Today we had the privilege of visiting the first Egmont partner organisation on our route between Kenya and South Africa. We made it to Nairobi early this morning and met the wonderful Charles at midday for a tour of the VAP office before watching the beneficiaries in footballing action. It’s difficult to describe what you can see and learn in the space of a few hours on a stifling Easter Sunday afternoon, but all we know is that the world would be a far richer place with more people like Charles and the team at VAP. The best way to share what we learned is to distil it into the simple and effective approach of VAP themselves: A football pitch is a positive community: like minded young people come and play and make different and healthier choices. It is a safe space away from the very real and very serious social problems in the slums around Nairobi. It is the place for gaining a wider education and even employment. It is the perfect spot for Sunday afternoons in the sunshine with your friends - running around, getting sweaty and not giving a damn. The football team is a bond of trust: it starts with the game and players wearing the same shirts. It develops into friendships between players and coaches, filled with confidence and understanding. It becomes a place where young people feel able to be open, honest and heard. Girls and boys learn about pressure in relationships, safe sex and are HIV tested. They all learn to avoid peer pressure and make their own independent decisions. Young people find real inspirational role models who have run their dusty streets in their tired shoes. The game of football is the key: pick up a ball and throw a few jackets down and the game is on. It starts small, (but important), with laughter, friendships and teamwork. It grows into an education and lifelong and life-saving decisions. Huge life changing impact is made to over 2,500 participants. Every. Single. Year. And here we were thinking it was just a game and just a patch of grass.
