In brief

The SOL Foundation assists Amref Health Africa in the implementation of a specific health programme with sport as a vehicle to improve the sexual and reproductive health and life skills of adolescent girls.

Problem to be tackled

Amref Health Africa has been working in Dagoretti and Mukuru for over 15 years to support vulnerable children and young people access their right to health and has identified a particular and growing need amongst adolescent girls aged 10-19, and especially teenage mothers who become isolated from their peers, have limited education opportunities and are vulnerable to sexual exploitation, abuse and very poor reproductive health. In Dagoretti and Mukuru, there is a lack of recreational spaces for sports, especially for girls who are discouraged by views on typical gender roles and discrimination.

Local partner

The project will deliver change through sport for adolescent girls and young women in Dagoretti and Mukuru. The three sports that will be utilised are football, volleyball and taekwondo. Through bi-monthly sports bonanzas, Amref Health Africa will partner with local sports associations to train young coaches and referees. These events will allow young leaders to be supported to plan tournaments in football, volleyball and taekwondo, which will take place twice a year.

Alongside coaching sport and leadership, community health workers will also attend Sports Bonanza events to promote sexual health services and train young peer educators to pass on information and help to signpost services.

Beneficiaries

The project intentionally targets vulnerable and isolated adolescent girls, aged 10-19 including teen mothers, who would benefit from the physical and mental health benefits of sport and urgently require a safe space to seek out sexual health information and services.

SOL’s contribution

With the support from The SOL Foundation, Amref Health Africa  will be able to launch the Sport for Health programme in Dagoretti and Mukuru, two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya.

Project partner

Amref Health Africa is Africa’s leading health charity, working across 35 countries to remove the barriers that impede access to healthcare. Sub-Saharan Africa contends with 25% of the world’s disease burden, but only 3% of its health workers. The aim is to change this inequality.

In line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Amref Health Africa’s purpose is to help achieve Universal Health Coverage in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Amref works together with the most remote and marginalised communities in Africa to secure their right to health.