Bring Hope To The Kibagare Slum

Jaliyaa Coffee & Bessa, along with Redd's world Foundation, are raising funds for children to have proper soccer equipment in the Kibagare Slums of Nairobi, Kenya, where "Overcome Through Sports" is their motto.

On Nov 12th, a group of us traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to take 150 kids from the Shangalia Children’s home to the movie theater to watch Black Panther 2.

The next day, on our way back to visit the kids at the children’s home, I noticed a group of young boys playing football (soccer) in the Kibagare slums and decided to join.

Later that day, after seeing images from our football (soccer) game, I realized that none of the boys owned a proper football (soccer) shoe. So with the help of friends, we got each of the 12 boys a pair of shoes, socks, shin guards, shorts, and a jersey with four footballs to share. While searching for the boys through the slum, I spoke with community members like the Headteacher at Saint Martin’s school, their coaches, and parents. I then learned that football (soccer) was something they enjoyed, and it helped them escape the realities surrounding them, such as crimes, drugs, prostitution, and poverty.

Their Reality

The slum of Kibagare, Kenya, is located on the outskirts of Nairobi and is home to over 20,000 people without clean water or sanitation systems. The slum originated with former plantation workers who lost their livelihoods in 1972 and has grown to 20,000 people in a tiny strip of land hemmed in on all sides.

The level of poverty experienced by families in Kibagare is immense. With such hardships and little employment, the rate of substance abuse, crime, and prostitution is high.

“Life in the slum is not easy, and it's even worse for children. The lack of even the most basic needs - shelter, food, healthcare, security and education. The children of Kibagare have limited access to any of these. Economically, the community here thrives on casual labor and employment. With Covid, many people who had employment have lost their jobs. Throughout the slum, we face the challenges of substance abuse, child neglect, and dire poverty.”

HOPE IN THE SLUM

At the heart of Kibagare lies the Bamboo Stadium, a beacon of hope. This field is home to the Kibagare FC, where over 200 athletes train and compete daily.

Every weekend, football (soccer) fans gather around the Kibagera Bamboo Stadium to support their local players and take their minds off of their reality for just a little while.

Because the athletes and their families cannot afford proper football (soccer) equipment and gear, Our goal is to raise enough money to provide them with all they need to compete at the highest level; this includes:

Thank you in advance for your support and contributions!