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RHIAN'S SOCCER JOURNALS:

KENYA'S MATHARE UNITED SOCCER CLUB 20th January 2009

While I was recently visiting in Nairobi, Kenya, Anjali Nayar arranged for me to take an amazing trip.

This time the trip was not to the Serengeti or Mount Kenya, but to one of the biggest slums in the city where you can find the Mathare Soccer Club, part of the Mathare Youth Sorts Association (MYSA).

This Club was started by Canadian, Bob Munro. I had heard about the Club through a friend in Norway, and I was excited about actually being able to go to see what was happening there.

I had a pre-determined idea of what I might see at this place while I was there, but cliched as this sounds, I had no idea at all. Driving through the slums and rundown areas on the way to the Club, the sights were upsetting and eye opening. I even think that our driver was a little nervous about traveling there.

However, as soon as we entered the gates of the Club, I was immediately put at ease by Ishmael, one of the Club's coordinators. He met me out of the car with a huge smile and a warm handshake. I learned that Ishmael had grown up through the Club and he, and many more of the people I met while I was there, are now giving back to the program. They are repaying what the Club gave to them: Among other things, it gave them hope.

I knew that while I was at the Club, I was going to meet some really poor and unfortunate Kenyan kids, so I had at least come prepared. Through the generosity of my sponsor PUMA who had given me some donations, I was able to provide the Club's players with some cleats and football gear. I was really pleased that that I had something to give the players and it was wonderful to see the smiles on their faces. I just wish I had been able to bring much more.

I felt really privileged to meet one of the girls' teams. Anjali, who is a journalist in Nairobi, told me that most of the City's slum areas have now started similar programs to that of the Mathare soccer Club. MYSA started about 20 years ago, part of FIFA's Development Through Football community. The Mathare Club was even nominated for a Nobel Peace prize in 2003.

If you are interested in reading more on the Mathare United Soccer Club and MYSA program, their website is at: http://www.mysakenya.org. Now that I am home, I am trying to twin Canadian youth soccer clubs to those in the Mathare Club system. They are desperately in need of training outfits. If your club has any old jerseys in a cupboard, let me know and I will set things up. I will be working on the National Team players as well!.