Day of the African Child: B-Ball for Life introduced in Kenya

Green Interventions for Sustainable Towns (GIST-Kenya) brought together over 300 adolescents, youth, and community members to commemorate the Day of the African Child through a sports-for-social-impact model The B-Ball for Life in Kisumu County, Kenya. 

The B-Ball for Life event served as a timely response to increasing demand for youth-led, inclusive programming in health, climate, and civic engagement and showcased how basketball can go beyond recreation to become a transformative tool for community. Held at the Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground, the event was built on months of collaborative planning and sectoral alignment with partners working across youth development, SRHR, disability inclusion, and environmental advocacy. The event set a new precedent in Kisumu County for how play can be used to activate dialogue, deliver services, and foster local ownership. 

Objectives:

• Utilize basketball as a platform to educate and engage youth in SRHR, mental health, and environmental justice.
• Offer on-site health services including HPV vaccination, SRH counseling, and educational materials.
• Promote intergenerational and youth-centered dialogue around health, climate, and equity.
• Demonstrate the power of coalition-based delivery models to reduce duplication and enhance community ownership.
• Include persons with disabilities (PWDs) meaningfully in both planning and participation.

Key Outcomes:

• 300+ participants, with intentional inclusion of adolescent girls, young women, and PWDs.
• 70+ HPV vaccines administered; dozens of young people accessed SRHR and health services.
• 15 trees planted in a symbolic act of climate action and intergenerational responsibility.
• Strong youth-led dialogues held with clear policy asks on increased investment in education and health.
• Inclusive event design allowed for full participation of PWDs in games, discussions, and learning sessions.
• Strengthened multi-stakeholder coordination between local CBOs, INGOs, and government partners.
• Validated a sports-based model that is youth-driven, intersectional, and replicable.

GIST-Kenya looks forward to working with partners to replicate and refine this approach, using lessons from this pilot to build a sustainable, inclusive sports-for-impact framework.

About the organisation

Green Interventions for Sustainable Towns – Kenya (GIST Kenya) is a youth-led, grassroots nonprofit organization based in Kenya working to advance climate justice, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and sustainable development in underserved communities across Kenya. Through community-driven programs, advocacy, and strategic partnerships, GIST Kenya empowers young people and marginalized groups to lead local solutions that create healthy, inclusive, and climate-resilient communities. The organization integrates faith-based, indigenous, and gender-transformative approaches in its work to drive lasting social and environmental impact.