Promoting students’ morals through sporting

By Fredrick Obura

An idle mind is a devil’s workshop so goes a saying. It is exactly this that Alfred Polo, a Sales Support Manager at Kenya Data Networks partially believes causes the occasional school unrest in Kenya’s secondary schools.

And part of initiative to give back to the society, the 30-year-old has crafted a programme to engage students on extra-curricula activities to keep them busy during their free-time.

In different programmes currently spread in Nyanza, Central and Nairobi provinces, Polo distributes sports equipment’s, organise tournaments and issue trophies to schools or teams to engage students outside classroom.

"It is part of my personal experience. I was a school captain in 2000 at Mirogi Boys’ Secondary and I have learned indiscipline in schools are as a result of idle minds," he said. "Students who do not like classroom work think of negative activities like drug abuse, organising strikes among other crimes during breaks."

This they would do to distract those who would have better focus in school. To enable such minds to have active positive thoughts, sport would be an avenue to engage their minds.

"I came with a programme that we have branded the ‘Foundation for Tomorrow Prosperity’ in 2007. We distribute balls, uniforms, trophies and organise inter-school tournaments to keep young learners busy," he says.

"Above all we give talks on positive attitude, drug abuse any other topic teachers feel are suitable to be covered for their students. There are also counselling sessions for those who would like to pursue professional studies."

Good morals

He says the organisation works with stakeholders such the KCA University & Nairobi Sports House to deliver its programmes to students.

The group identifies schools with rampant cases of indiscipline, initiate talks with the management before engaging the students. "Some of these schools we do see their cases reported through different media coverage," he adds.

"Our programme aims at instilling good morals in schools and preparing students to become better leaders of tomorrow, we work with teams of counsellors and role models to offer both counselling and motivation to the students."

"We have dealt with St Augustines’ Mirogi Boys’ Secondary School, St Joseph Mukasa Girls’ School, Dandora Imperial Academy in Nairobi, St Philips Mixed Primary School and the Uganda Martys’ Girls’ Boarding Primary School."

Disciplined generation

Apart from organising tournaments and distributing balls, sport uniforms, they also came up with environment conservation programme that involves distribution of seedlings to targeted schools across the country, follow up visits would be initiated to check on the progress of the seedlings, positive progress would show how concern the students are, it’s also a show of growth.

His passion and desire to see a generation that is disciplined and has respect for others has always driven him beyond his every day norms just to ensure that at least significance of dream and of the upcoming teens and youths is achievement.