarding HIV/AIDS.”This is extremely an extra-ordinary program, the fact that soccer is a game of the masses; it’s amazing to see how much power it has that can be converted into a vehicle for social change. With this kind of initiatives in our schools, then our children would definitely become pro-active as far as their lives are concerned.”Said Mrs Catherine Gichuba, the duty advisor to schools, Nairobi City council, education department.”As a participant of Skillz Kenya program, I have learnt how to protect myself from HIV/AIDS and I have been sharing the knowledge with my friends and families about this dangerous disease.”Said Janet Mwikali, 13 years old student at Church Army School.
After all was concluded both parties: VAP and the Nairobi city council, department of education had to engage into a memorandum of understanding, with VAP being granted an authority to run its programs in all the public schools around Nairobi.VAP will be obligated to write a progress report to the office of the city education officer at the end of every year stating the impact of the program to the participants. ‘On behalf of the entire VAP fraternity, I would really like to take this opportunity to thank the Nairobi City Council, Education Department for accepting our invitation, taking part in our activities and mostly to grant us an authority to run our programs in all the public schools in Nairobi, though it’s not an easy job to reach out to all these schools, we as VAP are going to do our best to make sure that every child in these schools is empowered with HIV/AIDS prevention messages. We are also THANKFUL to our supporters and donors through GlobalGiving for their generous contribution towards all this that we as VAP are doing and we would like to encourage and invite more donors to come contribute to our course putting in mind that it’s through their support that we can only be successful.”Said Enouce Ndeche, Executive Director, Vijana Amani Pamoja.
![Share on Twitter]()
![Share on Facebook]()
