FIFA to Launch Football for Schools Program in Western Kenya

• The program is mainly set to benefit Kenyan Primary Schools
• It will be launched in Kakamega this weekend
• The program is a joint initiative with FIFA and UNESCO

World football governing body FIFA is set to launch the Football for Schools (F4S) program, an initiative set to benefit Kenyan primary schools.

The program, a joint initiative with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), will be launched in Kakamega on Sunday, with FIFA officials having already jetted into the country.

FIFA’s Football for Schools Director Fatimata Sidibe, Antonio Buenaño, the FIFA Football for Schools Manager, and Melvin Mendy – FIFA Football for Schools trainee arrived in the country this week ahead of the event, which will be graced by officials from the Football Kenya Federation led by President Nick Mwendwa.

Through the program, FIFA aims at impacting over 700 million children, both boys and girls, across the globe. The program has been designed to promote targeted life skills and competencies through football and contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other priorities.

In Kenya, the program is set to directly benefit over 2,000 schools across the country.

Key in FKF’s football development agenda 

“Youth and women’s football remain key in FKF’s football development agenda. Since children spend most of their time in school, we believe that we can directly impact them through capacity building of our teachers with coaching education and provision of football equipment,” said Michael Amenga, FKF’s Head of Technical.

The program kicks off on Friday with a 3-day football and life skills training session for 50 coach educators, a selected group of teachers drawn from all 47 counties across the country, who have an interest in primary school football. The educators will be tasked by FKF with conducting select football and life skills programs in their regions.

Fatimata Sidibé – Football for Schools Director, being received by FKF Technical Director Michael Amenga

On Sunday, children, both boys and girls, from selected schools in the Western region, shall converge at the Bukhungu Stadium for the official launch of the program. The kids shall be taken through small-sided football games and life skills training.

Beyond the launch, schools participating in the program will receive footballs and training equipment, and the coach educators will go on to train primary school teachers in their region on the program, who will trickle down the knowledge gained to the primary school children.

Furthermore, primary school teachers who are directly involved with the children shall be given priority in FKF’s coaching courses.

Handled by qualified personnel

The initiative will in the long run give an opportunity to children to not only showcase their potential early in their football development life cycle but also ensure that they are handled by qualified personnel.

CAF has already started a schools program, with the CAF Schools Championship. Kenya did not participate in the first edition last year, as the country had been under suspension from FIFA.

However, the country hopes to enrol for the second edition, with Tanzania having hosted the regional East African competition last year.

Meanwhile, FKF says it will continually work with the Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association to ensure that the channel of talent identification and nurturing is streamlined.