Kenya Day 3

Crazy BU Sports Ministry Team

Today, we held a coach's clinic for soccer coaches who give their time to coach kids from Nairobi's Kibera Slums. This is the largest slum in Africa. It is very similar to those shown in Slum Dog Millionaire. Small tin shacks with shared walls, no running water or sewage, no heat or air or protection from rainy days. It is estimated that there are over 1.5 million people living in Kibera Slum.



We spend 2-3 hours sharing, inspiring stories and encourageng one another. Wes gave one of the most inspiring testimonies I have ever heard about the ministry of a coach. He spoke of his own journey that started at an FCA coaches seminar - Billy Graham spoke. That was the first time that he connected coaching with ministry. And now, here he is, all these years later as Baylor's Sports Chaplain. God is Good - All the Time.


The one thing I was most struck with from the coaches themselves is that they see this as their responsibility to "give back" and to help those kids find value and meaning and hope through the game of soccer.


This afternoon, we met 40 kids from Kibera Slums at a soccer field. We set up 4 stations and rotaten them around: shooting on goal, dribbling, heading and trapping, and passing.


As we were working on this, a Maasai herdsman brought his cattle onto the edges of the soccer field to graze...I figured it was just his day to "mow."



After the drills for about an hour, we set up four fields and scrimmaged with the kids. It began to rain which made most of the fields muddy, but no one cared. These kids have good skills.


But more oftern than not they use soccer as an escape from reality. My hope is that this day - the clinic and the skill/drill demonstration would give our friend, Walter Macchio, some great exposure and credibility. Here is his right hand in the Kenya Sports Outreach, Wamitha.



Stay tuned...we will visit the school most of these Kibera kids go to on another day.