Case study: Football for peace in Kenya's slums
"It is an honour to play for my National team, my success is thanks to my coaches, team mates and St Johns Sports Society for their moral and financial support" Kuende, Kenya
Kuende lives in Korogocho, a large slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Gangs operate in the area and crime rates are high. Many young people Kuende’s age are extremely vulnerable – there aren’t many things for them to do and joining a gang or turning to crime can be a way of coping with their situation.
Football-mad Kuende was offered the chance to join a CAFOD funded sports society in Korogocho when he was just 11 and he jumped on it! Of the many sports offered, he chose to play football each week and the super skills he learned at the club meant he has been asked to join the Kenyan under 17s national football team!
Thanks to the football team and his hard work, he has steered clear from the gangs and is proving right now that with the right help, anyone can achieve their dreams.