Leah Omutanyi
Kenya
Title: Sports as a tool to Combating Drug abuse among the youths of Mathare slum
Biography
Biography: Leah Omutanyi
Abstract
Many youths from the slums have been engulfed by poverty and drug abuse. Many youths have been exploited to traffic drugs from one town to another. This program targets to address this issue through sports. Youths have been reached out with awareness on effects of drugs and victims being rescued and referred to rehabilitation centers. Advocacy messages have been passed to the communities through sports tournaments where boys and girls participate and later on drama with drug abuse messages are passed across. The Project has been active in the community organizing tournaments and events. The Project has a national professional(currently coaching a national premier league football club) who engages the youths from our project twice a week. Sports is being used as tool to not only empower the youths both girls and boys with football skills but also to sensitize them of effects of drugs abuse and the need to be in school. In addition the coach facilitates a life skill curriculum with each team /group and uses the sessions to address issues such as self-esteem, being assertive, HIV/Aids, children trafficking