HIV Education Through Football Coaching in Mathare, Kenya

More about HIV Education Through Football Coaching in Mathare, Kenya

Rates of HIV infection in Kenya currently stand at 6.2%, with 40% of new infections in young people occurring before age 25. Mathare, one of Africa’s largest slums, is home to approximately 600,000 residents occupying an area of 3 square miles. High rates of poverty and lack of available resources result in HIV rates that are far higher than the national average – with some estimates claiming that one in three adults in Mathare is currently living with HIV. Young people are particularly at risk as they become sexually active, and affecting attitudes towards sex at a young age is critical in helping people make safe choices. TackleAfrica uses football to engage with young people that may not thrive in a traditional academic setting, and may be hard to reach with conventional health interventions.

MYSA have been successfully working with young people from Mathare through football since 1987, affecting positive social change in a number of areas from community clearup to education scholarships and leadership. This project marries TackleAfrica’s expertise in training and supporting coaches to deliver innovative HIV education sessions with MYSA’s phenomenal network of coaches and young people, adding sustainable long term HIV education to an already successful programme.