Teaching Youths English Literacy Through Football

Even though 2014 is almost 2 months old, permit us to pause for a moment and say-Happy New Year to all of you! and also look back briefly on our side mirrors reflecting 2013.Indeed the year was a significant and incredible year for VAP as far as reaching its target, strengthening its programs, networking and staying on track with its goals, mission and vision. It would be shere negligence if we don’t say a big “THANK YOU’ to our most deserving partners, donors, supporters, individuals, networking associates, staff and volunteers who spent either their finances or countless hours, minutes and seconds for making it possible.

New Year, New Order, New Gears! for Football For Development in 2014

On 6th, January 201 4, VAP officially opened its new offices located in Buru Buru phase 2, Oldonyo Lengai road off Mumias road. The new spacious office has been divided into various organizational departments and also has space for the increasing number of volunteers both local and international. As VAP rolls up its sleeves ready to hit the communities with programs, the number of master coaches has been increased and new Skillz coaches and peer educators have been recruited, majority of them being former graduates of VAP’s programs. An organizational programs execution change has been effected as coaches will be working in “chapters” across Nairobi with various schools and communities with the new and improved “Skillz Core” and “Skillz Mtaani”curricula.These coaches will be working alongside one master coach per chapter who will as well oversee the quality of the program.Additionally, program’s monitoring and evaluation systems have been scaled up both qualitative and quantitative. VAP coaches will also be divided into committees: Events &Sports, IGA’s, Research, Media, and M&E.These committees will be responsible for their respective duties and targets and will be meeting once in a month.

VAP’s Coach to Attend UNOSDP Youth Leadership Conference in Berlin!

23 year old, Anne Nduku, a vast experienced coach has been selected to attend the Youth Leadership Forum organized by the United Nations office of Sports and Development (UNOSDP) slated for xxx in Berlin, Germany.The forum is meant to give youth leaders a chance to reflect on the lessons at hand, to connect their learning to real-life situations, and will enable them to apply the knowledge to their communities. They will also gain a wide range of topics relating to Sport for Development as well sharing best practices from their projects or promoting interaction among the youth in order to learn methods of implementation from each others unique projects and programmes. Anne who also belongs VAP’s monitoring and evaluation team, is very eager to share and learn from other projects.

Introduction of Double Club in Kiragu Waichahi and Gituamba secondary school at the begining of school year in January 2014,was a real boost to these schools given the fact that they are located in slum areas and they’re both informal schools.Additionally,the schools lack enough qualified teachers due to finacial constraints that would allow them to pay teachers good salaries.

Teachings from Double Club booklets provide them with an additional lessons of learning english literacy as well as football skills.The Double Club teachers/coaches play a double role of being english teachers and football coaches which is an added advantage to these schools.”We are so excited of the Double Club program because it suppliments English lessons and football coaching.For our school to have these services,we would be required to hire people and pay them alot of money,so having Double Club program is a great gift.”Said Mr. John Arama,principal of Gituamba High School.

“My English literacy is improving in an environment that is full of fun,i like Double Club because it also provides me with football skills and the teachers are great.”Said Stephen Mwema a student from Kiragu Waichahi primary school.