Kenya is an Eastern Africa Country with a population of 47.6 million. According to UN-Habitat, Kenya’s urban population is at present 40 percent of the total population. More than 70 percent of these urbanites live in slums, with limited access to basic services such as water and sanitation, housing, and safe playing spaces for children and youth. Poor environmental and structural conditions deprive children and youth of their fundamental right to play and development. Moreover, children, girls, and kids living with disabilities, are most affected since they are the most vulnerable. Kibera is one of the largest and most crowded slums in the country with a population of approximately 250,000 residents, across an estimated area of 2.5 square kilometers. The lack of access to basic amenities in Kibera has resulted in high crime rates, teenage pregnancies, sexual violence, and abuse of girls among other vices. To address the problem of access to basic amenities and the right to play for children, we are proposing to rehabilitate the “Isaac Pitch” at the heart of Kibera slums. The Rehabilitated Isaac Pitch will improve access to sports, arts, and culture for more than 800 children. Located at the center of the community, the renovated “Isaac Pitch”, will be a child, sport, gender, and disability-friendly safe field for children, girls, and people living with disability in Kibera. The partnership between A Human Rainbow and Kibera Black Stars / Slum Soka has already demonstrated the ability to use sports and education as an agent for social change in the slum. In 2020, an education and training center was built to complement the education of 400 children (Boys and Girls) who attend various programs: extra curriculum classes, computer courses, introduction to different arts, yoga, and dance lessons every week. There are also monthly health sensitization meetings, life skills training, and activities around environmental conservation. A Human Rainbow and Kibera Black Stars started to renovate Isaac pitch in 2017 but the renovation would not progress as Kibera Black Stars did not own the land. In 2019, Kibera Black Stars purchased the land and became the official owners. This development opens an opportunity for girls to have a safer space for sports. There has also been a strengthening of relationships with the local community-based organizations that serve people and children living with disabilities. Then, heavy floods in 2020 and 2021 greatly damaged the field, thus undoing all the good work that had began. The present conditions of play are not good at all with a harmful surface. The pitch is very unhealthy now with very dirty streaming water and filfthy mud. This is therefore an urgent need to do proper renovation and implement innovative sports and cultural activities on this precious playground in the heart of Kibera slums. The renovation of “Isaac Pitch” will scale up the impact of Sports and Culture as tools for social change. More and more future stars can shine in Kibera. Together and Stronger! Yes, we can!
A new Isaac pitch in a slum: Improving access to Sports and Culture for social change
