Listening to Youth
Sports Healing Communities in Korogocho Slums
by Oluoch Japheth
Kenya is going through a trying moment of its history, following the post-election violence which left the society shattered. As a reaction to the situation, different organizations have developed various approaches to heal the country and return it back to normal. Some of the initiatives have cost millions of shillings with very little results to justify the massive expenditure. In Korogocho slums, similar efforts have been in place. Post-election healing initiatives have occupied the programmes of major organizations working in Korogocho. Workshops, prayer rallies and peace processions have become popular menus at dinner tables of a majority of Korogocho residents.
Though these initiatives have been welcome and beneficial, the magic has turned out to be sports. Sports have been known worldwide to bring societies together even in instances where disagreeing groups do not see each other eye to eye. In the past few weeks, sports have played a new role in healing people in Korogocho. The St. John Sports Society hosted Nairobi Junior Boxing Federation Tournaments at the St. John Catholic Church Korogocho’s amphitheatre. Teams drawn from different parts of Nairobi participated. During the event, it was interesting to witness hundreds of Korogocho residents throng the venue of the event to witness the highly competitive tournament.
Though Korogocho is politically sensitive and membership of political parties is highly based on ethnicity, politics was given a break as Korogocho residents cheered their favorite junior boxers. St. John Sports Society once again won the tournament and carried home the coveted trophy. As the three day event came to a close, the real victory was not the trophy but the fact that Korogocho residents in their large numbers turned up for the event. It was not just about the Catholic Church or St. John Sports Society. It was about Korogocho. The junior boxers who made Korogocho proud were not carried shoulder high as Luos, Kalenjins or Kikuyus, but as sons and daughters of Korogocho. Nobody actually cared about which part of Kenya they come from or which ethnic language they speak. What mattered was their victory. Other five sports of the St. John Sports Society also organize regular sports activities which bring youths together. The Society further undertakes formation programmes aimed at preparing members to develop best practices which other members of the society may replicate.
The importance of sports in the healing of societies is further illustrated by the value many institutions working for the youth have placed on sports. Christians Sports Contact (CHRISC), a Non Governmental Organization working with youths in vulnerable areas such slums in Nairobi, has organized many sports activities in Korogocho to bring youths together, and focus their energies in addressing their needs and not get involved in violence and crime. Emmie Erondanga, a youth leader in Korogocho slums and a female football referee with CHRISC, stresses on the importance of integrating Christian faith and sports in addressing the animosity which hit the country as a result of the controversial general elections.
Mathare United, another group, has also kept youths in Korogocho united in their love for sports. As politicians preoccupy their minds with struggle for power and an endless appetite for seniority, youths are concentrating more on sports either as spectators or players. St. Daniel Comboni Playground is a beehive of activities as Mathare United ensures that every day there is a sports activity going on. Hundreds of youths frequent the ground to cheer their favorite team. They socialize and bond as youths of Korogocho and not as warriors for their ethnic groups.
Healing and reuniting a people who are too deeply divided requires concerted efforts to apply relevant approaches. Sports has proved to be a very efficient tool and stakeholders need to allocate more resources and time to developing sports not just as a recreation activity but as a healing and reconciliation tool.
