Karen Tennis for Kibera

Karen Country Club will be holding a tennis tournament in aid of the construction of the Kibera tennis play space. The event is scheduled for tomorrow, 3rd Nov 2012 from 1.30  pm at the prestigious Karen Country Club, along Karen Rd. 

The funds raised are aimed at grading the ground where the kids train in the first phase of the establishment of the Kibera Tennis Center. Together with the Local community, Sadili Oval will be coordinating the project. At the moment this is just a sloping piece of land that needs a retaining wall and levelling.  Players will also bring any racquets, sports clothing etc that they no longer need.

Why Kibera?Over the years, Sadili Oval Sports Academy has been working to promote tennis as sport to the local people. Through these efforts, Kibera slums has continuously boasted talent to reckon with, especially in the under 18 yrs players. This project will therefore create a more convenient space for more children to develop their talent on the game, as well as source of recreation to keep them away from other social injustices.The surface will be used for tennis, basketball, and volleyball. 

Want to watch the kids play? 

Go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9VhDtWnkVw&list=PL8876103436B9F9FF&index=13&feature=plpp_video

Evolve9 Building Tennis & Dreams At Sadili

Ronald Pothuizen, a director of kids tennis company, Evolve9, came to Kenya to run a tennis course for Tennis Tens coaches at Sadili Oval in 2010, and fell in love with the many children in our program, who attempted to play tennis on the side of a hill near Katwekera in Kibera with bats and old tennis balls. He committed immediately committed to building them four mini-courts at Sadili Oval, about 8 minutes away. The courts, when finished, would form a kids & fun centre, giving poor kids and their firends a chance to learn tennis, and learn about life too, by attending the community library nearby. The ground-breaking took place mid this year, and the excavation completed. This has been followed by filling with stone, machine compression, filling with murram and rolling with plenty of water. Then we have been ensuring that the surface is levelled and cared for as we await further fundraising through different ways to have the three final layers done, which will cost another 5,000 euros, and fencing/benches/nets/net posts, that will cost 1500 euros. Thank you to Evolve9 directors and special thanks to Ronald Pothuizen, who carried out a cross-country ski race to raise money to start the project, and continues to work hard talking to companies and friends to keep the fire alive.

If you wish to donate to this project, please do so through Globalgiving on http://globalgiving.org/projects/build-tennis-and-dreams-in-the-kibera-slums-kenya