Opening the door to possibility

The Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) is a youth-led organisation founded in 1987 by Canadian Bob Munro to harness the power of sport for community change. In 1994, Mathare United FC was founded, a professional club that grew out of the MYSA youth programme and went on to win Kenya’s top league in 2008 – proof that local talent, when nurtured, can reach the very top.

The UEFA Foundation for Children has supported MYSA for years, funding programmes that blend football with education, health awareness, employability and inclusion. The foundation’s grants to MYSA – awarded in 2019, 2024, 2025 and 2026 – total €309,886.

This collaboration reflects the foundation’s broader mission to protect children’s rights and create opportunities worldwide through sport.

The MYSA Centre, a place of hope

MYSA’s mission is to provide opportunities for boys and girls from informal settlements to realise their potential, both on and off the pitch.

Edwin Wasonga, who accompanied us throughout our visit last January, started at MYSA as a young football player and is today the Executive Director. He took us on a tour of the MYSA Centre and its buildings and activities, during which we met staff members responsible for running different programmes, all former beneficiaries of the association. “When there is a job opportunity at MYSA, we give priority to the people who benefited from and participated in life at MYSA,” said Edwin. “It is a way of giving our people a chance if they have the competencies needed for the job.”

• Health and rights: Knowledge that protects

Since 1994, MYSA’s Slum Health and Rights Programme has offered HIV testing, medication and counselling, sexual and reproductive health education, peer‑education training, safeguarding support and referrals – practical, youth‑friendly services that meet young people where they are. This programme empowers beneficiaries to make the right decisions related to their well-being.

• Libraries: Quiet places of discovery

MYSA has four libraries, one of which is a digital library. These locations are regularly used by school groups of all ages because many local schools lack resources to cultivate a reading culture and provide safe spaces for learning. The young people love coming to the library – it offers them a moment of freedom and the chance to discover new subjects and interests that inspire them.

• Sporting spaces where confidence grows

The largest area of the MYSA Centre is dedicated to sport. It includes a fitness room, a multipurpose hall equipped for badminton and table tennis, an artificial football pitch donated by FIFA before the World Cup in South Africa and a large football pitch.

The youth transformation projects funded by UEFA use the sport for development model, supporting the personal and social development of young people through sport and recreational activities at the grassroots level.

• How MYSA leagues build skills on and off the pitch

MYSA has established football leagues for children aged 4 to 17. In 2025, there were 1,745 teams: 1,018 boys' teams, 402 girls' teams and 325 mixed teams.

In league matches, scoring goals is not the only factor that counts. Teams and players can earn extra points for fair play and participating in community activities, while yellow and red cards result in point deductions. This system promotes respect, teamwork and social responsibility both on and off the field.

By participating in these activities, young people acquire skills that help them avoid engaging in risky or antisocial behaviour, such as substance abuse, violence or crime. The project uses sport to raise awareness about health, safeguarding and physical and emotional well-being.

Mathare, a slum located in the heart of Nairobi

As the association’s name suggests, MYSA started in Mathare.

Home to approximately 200,000 people, Mathare is one of Africa’s largest informal settlements – a place where daily life is a struggle for survival. Here, families live in fragile homes clustered along narrow pathways, and most residents are single mothers raising their children alone. Many have been abandoned by their partners, who have avoided their responsibilities and left young mothers to shoulder the entire weight of parenthood alone, often with several children in their care. Most MYSA beneficiaries are children raised by single mothers.

With no access to training and no steady income, these mothers take on small tasks, like washing clothes for neighbours or selling small items on the street, accepting any job that appears. And when hardship becomes unbearable, some are driven to desperate, high‑risk choices simply to make sure their children have something to eat.

Life in Mathare is difficult. Water must be purchased. Electricity is unreliable or nonexistent. Toilets are a luxury. Every day demands resilience.

For many children, childhood ends far too early. To support their mothers, they leave school – where fees are required – and begin working, long before they should. By adolescence, some are drawn into gangs, not out of choice, but out of a lack of alternatives. And so, the cycle of poverty tightens its grip, generation after generation.

MYSA offers a lifeline. Through its community football programmes, children discover a safe space where they can simply be children – play, laugh and breathe away from the pressures of life. The sports field becomes their refuge and their source of hope.

Some of the players from Kenya’s national football teams come from the MYSA programme, proof that they have been able to change their living conditions and those of their families by becoming professional football players

For those who demonstrate dedication and leadership, MYSA goes even further by providing scholarships, helping prevent children from dropping out of school. By covering school fees, MYSA opens the door for these children to an education they could never have afforded on their own. For many, this support is truly transformative, as good education can change lives and break the cycle of poverty.

The healthcare and rights programme also plays a crucial role, as the community faces challenges related to disease, violence and substance abuse. Through this programme, MYSA provides information, guidance and support to empower young people to make informed decisions and become drivers of positive change within their community.

Edwin Wasonga:

“We believe deeply in the potential of young people growing up in the slums, because they represent the change we want to see. Our goal is to help them take ownership of their future and their environment. That is why we focus on working hand in hand with the community’s young leaders, strengthening their capacity to lead, inspire and build lasting transformation.”

Library – Through the pages

Across the road from the settlement, the Mathare North community library, managed by Charles Ajoe, welcomes countless children and young adults who come here to read, draw, discuss, dance and study in a safe and inspiring environment. He organises engaging opportunities such as book awards to encourage children to read selected titles and video conferences with authors to give young readers a chance to engage directly with the stories they love. He also promotes exchanges with youngsters in other countries, creating meaningful conversations around themes explored in the books. Through these experiences, children are motivated to read more and discover new worlds beyond their own – through the pages.

He remembered when children from Scotland and children from Mathare shared their thoughts about the same book. In the story, a monkey enters a classroom. The Scottish children’s reaction was to take care of the monkey and feed it bananas, while the Kenyan children’s response was to chase the monkey away and keep the bananas for their lunch break.

The MYSA programme – and especially the library – plays a vital role in supporting the education of young pupils. Many of these children live in the slums of Kenya and have no access to learning facilities, so they look forward to visiting the library, listening to stories and exploring picture books.

Victorious King Education Centre

We had the privilege of meeting Martha Mwangi, director of the Victorious King Education Centre, who opened the doors of her school so we could meet the pupils, from the very youngest to teens. They spoke candidly about their dreams, and the teachers described the changes they’ve seen since joining MYSA’s activities.

Martha Mwangi, director of the Victorious King Education Centre:

“Since our school joined the MYSA programme, we have seen remarkable positive changes in our children. Previously, many of them struggled with low self‑esteem and lacked confidence in themselves and in life. Through participating in MYSA activities and learning new skills, these children have become more active, more engaged and more emotionally stable – both in and out of school. The library has opened a new world to them: they read together, their writing and English have improved, and books have become a powerful source of growth and encouragement.”

League day in Korogocho: Coaches who came back to give back

Accompanied by Robert Menya, the league match coordinator, we visited the MYSA sports field in Korogocho to watch some league matches. What impressed us most was not only the talent on the pitch, but the spirit and determination driving it.

These young players are guided by coaches who once stood exactly where they stand today – children shaped by MYSA’s grassroots football programme. Having grown up on the same fields, faced the same challenges and shared the same dreams, they now return as mentors, committed to giving the next generation the opportunities they once received.

Thanks to specialised training provided through MYSA by the Football Kenya Federation, these coaches have strengthened their skills, gained new confidence and are now empowering their teams to aim higher, play better and truly believe in themselves.

Mohammed Ismael, coach, Under-15 girls’ team:

“It isn’t easy to coach teenage girls here. Families struggle to afford even basic equipment, and social pressures can keep girls at home. MYSA helps them grow their talent and confidence – on and off the pitch. As a coach, I try to instil determination, consistency and focus in everything they do.”

Catherine Monthe, coach, Under-12 and Under-13 girls’ teams

“The first challenge is simply finding girls, because not all parents support their daughters playing football. Menstruation can complicate participation, too. But once they join, they make friends, learn life skills and keep coming back. Sometimes a little practical support – like soap or slippers – helps us keep them in the game.”

Asher’s story and transformation

Asher is a 13‑year‑old girl who lives in Korogocho. Orphaned at a young age, she now lives with her grandmother, Rosemary. Her older brother is currently in prison, leaving Asher and her grandmother to navigate life on their own, a life with many struggles, which brought the young girl close to dropping out of school.

Asher joined the MYSA programme five years ago, after MYSA representatives visited her school in search of new participants. From the very first day, she discovered a genuine passion for football – one that quickly grew into an extraordinary talent.

Her dedication and active participation in the programme earned her a MYSA education sponsorship, allowing her to stay in school. Although Asher understands the importance of education, football has become her main source of joy, confidence and purpose.

Today, she is determined to be among the few young athletes selected to travel to Norway to participate in the Norway Cup 2026, the world’s largest youth football tournaments. For Asher, this is more than a competition – it is the chance of a lifetime.

Asher has already participated in two championships with MYSA, during which she received medals and a MYSA jersey. In 2024, she was named player of the match.

Her grandmother is very proud and supportive of her and is grateful every day for the opportunity that MYSA has given to Asher: to have a better life.

Rosemary, the grandmother

“I am so proud of my granddaughter, and my heart is full of gratitude for the coach who cares for her and all the other girls. They lift each other up, growing together in ways they could never do alone. She goes to school, and I no longer ask her to do the heavy housework – I want her to have the childhood and opportunities I never had. The coach’s commitment has been a blessing to our family.”

Asking Asher about her dream, she replied:

“My dream is to play football and help my family and other children who have no shelter and nothing to eat.”

IMPACT OF MYSA