Kibera Slums football tournament kicks off today

 

Musa Otieno (2nd Right) Former Harambee Stars coach and Edwin Lavasta (4th Left) Gor Mahia player pose for a photo during the launch of Kibera Slums Soccer Tournament slated for 3rd to 6th December 2020. [Courtesy]

The first edition of the Kibera Slums Football Tournament kicks off today.

Organised by Asha Hersi Foundation, the football tournament is aimed at keeping youths in Kibera to engage positively by spreading and promoting peaceful co-existence among themselves and their neighbours.

Speaking to Standard Sports, Asha Hersi Foundation representative Ignatius Wafula said their aim is to reduce the crime rate, peer pressure and substance abuse among the youth.

“We are aiming at giving them hope and healing lives through sports.  It’s an initiative that has started in Kibera Highrise Ward with football and will be an annual event,” Wafula said.

The tournament will start today and end on December 6 where former Harambee Stars captain Musa Otieno and former Gor Mahia striker Edwin Lavasta are expected to grace.

“The great sporting talents and skills in the informal settlement communities are unidentified because of lack of or no exposure at all. Therefore, we are doing this to promote peaceful co-existence and stop substance abuse which is our tournament’s theme, especially during this hard economic time brought about by Covid-19.”

“We’ve partnered with ETCO - Empower The Community, BABS Security Group, Safaricom and Football Kenya Federation to ensure that this event is a success. We call upon other groups and organisations to embrace this idea and join us to stop this stereotyping mentality of the informal settlement communities,” Wafula added.

Collince Onyango of ECTO said: “By partnering with organisations such as Asha Hersi Foundation, we believe that our empowerment services are reaching the relevant people and it will be of great help as it will positively impact lives.”

The event has been sponsored by Kenya Football Federation, Safaricom, BABS Security Group and ETCO (Empower The Community).