Vijana Twaweza peace activities around the Kenya elections

Kenya is recovering from the horrific scenes of the 2007 General elections, and with some psychological and physical scars yet to heal, a massive peace campaign across the country was paramount before, during and after the 2013 elections.

Without peace there can never be development. Unemployed and idle youth fall prey to politicians who may use them to cause chaos for their own selfish interests. Young people, for example,  are normally targetted by politicians during political disagreements. Vijana Twaweza (VT) has been at the forefront of promoting peace in the last two months and most recently during the Presidential petition.

Beach soccer tournaments
We curbed this potential crisis by holding beach soccer tournaments before and after the elections. Each tournament had a total of 30 teams with players from three hot spot regions, namely: Kisauni, Mwembe Tayari and Likoni. These are areas notorious for idling youth subjected to social vices.

The matches included peace songs and peace messages during the breaks. The players were reminded of the importance of peace in the community and the benefit of improving their skills that were clearly on display during the event. The winners were awarded medals and a trophy.

A challenging walk
Getting these players involved was a challenge, but with the help of community members we achieved this goal. Accessing where players live can be a challenge, especially considering the distance from the bus stop to where the groups meet. Some live in very remote areas that require several hours of walking through rough terrain and hot sun. We planned ahead to take into account the long walking distances and to get to the locations on time.

Champions of peace
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) took note of the teams and promised to include them in their leagues. This will go a long way to ensure that players are kept active and away from destructive behaviour. It will also give them confidence and respect.

The effort being exhibited by the players is very encouraging. VT will work with these teams so that the players get recognition from corporate sponsors in or out of the country. Getting the teams to play in the national league is our priority as we also embark on basic life and business skills training through partnerships with willing organisations.

VT will continue working with these youth irrespective of the logistical challenges to ensure that they have a decent life and above all that they cease to be the threats to peace in our community. Instead, the hope is that they become champions of peace and developmentally minded.

[This article has been edited by the Operating Team.]