“I learned all about life with a ball at my feet”
~ Ronaldinho
With the increasing love for football among young people, parents and communities have learnt to embrace it and often encourage their kids to participate in it. On the other hand, conservationists and initiatives like Trees for Goals have seen the game as a good opportunity to create awareness on conservation. By doing this, both the kids and the environment win. On the 17th of December 2022, Eastend Youth Group joined hands with other organizations in organizing an event that would remain in many people’s memories, especially the young ones, for years to come.
Eastend Youth Group is an organization based in Umoja, Embakasi West in Nairobi and focuses on sports in the community, HIV awareness, environmental beautification among other things. The organization, in partnership with Africa Goal Organization, Kly Entertainment and Pineapple Production Entertainment invited GLFx Nairobi to the launch of Eastend Youth Football Academy. The main goal for the football academy is to bring young people in the community who are interested in football and nurture them. With its experience, GLFx Nairobi was mandated to donate seedlings to commemorate the event and also take advantage of the launch to teach the young people about environmental conservation.
In attendance were more than 200 people including parents, children and well-wishers. The event was officially opened by the area Member of Parliament, Mark Muriithi, by planting a seedling around the periphery of Umoja Social Hall. The area Member of County Assembly, Shadrack Machanje, was also present at the event.
The Member of Parliament was thrilled at what GLFx Nairobi does and was interested in exploring more areas of partnership around his constituency as he has plans for planting as many trees as possible. The policy maker said he will be happy to receive more seedlings in the area and have more children trained on conservation.
Kiptoo Chemoiwo, the Community Engagement Lead at GLFx Nairobi then took the kids together with the attendees through a quick session on how to plant and maintain the seedlings. He also took this time to address the attendees on the importance of planting trees. Everyone then took to their holes with seedlings at hand. GLFx Nairobi donated 105 indigenous seedlings during the event which included Croton megalocarpus, Markhamia lutea, Olea africana, Hyphaene compressa, Schefflera actinophylla, Vitex keniensis, Eriobotrya japonica among others.
After the tree planting exercise, children presented their various talents: dancing, poetry and singing. Shortly after, a fundraiser was held for the newly launched Football Academy.
During this time, the young football players were having a small match against themselves. The newly launched team managed to receive football kits and cash donations (KS 25,000) from well-wishers. The leader of Eastend Youth Group mentioned that he looks forward to more partnerships, which will bring together the young people and environmental conservation.
Thereafter, the host, Eastend Youth Group gave a vote of thanks to all the attendees and photo sessions followed before guests leaving at their own pleasure.
A photo of the Area MCA, second from right, with some of the partners, including GLFx Nairobi’s Kiptoo Chemoiwo and Dan Kihori, respectively, from left