About
The Runda Youth Sports Association (RYSA) is a non-profit community-based organisation that has been operating in the urban slum areas of Githogoro and Mji wa Huruma in Nairobi Kenya since 1996. Since its establishment, RYSA has conceived and successfully implemented many community-based programmes with a clear mission; to improve the quality of life and life opportunities for young people living in Githogoro and Mji wa Huruma slums in Runda.
Our Programmes
Our Programmes
RYSA’s activities are organised around four core and interlinked programmes:
- Sports
- Education
- Health and Environment
- Income Generation
The main Sports activity for RYSA is football. We have football teams for different age categories starting with boys aged less than 6 years to those aged more than 16 years. We regularly run football tournaments for the different age categories during the school holidays – April, August and December. In addition, the senior boys team 17yrs and above, competes in Nairobi’s topmost football league and other regional tournaments. Since 2013, we have been gradually strengthening girls’ football through coaching and personalised support. We currently have a stable and promising girls’ football team.
Besides football, RYSA has established other clubs to harness talent in especially our children. At the moment, we have an active music and dance club. We have also established drawing and painting club and there is huge interest with the youth.
In regards to Education, we started with a nursery school in Mji Wa Huruma where hundreds of kids have gone through basic education and later joined Cheleta Primary school in Nairobi county and Kasarini Primary school in Kiambu County. We have worked closely with these two public schools where majority of pupils living in Githogoro and Mji wa Huruma attend school. We also work together with other public and private schools in and around our community. Our engagement with schools, and our overall education programmes have been diverse. Firstly, we support the schools to improve academic performance. For instance, in 2008, RYSA worked together with the APA insurance company to introduce secondary school scholarship programme for outstanding pupils from Cheleta Primary School. This programme has grown over the years and now includes multiple funders who support pupils from Githogoro and Mji Wa Huruma to access quality secondary education. Secondly, we have organised mentoring sessions for secondary school students. These sessions, which are usually held in April, August and December, enable students to interact and learn from each other and to learn important skills on time management, presentation among others. We also invite various professionals to talk to them. Finally, we started a community library that provides a conducive learning environment for our students and adults who reside in our community. The Library has increased desire to read among children, youth and the adults but the space has become small.
Health and Environment: Physical activity is strongly linked to improved health. Therefore, RYSA’s football activities enable the young people of Githogoro and Mji wa Huruma to become and remain healthy. In addition, we promote health during all our activities. This primarily includes advising young people against the abuse of drugs and providing them with information about sexual and reproductive health. Furthermore, we have integrated environmental conservation in all our programmes. For instance, teams are required to participate in community activities as a form of registration for our football tournaments. These include tree planting, medical camps, clean-ups within the community and at Mji wa Huruma (Old people’s home). Moreover, our players and other community members played a significant role in the conservation of the Karura Forest in Nairobi. Also, we have partnered with Femme International to provide sanitary towels and reproductive health education to both Cheleta and Kasarini primary school students as well as young mothers within the community every year.
The RYSA cyber café is our main income generating activity. At the cyber café – which we established in May 2013 – we offer diverse services including internet access, photocopying, printing, and typing. The cyber café enables community members to access information, government services and Universities/Colleges registrations.
Health and Environment
Physical activity is strongly linked to improved health. Therefore, RYSA’s football activities enable the young people of Githogoro and Mji wa Huruma to become and remain healthy. In addition, we promote health during all our activities. This primarily includes advising young people against the abuse of drugs and providing them with information about sexual and reproductive health. Furthermore, we have integrated environmental conservation in all our programmes. For instance, teams are required to participate in community activities as a form of registration for our football tournaments. These include tree planting, medical camps, clean-ups within the community and at Mji wa Huruma (Old people’s home). Moreover, our players and other community members have played a significant role in the conservation of the Karura Forest in Nairobi. Also, we have partnered with Femme International to provide sanitary towels and reproductive health education to both Cheleta and Kasarini as well as young mothers within the community.
The RYSA internet cyber café and cafeteria are our main income generating activities. At the cyber café – which we established in May 2013 – we offer diverse services including internet access, photocopying, printing, and typing. The income generated from both the cyber café and the cafeteria is used to run our various community-based programmes. Besides the income it generates, the cyber café enables community members to access information, government services and registrations, and our volunteers to acquire business management skills. The cafeteria provides the community a clean and affordable eating and meeting place.
Future Plans
The need for our interventions in the community has continued to increase. This has been driven by an increasing population, changing community needs and the fact that we have built many useful relationships that we need to maintain in order to achieve our mission. On the other hand, our programmes are managed by volunteers who also need support to carry out these responsibilities. Considering these factors, we have identified key areas that we will need to focus on as we strive to improve the quality of life and life opportunities for young people facing complex socio-economic marginalisation in Githogoro and Mji wa Huruma slums in Nairobi. Key among these areas include-
- Solicit for more funds from companies and individuals for the 10 students who have joined High school this year.
- Organize leadership seminar and training for our leaders.
- Plan and organize for the April, August and December cleanup activities in the community
- Plan and organize for the April and August mentorship program for our students.
- Solicit and ensure the community Library is stocked with books.
- Organize and run the School break tournaments for both boys and girls.
- Solicit funds for Administration costs.
Summary
All of RYSA’s achievements – from representing Kenya in international football tournaments despite being based in an urban slum, transforming Cheleta Primary from a bottom of the table public school to a reputable institution with above average transition rates to secondary school, from averting possible violence in the 2008 post election violence to a peaceful and united community, from joining hands with Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai to protect Karura forest, to inspiring a whole generation of young people who would have likely sunk deeper into poverty and crime without the positive impacts of sports and education – have been made possible through the support and altruism of individuals and institutions who believed in RYSA’s mission.
These include:
–APA Insurance– Supporting with Scholarships for more than 10 years, Support for the senior team, Cafeteria furniture, Internships and job opportunities for our youths,
–Local schools (mainly Cheleta and Kasarini),
Linnebygden Rotary club Almhut Sweden– Container Project, Junior Teams tournaments
–Rotary club of Karura– Schorlaship, Container project, internship opportunities in members companies etc
Swedish Society of Kenya- construction of Nursery School at Mji wa Huruma
RYSA Marafiki Sweden and Norway– Schorlaships, Trip to Sweden, junior teams tournaments,
Potterhouse School- Soccer field
Femme International- Girls sanitary towels and health education
Runda Baptist church– Office, business space, Meeting and activities space
My Dream Now Sweden– Scholarships, Contribution to Gothia Cup Trip in Sweden
North Albany Community church– Running and supporting of the Huruma Nursery School
Karura community church– Medical Camps for the community.
In addition, we acknowledge the immense contribution of RYSA members who tirelessly give of their time and resources voluntarily. RYSA is what it is today because of their selflessness.