Internship Success Story 5: Trizah Mboya's Story

We are always proud of interns and volunteers who commit to their work and end up having fulfilling and worthwhile experiences. Meet Trizah Mboya, a 2^nd Year student at South Eastern Kenya University who recently completed her internship at Sadili and is now back to School. A beneficiary of Girl Power Clubs Africa program, Trizah has a lot of positive things to say about her experience. Here is her story:

“My name is Trizah Mboya, a former intern at Sadili Oval Sports Academy. I came to know about Sadili through their program Girl Power Clubs Africa back when I was still in class 7 at St. Michael’s Holy Unity Academy. Throughout the program I learnt a lot during the sessions that they had in the school. I have been able to learn a lot more during my internship at Sadili which has also widened my thinking and attitude on lots of things.

Throughout my stay in Sadili under the Court of Dreams program, I loved my experience with Mary Rice School- a school for special needs children. Despite their conditions, these children were so full of life. Their smiles, their happiness and positive attitude towards life were a big lesson to me. They taught me that despite any situation we maybe in life, we should always appreciate and love life. The court of dreams program has also been helpful as I engaged in data entry and also data collection which was really a fun thing to do and teaching of the daily lives. I have also been able to learn tennis as a sport which was one of the things I least expected to develop an interest in, but I have found it as a great and now as one of my favorite games. I have experienced a lot through the programs they have been conducting. The most exciting and important part is the relation with the people in the community. Although it was a challenge at first, I found it more exciting since it also gave me the tips of handling different people, accepting and appreciating the people living around us. This has made me strong and I have learnt to persevere more and also be ready to work in any environment.

Under Girl Power program I also had the chance to talk to girls like me and share different experiences of our daily lives. Women empower each other. I learnt a lot from the girls as we would talk openly of every situation we’ve faced as girls. I also admit that I learnt from the girls from their questions and answers. The different topics we’ve been sharing together like Leadership, Menstruation, Discipline and among others showed impact afterwards from the girls. I loved their company and how they will bring up one another to fight challenges.

Sadili has raised a platform in my life as I went through new discoveries, meeting new people and engaging with the community. I thank Sadili for inviting me in their programmes to work with them and gain good experiences from the programs. I am looking forward to practice everything taught here in Sadili in my daily life especially working with children.”

We value our interns and volunteers, and they return the favor with their hard work, talent and dedication.

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.

 

Sadili Oval Sports Academy Celebrates the 2017 Day of the African Child

Sadili Oval Sports Academy on 16^th June 2017 joined the rest of the continent in celebrating this year’s edition of the Day of the African Child. This event was carried out in partnership with various organizations in Nairobi including Green Card Mtaani, Kibera Vision Achievers, Children International among others. Commemoration of the day was conducted under the theme ‘accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunities for children in Africa by 2030’, a reminder of the linkages between the regional and global agendas on development, and the importance of promoting child rights.

Hundreds of children marched through the streets of Kibera Slums, carrying hand-painted posters and placards calling on grown-ups in the country to take lead in creating a fair society that ensures they are protected from abuse and are given equal opportunities to succeed. After marching alongside a children’s band, they settled at Undugu grounds to take part in workshops, poetry and plays geared towards the theme of the event.

Sadili staff took it upon themselves to create awareness on the importance of practicing proper hygiene habits like hand washing and menstrual hygiene management. Both of these play a big role in the lives of children and adolescent girls, both biologically and culturally. Gender equity becomes an issue when girls lack appropriate menstrual hygiene education, affecting their health, dignity and education. Sadili through its Court of Dreams (WASH) programme is keen on improving the lives of young people  by promoting good hygiene habits, which are vital for their health and development.

Fidelis Pendo

“It has been a great day. This is the first time I am participating in such an event, and I didn’t even know there is a day set aside to celebrate us!” commented Fidelis Pendo, a std.3 pupil at Blessed Children’s centre in Kibera. “I enjoyed marching alongside the band and watching the plays,” he added. “I have also learnt that washing hands without soap after play does not kill all germs and we can still fall sick, unless we use soap.”

The Day of the African Child is celebrated every year to honour those who participated in South Africa’s Soweto Uprising when 10,000 black school children marched on June 16, 1976 in protest of the poor quality of their education. Hundreds were shot that day and many killed. On June 16th every year since 1991, governments, NGOs, international organisations and other stakeholders gather to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the full realization of the rights of children Africa. The day also raises awareness on the need for improvement of the education provided to African children.

Sadili’s Girl Power Clubs Africa in a Campaign against Drug and Substance Abuse

Drug abuse. We see it in our neigbourhoods, on TV, movies, everywhere. We hear about it in music, from peers, family, and teachers. Some of us may have experienced it first-hand in some way. When it comes to this subject, there's a lot of information we get from many different sources, and it can be hard to figure out what's true and what isn't. Findings from a National Survey on Alcohol and Drug Abuse conducted by NACADA in 2012 shows that 13.3% of Kenyans are using alcohol, 9.1% tobacco, 1.0% bhang and 0.1% heroin. The survey also shows a high use of drugs and alcohol by school going teenagers. 

Over the past two weeks Sadili’s Social educators through the Girl Power Clubs Africa programme have been going around various schools in Nairobi campaigning against drugs and substance abuse. Emphasizing that peer pressure is the main cause of substance abuse, they have been advising the girls to keep away from friends that mislead them.

“Avoid Negative Peer Pressure and pay attention to who you go out with.  If you are hanging out with a group in which the majority are drinking alcohol or using drugs to get high, you may want to think about making some new friends,” advised Everlyne, a social educator at Sadili when she visited Karen C High School on 14^th July 2016. “You may be headed toward an alcohol and drug problem if you continue to hang around others who routinely drink alcohol, smoke bhang, abuse prescription drugs or use illegal drugs.  You don't have to go along to get along”.

The educators also urged the girls to be careful not to let themselves be fooled by the popular notion that the use of drugs makes them look ‘cool’.

“Nowadays role models for teenagers and young adults exalt the use of alcohol and drugs which in turn make it look ‘cool’,” remarked Kevin, also an educator. “This is quite the opposite. Drugs don’t make you ‘Cool’; they make you look like a fool.”

The social educators will continue their campaign in other schools including Karama Academy, St. Catherine Primary, Nazarene primary and Olympic High School in the coming weeks. 

Girl Power Club at Karen C High School

Girl Power Clubs Africa is a leadership program focused on providing girls with a chance to learn life skills and learn to make decisions that affect their lives and their communities positively. Their work on talking to the youth about drug and substance abuse is supported by the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA).

Sadili Oval Sports Academy Commemorates the Day of the African Child

On16^th June 2016 Sadili Oval Sports Academy joined the rest of the nation and the world in commemorating the Day of the African Child. This is a day set aside by the African Union in honour of the children massacred in the infamous 1976 Soweto Uprising during the apartheid regime.It provides a chance to campaign for children’s rights – and an opportunity for celebration.This year’s commemoration took place under the theme ‘Conflict and Crisis in Africa: Protecting all Children’s Rights’.

Sadili Oval through its Court of Dreams project and Girl Power Clubs Africa programme has been working closely with young children and teenage girls in various schools in Nairobi, mainly Kibera slums. Different life skills are embedded across sports sessions where each week a particular theme is focused on. In line with this year’s official theme for the Day of the African Child, throughout this week Sadili Oval’s staff have been holding sessions with schools within the two programmes discussing with them human rights issues.

This particular day was celebrated in two schools: at Olympic Primary School in the morning hours and at Karen C High School in the afternoon. The young people had an opportunity to discuss with Sadili staff what their rights are, what child abuse entails and where to report cases of abuse. I must say our social educators have a wonderful way of keeping young people engaged during such sessions. They composed a beautiful song in Swahili about children’s rights and the pupils, particularly those of Olympic Primary School, kept singing the song way after the session was over! 

As is the norm at Sadili Oval, sport was not left out. Our coaches also helped to keep  the children engaged by teaching them to play tennis and other games.

Girl Power Clubs Africa, founded in 2007 by Dr. Elizabeth Odera, is a leadership program that provides girls in various schools in Nairobi with a chance to learn life skills through sports and learn to make decisions that affect their lives and their communities positively. The Court of Dreams on the other hand follows the journey of children between 3 and 12 years, the age in which one can leave a positive influence in a child forever. This programme is unique as it involves work on the complete child, with tennis and life skills training, and children are rewarded in both areas.

It goes without saying that the future of the African continent lies in the hands of the African child.For all the challenges Africa still faces, it is a vibrant and promising continent full of incredible young people. Together in solidarity we join with countless others across Africa and across the world as we embrace these children and advocate for their rights.