Empower My Life Training Camp Comes to Productive Conclusion

Empower My Life training camp was held at Sadili Oval over a ten day period (16^th to 26^th August 2017). The camp, the second one since April 2017, was organized by Sadili Oval Sports Academy in partnership with Swiss Academy for Development (SAD). A total of 196 children, whose ages ranged from 4 to 15, participated in the camp. Most of the kids came from two of Nairobi’s informal settlements: Kijiji and Kibera, which are only a few kilometers apart. 

Each day of the camp, the kids met at Sadili at 9:00 am and had one-hour warm-up sessions with guidance from Sadili coaches. The warm-up sessions were swiftly followed by new games, each coming with lessons. The kids were divided into 4 groups, according to their ages, and each group had at least two coaches playing with them and facilitating discussions. Judging from their enthusiasm, it was quite evident that the kids enjoyed learning the games. After each game, the kids sat down with their coaches to discuss what lessons they could draw from them. Some of the topics covered during discussions included HIV prevention/ transmission, gender equality, sexual violence, hygiene and civil courage (bystander intervention), as well as important life skills such as teamwork, hard work and confidence among others. During each day of the camp, meals including tea break, lunch and afternoon snacks were provided to the kids.

The camp concluded on Saturday, 26^th August with a basketball tournament and other fun games including potato race, sack race, tug-of-war, 3-legged race, centipede, relay race, bean bag toss, capture the flag and Guard yourself.

 "It has been a great experience, and I enjoyed learning the new games we were taught every day," remarked Steve Austine, a std.7 pupil at Kibera Primary School. "I have learnt so much about gender stereotype and sexual violence, and I can't wait to share the experience when I go back to school."

We are grateful to the parents who entrusted us with their kids during this enjoyable and highly informative camp, and we are especially happy that the children had fun and at the same time learnt a lot of vital lessons.

Empower My Life is a sport and play-based, innovative and holistic 16-months prevention program aimed at contributing to the fight against sexual violence in Kenyan schools. It promotes the right for education and health for girls and boys from underprivileged families in Nairobi.

For more pictures of the camp, please Like and Follow Sadili Oval Sports Academy page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadiliovalsports/

Second Empower My Life ToT workshop Held at Sadili Oval

Sadili Oval Sports Academy in partnership with Swiss Academy for Development (SAD) held a 5-day training of trainers (ToT) workshop at Sadili Oval from 3^rd to 8^th July 2017, the second of its kind since a similar workshop was first held in March 2017. The workshop was also supported by AMREF’s department of Children and Adolescents & Gender Based violence and it brought together a total of 18 participants including pupils from Kid Star Primary School, Nazarene Primary School and St. Catherine Primary School; 2 teachers each from Nazarene and Kid Star Primary Schools and Sadili staff. It was facilitated by Sarah Vogtli of SAD.

               

The purpose of the workshop was to train trainers on the implementation of Empower My Life programme that has been running in various schools in Kibera since the first camp held in April 2017 at Sadili Oval.

The week-long training covered areas including Sexual Violence, HIV/AIDS, Gender Equality, Bystander intervention and Life skills. Each of these discussions was accompanied by several games that were practised in the field. Participants discussed their experiences from the camp held in April and made changes on areas that would make easier the implementation of another camp scheduled for August 2017.

On the third day of workshop, Ms. Monica Naliaka, a nurse from AMREF who is also a specialist in gender based violence gave an insight on sexual violence particularly in the following areas: How to identify an abused child, how to handle an abused child and how to deal with cases of child abuse.

Empower My Life is a sport and play-based, innovative and holistic 16-months prevention program contributing to the fight against sexual violence against girls and boys in Kenyan schools. It promotes the right for education and health for girls and boys.

Through a partnership between the Swiss Academy for Development (SAD) based in Biel, Switzerland and Sadili Oval Sports Academy based in Nairobi, Kenya, the project runs in Kibera. It targets 200 girls and 200 boys from underprivileged backgrounds, 40 teachers and about 800 family members.

The project is in line with objectives of the Kenyan government to prevent sexual violence and HIV / AIDS and integrates relevant government institutions.

 

Empower My Life Training Camp Kicks Off at Sadili Despite Chilly Weather

The long awaited 10-day Empower My Life Training camp for kids organized by Sadili Oval Sports Academy in partnership with Swiss Academy for Development (SAD) officially kicked off on Tuesday, 18^th April 2017 at Sadili Oval grounds in Nairobi. Despite the heavy morning downpour, kids turned up and braved the chilly weather to participate in the camp.

Sadili staff did a commendable job ensuring that all activities of the day were carried out as had been scheduled. This being the first day of the training camp, the better part of the day was spent on registration, familiarizing the kids with what they should expect during the camp, playing fun games, filling in basic questionnaires and colouring body maps.

“The day turned out to be more fun than I had expected. I enjoyed the games, the food and colouring pictures,” remarked 9 year old Bellemy Ochieng’, a std. 3 pupil at Old Kibera Primary school. “I will definitely come back tomorrow and every day until the last day of the camp.”

Even though the targeted number of 400 kids was not attained, the facilitators were happy about how everything turned out. “I am happy that a good number of kids turned up in spite of the cold and unfavourable weather. I’m very hopeful that many more will come as the days go by, and that we will surpass our target number of 400,” remarked Joy Akim, the lead facilitator.

Areas to be covered during this training camp include: 1) Knowledge-transfer about sexual violence, HIV/AIDS and relevant health topics (e.g. hygiene); 2) Understanding of gender equality and 3) Supporting the increase of civil courage (bystander intervention). The camp goes on until Friday, 28^th April before it picks up again in August 2017.

Empower My Life is a sport and play-based, innovative and holistic 16-month prevention program contributing to the fight against sexual violence against girls and boys in Kenyan schools. It targets 200 girls and 200 boys from underprivileged backgrounds, 40 teachers and about 800 family members.

 

 

Sadili’s Girl Power Clubs Africa holds a great Sports Day despite cold weather

On 18^th June 2016 Sadili’s Girl Power Clubs Africa held its Sports Day. Despite the bitterly cold weather, the day turned out to be great fun and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. A total of 67 girls from three schools i.e. Nazarene Primary, Karama Primary and St. Catherine Primary participated in the event.

Being the end of the week that saw the Day of the African Child being celebrated, the day started with the girls having a life skills session on Child Rights where they discussed both among themselves and with our social educators various aspects of children’s rights and child abuse. To keep the session interesting and interactive, songs and fun games were integrated into it. This made the atmosphere in the room lively and cheerful the entire time.

After the life skills session, the sports began. Everyone threw themselves into the field where various games including soccer, rugby and basketball were played.The girls were divided into 3 groups i.e. Tausi, Lion and Tiger and they were so organized that by the end of the event, everyone had played each game. This was followed by a fitness session led by one of our coaches, Ms. Adongo. 

The day culminated with a delicious lunch that we all enjoyed! 

As Sadili staff, we had as much fun as the girls did playing the games and interacting with each other. It's so important for us to be involved in the community and in young people's lives because it influences us to see the rewards and the excitement behind playing sports.

Thanks to all the participants and everyone who worked hard to see this day successful. We are all looking forward to the next Sports Day.

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7’s Grenoble University Rugby Clinic At Sadili Oval

Safari Sevens 2010 semi-finalists and 2012 quarter-finalists, the Grenoble University,  stopped to run a rugby clinic at Sadili Oval Sports Academy and a visit to the Kibera Slums on the 21^st of September 2012. 

The youthful team, which is managed by a charismatic coach and team manager, Monsieur Pierre Chaix, arrived at the Academy at 1430 hours and quickly set on running the excited academy players through the paces. Amongst the skills taught by the Grenoble University players were passing off the ground, the ruck, the scrum down and the line out.

When reached for comments on how he thought of the skill levels in the rugby academy, professional rugby player and captain of the Grenoble sevens side in this year’s Safari Sevens was quick to post a positive one, saying “these kids have improved three-fold of what they were last year, they are now aware of the competitive side of rugby and can not only pass the ball but also play a match against us.”

At 1600 hours, the team visited Ujamaa Community School, a beneficiary of Sadili Rugby Academy located in Lindi, Kibera, where they donated stationery. Kibera is among the harshest places in the world, and the Grenoble University players who affirmed that they were from affluent families back in France were hugely emotional at witnessing the conditions of life present in the slum. Thibault Gery, a second year student at the university and a core player who accidentally tripped and fell in a trench on the way to Kibera was as equally emotional as his teammate Ilwo. And they promised to come back next year with more stationery to boost levels of education of the schools involved in the rugby program.

The visit from Grenoble university forma part of a joint partnership between the Embassy of France and Sadili Oval, a non-profit sports NGO, to set up one of Kenya's first rugby academies, providing hope to young Kenyans, particularly those from the Kibera slums, who form part of Sadili's programs.

You can see more of this visit on 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23iWRt5jh-4