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Young leaders ‘Kick AIDS Out’ prior to the East Africa Cup
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Various activities are taking place prior to the East Africa Cup, to be held from 22-26 June in Moshi, Tanzania. One such example is the Kicking AIDS Out workshop, bringing together more than 20 participants from East Africa and South East Asia.

"The East Africa Cup is a platform for learning and sharing"

The East Africa Cup is not only an occasion for youth to compete on the soccer field. Many other activities are planned prior to the official kick-off on 22 June, and there will be plenty of action off the sports fields during the tournament as well. Activities off the sports fields include life skills sessions, cultural presentations, and refereeing clinics among others.

For example, the East Africa Cup is currently hosting the “Kicking AIDS Out curriculum guidelines orientation workshop”, bringing together young leaders from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam.

“Delivering a Kicking AIDS Out workshop is a way to strengthen the East Africa Cup, and ensure this event is not only viewed as a sports tournament, but as a platform for learning and sharing in the area of sport and development”, noted George Nange, from the Kicking AIDS Out Secretariat. He later said “it is also an opportunity to engage more youth from the region in our training”.

Kicking AIDS Out, a network of organisations
In one session participants were requested to define Kicking AIDS Out, and two overall views were expressed: first of all, Kicking AIDS Out was identified as a network. “To me, Kicking AIDS Out is a global network made up of sports-orientated organisations. The network is established in Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, Asia and the Caribbean”, explained MYSA participant John Ngugi.

And more fundamentally, an adaptable concept
Participants also defined Kicking AIDS Out as an approach using sport to reach out to youth and equip them with leadership skills. Kicking AIDS Out was thus defined as a concept that uses sport and play to reach behaviour change around key social issues including conflict resolution, life skills, and health awareness.

It also appeared this concept had to be flexible enough to meet needs of the member organisations: whereas CHRISC Tanzania representatives referred to the use of the Kicking AIDS Out method to sensitise youth to risks accompanying substance abuse, John Ngugi noted how MYSA had made use of this approach to bring together children and youth in the aftermath of the post-election violence affecting Kenya in 2007/08:

“The post-election violence was among the darkest moments in our history. During that time, MYSA used Kicking AIDS Out games extensively to trigger discussions among children and youth from different ethnic groups in Dandora and Mathare north. During these debriefing sessions, children were holding discourses along tribal lines that were extremely preoccupying. These games enabled us to openly discuss their concerns in a highly sensitive context.”

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