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April 19, 2024
Vijana Amani Pamoja (VAP), a Kenyan sport for development NGO that uses football to drive social and economic development in communities, recently took part in Liverpool FC (LFC) and its principal partner Standard Chartered’s “Play On: Train the Trainer” program. Taking place in Nairobi, the training specifically focused on supporting girls to stay and grow through sport.
LFC and the multinational bank launched their joint ‘Play On’ campaign in 2023 to inspire, empower and educate girls to participate in sport, after learning that twice as many girls than boys drop out of sport by age 14.
VAP, a past Beyond Sport Global Award winner for its work to reduce inequalities, develops programs to help young people become peer role models and mentors in their communities. It is a local partner of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, global youth economic empowerment initiative, tackling inequality and promoting greater economic inclusion.
After a successful digital awareness campaign featuring senior Reds (LFC nickname) players and manager Jürgen Klopp, the ‘Play On: Train the Trainer’ program was developed as practical training to be delivered in-person, on the ground, where Standard Chartered works with Futuremakers coaches and female participants.
In Nairobi, LFC’s International Academy and LFC Foundation coaches delivered the three-day training to 35 VAP, local community and academy coaches to enhance their skills to empower girls in their community to succeed in life through football. Combining classroom-based and on-pitch learning, workshops covered taking a person-centered approach, addressing barriers to participation, mental health and wellbeing, balancing life and empowering women in leadership.
“As coaches, we’re not just teaching football. We’re instilling important values that enable young people to succeed on and off the pitch,” said Karl Carney, department manager, sport and physical activity at LFC Foundation. “It’s been wonderful to see the enthusiasm and determination of the coaches in Nairobi as they’ve completed the workshops, and we’re excited to see the impact they make on their communities.”
After completing a series of daily tasks, the Kenyan coaches created their own session plans incorporating the curriculum and lessons learned, which they will then take back and deliver to girls in their local communities. Following the inaugural ‘Play On’ training, which was held in Pretoria, South Africa in November 2023, the 34 participating coaches went on to train 3,600 girls.
Vijana Amani Pamoja CEO Enouce Ndeche summed up the impact he envisions through partnerships and programs like ‘Play On,’ stating: “We believe in the power and the popularity of sports to act as a tool for social and economic change for the underprivileged in our society.”
Photos: Vijana Amani Pamoja
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