“They came, played, learnt and entertained”
MYSA youth celebrated the 24th annual ceremony since its inception hosted by MYSA Huruma Zone. This event culminated a successful 24 years since MYSA began in 1987. This year’s event saw the different MYSA programmes displaying their work, with the Environmental program organizing a wheel barrow race for a mixed group of people consisting of players, coaches and invited guests. The activity was a crowd puller and exciting for those that were present. This activity was used to create awareness on the importance of environmental conservation bringing an understanding of the importance of community service in MYSA. The environmental programme was the first project to be integrated to the sports league in 1988 and was the first practical example of the integration of sports and community development. This programme won the UNEP 500 Global Award for environmental innovation and achievement in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The day’s event kicked off with an eleven aside match between MYSA under 16 boys team which will represent MYSA during this year’s Norway cup tournament against a well balanced Huruma combined, a team that comprised of players from different under 16 teams registered in the MYSA league in Huruma Zone. The girls were not left out either as they displayed their skills that matched that of the boys leaving the crowd in awe during an amazing match between Mathare united women professional team and Huruma all stars. This highlighted the importance to include girl child to participate in any activities irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion or culture and that’s why MYSA is always on the forefront in advocating for gender equity and inclusion. MYSA believes in sports as a tool for social mobilization and development. Using sports as a curtain raiser for this day’s events and activities was an evidence of that. The sports activities created a platform for the players to demonstrate their skillful drills which kept the crowd up - beat on their toes. I remember one spectator shouting over the crowd saying that he is drinking football, which made me to reflect critically on what exactly he was trying to communicate to his peers. I confronted him and asked – what he really meant by saying he was drinking football? He said “the kind of football that was being displayed by the players was so exciting that brought out the good feeling that he was drinking football through seeing”. As a leader level 2 I identified one of the life skills that he had “skill of coping with self”. MYSA is the largest youth sports organization in Africa with a registration of 1,035 boys and 266 girls’ teams participating in zonal organized football league.
An activity that will linger in the thoughts and hearts of many was the sports activities for people with disability, or rightfully say, “People with a different ability”. MYSA kids with disability program did not only display their work and how they use sports to integrate people with a disability into MYSA programmes, but also sensitized the participants on how best to relate with people with disabilities without necessary giving them opportunity because of their inability but rather their ability. As Evelyn Ajing a leader level 2 explain how Macharia Francis, a coach for kids with disability testified how his players had a wonderful experiences and gained Heroic status after participating in that day’s activities. Before the match, Francis said that he was very nervous because he did not know how the crowd and community would react on soccer for the disabled players and coach; but after the match, he was very happy because they drew 1 – 1 with their opponents and the crowd was very appreciative, supportive and cheerful. His players were given equal chance to participate in sports and recreational activities despite of their disability. They also learnt to participate in competitive match, he said. He thanked the community of Huruma for showing them that disability is not inability, They participated in almost every activity of that day including Kicking AIDS Out without discrimination.
This day was characterized by a series of activities. The crowd was pulled by the exciting and interactive warm ups from the participating teams, which was conducted in unique way compared to the traditional methods. The players learnt about the best practices on sports and life skills through warm up sessions and end up games, adapting and trying out the new Kicking AIDS Out drills book activities practically. MYSA trained leader level 1’s focused more on the drills: passing, dribbling and shooting capturing learning moments in – between, linking sport skills and life skills during debrief. The players, coaches and invited guest also had an opportunity to participate in focused group discussion inside the HIV awareness and prevention information tent. In the tent were trained Kicking AIDS Out practitioners who led discussions on various issues on HIV and AIDS, sexuality and safe motherhood. A Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) mobile tent was erected beside the pitch. This tent offered the young people and the community an opportunity to learn about the services offered by VCT centers and the process and procedures of getting tested. Those who were courageous tested on site and got a chance of knowing their HIV status.
MYSA haba na haba cultural and arts group entertained the crowd and added a cream to the day’s activities with educative and entertaining music, drama and comedy. Other MYSA projects also exhibited their activities.
The teams now seek to re – focus their attention to zonal MYSA organized league.