Sadili Oval Sports Academy Commemorates the Day of the African Child

On16^th June 2016 Sadili Oval Sports Academy joined the rest of the nation and the world in commemorating the Day of the African Child. This is a day set aside by the African Union in honour of the children massacred in the infamous 1976 Soweto Uprising during the apartheid regime.It provides a chance to campaign for children’s rights – and an opportunity for celebration.This year’s commemoration took place under the theme ‘Conflict and Crisis in Africa: Protecting all Children’s Rights’.

Sadili Oval through its Court of Dreams project and Girl Power Clubs Africa programme has been working closely with young children and teenage girls in various schools in Nairobi, mainly Kibera slums. Different life skills are embedded across sports sessions where each week a particular theme is focused on. In line with this year’s official theme for the Day of the African Child, throughout this week Sadili Oval’s staff have been holding sessions with schools within the two programmes discussing with them human rights issues.

This particular day was celebrated in two schools: at Olympic Primary School in the morning hours and at Karen C High School in the afternoon. The young people had an opportunity to discuss with Sadili staff what their rights are, what child abuse entails and where to report cases of abuse. I must say our social educators have a wonderful way of keeping young people engaged during such sessions. They composed a beautiful song in Swahili about children’s rights and the pupils, particularly those of Olympic Primary School, kept singing the song way after the session was over! 

As is the norm at Sadili Oval, sport was not left out. Our coaches also helped to keep  the children engaged by teaching them to play tennis and other games.

Girl Power Clubs Africa, founded in 2007 by Dr. Elizabeth Odera, is a leadership program that provides girls in various schools in Nairobi with a chance to learn life skills through sports and learn to make decisions that affect their lives and their communities positively. The Court of Dreams on the other hand follows the journey of children between 3 and 12 years, the age in which one can leave a positive influence in a child forever. This programme is unique as it involves work on the complete child, with tennis and life skills training, and children are rewarded in both areas.

It goes without saying that the future of the African continent lies in the hands of the African child.For all the challenges Africa still faces, it is a vibrant and promising continent full of incredible young people. Together in solidarity we join with countless others across Africa and across the world as we embrace these children and advocate for their rights.