Using the power of soccer to fight HIV/AIDS

Last week from 5th to 11th April, Vijana Amani Pamoja (VAP) hosted COACHES ACROSS CONTINENTS, who did incredible work by training 40 coaches for 17 hours. The event was held at Air Force grounds in Eastleigh, section 3 in Nairobi, Kenya. “We had fun and learned new coaching tactics from our visitors. At the end of it we were awarded with certificates and Newcastle United jerseys. “We are now empowered more than before and we are ready to go out there with additional information and do what we do best.” Said Charles Otieno, a coach/peer educator. April 16th, 2010. Coaches Anna, Andy, Emily and Nick have recently finished the first year work with VAP, an outstanding program in the Eastlands area of Nairobi who use football against HIV.

“It was a physically challenging program with a lot of travel through Nairobi into some of the most dangerous sites. At all times the coaches of VAP and all the local people made our coaches feel extremely safe. It was also great to learn from VAP and see how they use football to fight HIV/AIDS.” Said Andy Old, from coaches across continent who also doubles as a Doctor.

The 7 day intensive program was a great success and VAP coaches received a Coaches across Continents certificate and a Newcastle shirt from the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation upon completion of the 17 hour program. On day 1 the VAP coaches worked for 5 hours on the Airforcefield working on games for Health and Wellness and Conflict Resolution. The training continued each day and the coaches worked their tired bodies to learn more than 35 new games including 5 new games for HIV education. VAP coaches learned coaching life skill lessons like safety first, fun games even for education on HIV, session planning and were also asked to develop a VAP style of coaching and demonstrate it during their coach training time. Credit goes to the 30 plus coaches who gave their all to pass the course.

In the afternoon our coaches worked with children from 6 community sites and alongside the VAP coaches ran some great programs in some of Nairobi’s least advantaged areas. On day 5 our coaches ran a session for 40 girls and 40 boys on an area with much broken glass on a field and where 30% of the children did not have shoes. As the session started the local drug dealers made their way over to watch and a lot of the local community turned up. Again, at all times the local people, including the drug dealers, were extremely respectful to our work and enjoyed us taking time to talk ‘football’ with them. And the local VAP coaches escorted us everywhere.

Such was the success of the program that we are delighted to announce that Coaches across Continents and VAP have agreed to a full Hat Trick Initiative program through till 2012.