In Mandera East, where young people often face limited opportunities and the risk of radicalization, sports have emerged as a powerful tool for positive change. Hussein Weytan Foundation’s youth sports program, particularly our football tournaments across the five wards, is proving to be more than just a game – it’s a catalyst for social transformation and youth empowerment. In a region where divisive forces threaten community cohesion and young people’s futures, our sports initiatives are creating common ground, fostering dialogue, and building essential life skills.
Our approach to youth development through sports is based on the understanding that physical activity, team participation, and healthy competition can provide alternatives to destructive behaviors and ideologies. The football tournaments we organize serve multiple purposes, addressing various aspects of youth development and community cohesion simultaneously. By engaging young people in structured, positive activities, we’re filling a critical gap in their lives and creating spaces for growth and connection.
Creating unity across communities stands as a primary objective of our sports program. Teams are intentionally mixed to include players from different backgrounds, including various clans, religions, and socioeconomic status. This diversity in team composition challenges existing divisions and prejudices, forcing young people to work together toward common goals. As they train together, develop strategies, and celebrate victories (or cope with defeats), strong bonds form that transcend traditional dividing lines.
Our tournaments bring together youth from all five wards of Mandera East, creating interaction opportunities that might not otherwise exist. Many young people grow up within the confines of their immediate neighborhoods, with limited exposure to those from different areas. The tournaments serve as neutral ground where youths can meet, compete respectfully, and develop understanding. This cross-community interaction is vital in a region where isolation can breed suspicion and conflict.
We recognize that sustainable change requires community-wide involvement. That’s why parents and community leaders are actively involved as supporters, mentors, and sometimes coaches. Their presence legitimizes the activities, provides guidance, and creates intergenerational dialogue. When respected elders support and attend matches, it signals to young people that these activities are valued and worthwhile. This community involvement also helps sustainability, ensuring programs continue beyond our direct implementation.
Beyond unity, our sports programs focus intensively on building life skills. Leadership development occurs naturally through team captaincy roles. Captains learn to motivate teammates, make strategic decisions, represent their teams in discussions with referees, and model good sportsmanship. These leadership opportunities are rotated when possible, giving more young people the chance to develop these valuable skills. Additional leadership workshops for captains and coaches enhance these natural learning opportunities.
Conflict resolution through fair play and sportsmanship is an essential component of our approach. Sports inevitably involve disagreements – about rules, referee decisions, or player conduct. Rather than suppressing these conflicts, we use them as teaching moments. Coaches and mentors guide young people through respectful disagreement, compromise, and acceptance of outcomes. These skills transfer directly to other areas of life, helping young people navigate conflicts peacefully in their communities.
Time management and discipline develop through the commitment to regular training sessions and match schedules. Young participants learn to balance their sporting commitments with school, family responsibilities, and other activities. They experience firsthand how consistency and preparation lead to improvement and success. The structured nature of sports programs provides rhythm and purpose to their days, reducing idle time that might otherwise be filled with risky behaviors.
Goal-setting and achievement through competition teach young people to envision future success and work systematically toward it. Teams set season goals, while individual players identify skills they want to improve. Coaches help break these larger ambitions into manageable steps, creating roadmaps for achievement. When goals are reached, celebrations reinforce the connection between effort and success. When setbacks occur, resilience is built through reflection and renewed commitment.
The impact of our sports program extends far beyond the playing field. We’ve observed significant positive changes in participating communities. There have been reduced incidents of youth involvement in extremist activities in areas with active sports programs. Young people engaged in positive, meaningful activities have less time and inclination to be drawn into harmful ideologies. The sense of belonging and purpose that team membership provides fills crucial psychological needs that might otherwise make extremist groups appealing.
Improved inter-community relations represent another significant outcome. As young people from different backgrounds interact regularly through sports, stereotypes break down and understanding increases. These improved relationships extend beyond the players to include their families and wider social circles. When conflicts do arise in the community, the connections formed through sports often provide channels for dialogue and resolution.
Enhanced school attendance and academic performance have been reported by local educators. The discipline and time management skills developed through sports transfer to academic pursuits. Additionally, many young people are motivated to maintain minimum academic standards to remain eligible for sports participation. The cognitive benefits of regular physical activity also contribute to improved learning outcomes.
The development of local sports talent and leadership creates positive role models within communities. Young people who excel in sports gain recognition and respect, providing them with platforms to influence peers positively. Some have gone on to compete at county and even national levels, bringing pride to their communities and demonstrating what’s possible with dedication and support.
One of our success stories is the Mandera Youth United team, which started as a small neighborhood initiative and has grown into a symbol of unity and achievement. The team now includes players from diverse backgrounds who have become role models in their communities, demonstrating how sports can bridge divides and create opportunities. What began with just eleven players borrowing equipment has evolved into a structured club with multiple age divisions, dedicated coaches, and community support.
The team’s evolution reflects broader community transformation. Initially met with skepticism, their consistent positive presence and growing success have won community support. Parents who once discouraged participation now attend matches proudly. Local businesses have begun sponsoring equipment and uniforms. Most importantly, the team members themselves have become ambassadors for peace and unity, actively participating in community service and speaking out against divisive rhetoric.
Our sports program includes several key components designed to maximize impact and sustainability. Regular football tournaments in all five wards create consistent engagement opportunities and healthy competition. These tournaments are structured to ensure fair play, inclusion, and skills development. They include age-appropriate divisions and are carefully scheduled to accommodate school calendars and community events.
Professional coaching and mentorship ensure quality instruction and positive role modeling. We invest in training local coaches, equipping them with both technical sports knowledge and youth development principles. These coaches serve as mentors beyond the playing field, providing guidance on education, career planning, and personal challenges. For many young participants, coaches become trusted adults they can turn to during difficult times.
Sports equipment and facility support address practical barriers to participation. We provide balls, uniforms, and basic equipment to teams and work with local authorities to improve playing fields and facilities. This material support ensures that economic limitations don’t prevent participation. Improved facilities benefit not just our program participants but the wider community, creating safe recreational spaces for all.
Leadership workshops for team captains and coaches deepen the impact of their roles. These workshops cover topics such as effective communication, conflict resolution, team building, and ethical leadership. By strengthening the capacity of these key individuals, we multiply our program’s influence. Equipped with enhanced skills, these leaders shape team culture and extend positive influence throughout their networks.
Community engagement events around tournaments transform sports from mere recreation to community celebration. Matches are accompanied by music, food, and sometimes educational activities or health services. These events attract wide participation, including those who might not otherwise attend sporting events. They create opportunities for community dialogue, information sharing, and celebration of local culture alongside sports.
To ensure sustainability and maximum impact, we’ve developed partnerships with local schools and educational institutions. These partnerships facilitate student participation, coordinate scheduling, and sometimes include sharing of facilities. School involvement helps reinforce the connection between academic and athletic achievement and provides additional adult supervision and support.
Community leaders and elders participate as advisors, spectators, and sometimes honorary officials. Their involvement lends credibility to the programs and helps align activities with community values and priorities. They help mediate any challenges that arise and advocate for continued community support. Their wisdom guides program development, ensuring cultural appropriateness and addressing emerging concerns.
Sports associations and federations provide technical guidance, referee training, and pathways to higher-level competition. These connections ensure our programs meet recognized standards and offer participants opportunities to advance their sporting careers if they show exceptional talent. They also provide our coaches with professional development opportunities and updated training methods.
Youth development organizations with complementary objectives create programming synergies. We coordinate with organizations focused on education, health, and employment to provide comprehensive support to participants. This collaborative approach ensures efficient use of resources and addresses young people’s needs holistically. Joint activities and referral systems strengthen the overall youth support ecosystem in Mandera East.
Looking ahead, we’re expanding our sports initiative to include more sporting disciplines beyond football. While football remains enormously popular, introducing additional sports will engage young people with different interests and physical abilities. Basketball, volleyball, athletics, and traditional games are being incorporated, each offering unique benefits and appealing to different participants. This diversification will increase overall participation and develop various skill sets.
Female sports teams and tournaments address the historical gender imbalance in sports participation. Recognizing that girls and young women face additional barriers to sports engagement, we’re creating female-specific programs with appropriate accommodations for cultural considerations. Female coaches and mentors are being recruited and trained, and community education addresses misconceptions about female sports participation. These efforts are already showing promising results, with growing female participation and community support.
Sports scholarship programs support exceptional athletes in pursuing education alongside sports development. These scholarships recognize both athletic talent and academic commitment, reinforcing the importance of balanced development. Recipients serve as ambassadors for the program and role models for younger participants, demonstrating the opportunities that can arise through sports excellence combined with education.
Training for local coaches and referees builds community capacity for program sustainability. By developing local expertise, we reduce dependence on external technical support and create employment opportunities. This training includes both sports-specific skills and youth development principles, equipping coaches to maximize the developmental benefits of sports participation. Trained referees ensure fair play and teach participants to respect rules and authority.
Sports facility development in underserved areas extends program reach and leaves tangible community assets. Working with local authorities and community contributions, we’re improving existing facilities and developing new ones where needed. These facilities are designed for multiple uses, benefiting our programs and the wider community. Maintenance plans ensure sustainability, often involving program participants in facility care as part of building responsibility and ownership.
The power of sports to prevent violent extremism and promote positive youth development is clear. Through continued investment in these programs, we’re building a stronger, more resilient community where young people can thrive and lead meaningful lives. The playing field has become a place of transformation, where divisions dissolve, skills develop, and new possibilities emerge. As we expand and deepen these initiatives, we envision a Mandera East where every young person has access to the developmental benefits of sports and the support to channel their energy and talents toward positive outcomes.