CGA New Student Intake

Each school year, CGA invites a new class of students to begin their education at Christ’s Gift Academy.  Most students begin attending CGA in Nursery or Pre-Primary class (equivalent to Pre-School and Kindergarten in the U.S.); however, a few are also admitted into grades 1-4, if space is available.

Every October, the CGA Student Care office, led by Lillian Ombori, heads-up the Intake process.  It’s a long process to ensure a fair and just evaluation and that all decisions are made with good discernment and accurate information.  The selection is done by a Selection Committee which includes the CGA Leadership team along with the local area Chief and the Chairman of the PTA.  

Joe is a part of the Leadership Team and I was invited to be part of the Selection Committee.  It was very insightful for me to better understand the foundation and reasons for the guidelines of CGA. Listening to the various children’s circumstances and going along on home visits gave me great insight to this community.  It’s sometimes hard to grasp how and why there are so many orphans and widows in this area.  They each have a unique story yet the severity of their circumstances or the harshness of their family disownment is astonishing; even for me, someone who’s lived in East Africa for 2 years. 

Academically, CGA is one of the top 5 schools in the District.  In addition to the academic excellence, students also benefit with meals in school, medical treatment and other things.  Hence, every parent/guardian would love for their child to attend CGA.  We strive to give first priority to orphans and then to other needy and vulnerable children.  Yet, there are so many desperate families and children desiring to go to school at CGA.  Many families often attempt to forge documents (such as parent death certificates) to give their child a chance to qualify to attend CGA.

Application & Short Listing

The process begins with advertising around Mbita to let the community know that CGA is now accepting applications for the next school year.  Parents/Guardians must come to CGA with the necessary documents (including child birth certificate and medical history, and the parent’s death certificate).  In 2013, we accepted 60 applications, though many were turned away even before getting the application because they failed to meet the requirements.  

Students who apply for Pre-Primary, 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd Grade must take an entrance exam to ensure they are placed in the correct grade.  CGA teachers focus on academic excellence starting from Nursery class.  Students who have attended a local public school for a number of years often have a very difficult time academically catching up with their peers at CGA.  They are often far behind CGA students and it’s a challenge to catch-up with the high standard here.

After a comprehensive review of the applications, many applicants were determined to not be eligible by the set criteria of the CGA Intake guidelines and policies.  The disqualifying reasons include forged documents, home being too far from school, the child not being an orphan, the child is not from this area or if the child is living in an unstable home environment.  

The Selection Committee finalized a shortlist of 37 eligible applicants this year!

Home Visits

CGA staff must visit each home to ensure they have an accurate understanding of each child.  This is a key piece of the process.  Visiting the home is necessary to see the environment in which the child is living and also gain a better understanding of the child’s needs and home situation.  Over a course of 3 days, our 4 social workers traveled on foot to all 37 homes within a 4-mile radius of school.  In pairs, they walked to each home and interviewed the parent/guardian and child.  These are long days, but our dedicated staff understand the importance of the home visits.  They collect information and write reports for each home.  This information then helps the Selection Committee make a wise and informed decision about each child.

Final Selection

Over a 3.5 hour meeting, the Selection Committee discussed each child and carefully considered every situation, taking into account all the information available.   CGA was created because of James 1:27 which says, “True religion in the sight of God is to care for orphans and widows in their distress.”  It’s very difficult to deny a child an opportunity to come to school at CGA.  However, we know and believe God has a specific purpose for CGA to assist true orphans and widows and other needy children.  Final selection is difficult but necessary. 

2014 Intake

We are excited to welcome our new students in January 2014.  The following classes will be accepting new students:

Nursery – 19

Pre-Primary – 4

Grade 1 – 6

Grade 3 – 1

Grade 4 – 2

We are excited to welcome these new ones, and we are also looking for sponsors for each of these little blessings!  Learn how to become a sponsor for a new student.

 New Smiling Faces

The best part of a new intake is that we as CGA staff and teachers have the opportunity to love on new students.  In January, these new students will become a part of the CGA Family.  We look forward to extending God’s love to these new students and their families.

Team Flex

A lot of our time over the past couple of months has been invested in preparing for and then hosting a team from one of Joe's supporting churches in Billings, Montana.  While I was in college at Rocky Mountain College, I fellowshipped at Faith E Church.  It is a growing, vibrant church where the love of Christ is witnessed inside the church, but also outside the walls.  I had personally seen it during my time there and subsequent visits, but I saw it even more clearly during the two weeks we hosted 11 of their church members here in Kenya.   

Team Flex lived up to their name!  The team nicknamed themselves “Team Flex” because they knew the importance of mission teams remaining flexible and adaptable as they serve cross-culturally. Team Flex consisted of two married couples, a mother and her 12 year old daughter, a father and his grown son, two middle-aged brothers and a single man. It was a great blend of young and old, male and female and different personalities and capabilities.

This was the first time CGA had received a full team from Faith E, a church where many of our child sponsors come from. Daneen and I had the privilege of taking care of the travel arrangements, accommodation, meals, schedule, project work, and every other aspect of their trip.  Since we both enjoy details and planning, we enjoyed taking on the task together. 

We were also blessed that they brought us a few comforts from home, some by our request and others that were a surprise.  Though with the snack food they left behind, I think we have both gained a few pounds!  The fellowship was also much welcomed.  There is something special about spending time with people from home; just talking, sharing, learning about each other, telling a few jokes and laughing together.  We enjoyed seeing Kenya, Mbita, CGA and the Suba Lakers through their eyes.  It gives us a fresh perspective on things. It was fun for us to see others fall in love with a place and the people that we adore so much. We also enjoyed seeing God stretch them and move them a little out of their comfort zone, and closer to himself.

We welcomed them as they arrived in Nairobi tired and haggard after a long journey with a couple of long layovers in Minneapolis and Amsterdam, but with their bags in hand they were eager to experience what this trip might have in store. After a good night of sleep, on Sunday we boarded the bus and settled in for the 10 hour journey to Mbita. Some were struggling with jet-lag, but others were so excited to finally see this place they had heard so much about. They appreciated the amazing beauty of Kenya as they drove through the Rift Valley; seeing the vast climate differences of the lush tea plantations in Kisii and the dry, arid region of Masai land. They enjoyed a show by the wandering baboons on the side of the road, and even saw a little of the craziness that is common on Kenya roads.

On Monday morning the students and staff at CGA welcomed them with great Kenyan hospitality and beautifully personalized cards. The team toured the campus, listened the history of CGA (told by one of CGA’s first teachers), made new friends, and learned some of the culture. A couple of them were fortunate to finally meet the students they have been sponsoring for several years! Those moments are priceless as a visitor comes face to face with a child they have been praying for, sending letters to, talking about and longing to meet. For the child, it is hard to comprehend that this “sponsor” really does exist. They have written countless letters to a “funny name” that doesn’t sound like a real person because there aren’t names like they know in Kenya. The moment they meet their sponsor, it can be a little embarrassing for the student because all of their friends are watching them and the sponsor is so eager to give them a bear hug and tell them how much they love them. Most times the student will remain pretty reserved in front of their friends, but inside, their hearts are leaping for joy and it is a moment they will never forget. The first day ended with some language lessons from four CGA Alumni who have finished high school and are some of CGA’s most dedicated volunteers while they wait to join college.

The rest of the weekdays started with the team joining the CGA staff for devotions, and then spending about 15-20 minutes with an assigned class for devotions and prayer. Many of these times turned into Q&A sessions. One memorable moment was when a 2nd grader asked one of the visitors, “Is snow a human?” The question confounded everyone until they realized she had been told about snowmen and was having a difficult time understanding this foreign concept of snow in the shape of a man!

From the classroom, they tackled their team projects. It is amazing to think of how much these 11 accomplished in the few days they were at CGA. The ladies painted most of the rooms in our office building and also a wall in the Nursery classroom. The bright colors really liven up the school as a whole. They also spent time hand-sewing some of the students’ uniforms; repairing small tears and missing buttons. The men helped to build roof trusses for our new computer lab and even hoisted them up on the building. They also built the foundation for water tank stands, installed gutters on the office for rain catchment, built a shade for our kitchen cooking and washing area, put in goalposts on our soccer field, and poured cement for our 5th/6th Grade classroom expansion. These were very knowledgeable and hardy workers, but the first day of work was a shock to them since they didn’t have the machinery and equipment they usually use back home. The labor here was much “harder” and much more “manual” then they are accustomed to. With great attitudes, they worked side by side with the local construction crew, learning from each other.

In the midst of all of the work, team members took time to eat lunch with students and staff, others read books aloud to classes, while others played soccer with the kids. Some members also shared their personal testimonies on different occasions and others took time with 5th-8th Grade during Life Skills lessons to encourage them in different ways. Thursday afternoon most of the team went into Mbita town to experience the hustle and bustle of Market Day! On two of the days, team members took time to walk home with various students to see where they live and understand their family better. 

The 12 year old Anne was definitely the star of the team. The Kenyan children were so excited to interact with a foreign visitor who was their age. Each class took turns pulling her away to join them for porridge break, lunch break, PE class, or to come and share with their class. She loved answering their countless questions and asking many of her own. She also played games with the younger classes, blew bubbles with the Kindergartners and read storybooks with them. After the 2nd day, she told her mother, “This is the best vacation ever!” It takes a special child to be able to adapt and interact with children from a totally different culture in such a positive way.

We held a Suba Lakers training weekend while the team was here.  They came to learn more about how Suba Lakers is much more than simply a girls soccer club and also encouraged the girls. They put together "goodie bags" for each of the girls with much needed items: sports bra, underwear, sanitary pads and school supplies! The girls were very grateful.  Additionally, the team also brought a few soccer cleats.  Many of our girls have cleats which are old and worn out beyond repair. It was a great blessing for some of them to get a new pair!!!

The team got to experience culture in several ways while in Mbita. They tried the local food daily at school. Most of it was good, though there were a few things they struggled to eat. Each of them attended a local church which was very different from their home church in Montana, mostly with regards to the decibel level, length of service and the different languages translated back and forth! They also experienced a traditional Luo dance by some students from Wanga Primary School. Even their accommodations exposed them to rural African life with outside restroom facilities, bush babies climbing on their roof at night and other African sounds while trying to sleep. Along with the bush babies, the team saw dik-diks, monitor lizards, monkeys, hippos and dozens of species of birds. One of their highlights was the boat ride on Lake Victoria out to the bird islands.

During their last day at CGA, the team led the morning chapel where they acted out the story of The Good Samaritan, teaching the children what they had been demonstrating since arriving; in order to be more like Jesus, we must serve others. The school said a special goodbye and presented each team member with special gifts which choked up a few of the them.

The team was a blessing to CGA in so many ways. They brought many construction tools, school supplies, sports equipment… etc. They accomplished so many needed projects around school which had been on the To Do list for a long time. Despite “bringing” so much and “doing” so much, the biggest impact they made was through the relationships they formed. In Kenya, people are much more important than tasks, and this team understood that. They formed deep friendships with CGA students and staff, and also with the construction crew they worked with. It takes effort to form those kinds of relationships in a foreign culture, especially in a short amount of time. They made effort to encourage others, love others and pray for them. Several CGA staff members and students made comments about how dedicated they were to their work, about how well they got along with each other and how much they cared about people.

They remained FLEXIBLE throughout their time in Kenya. Flexible enough to finish their projects while also spending time with people. Flexible enough to do whatever was needed at any given time. Flexible enough to adapt to new foods, new languages, new people and a different way of life. Flexible enough to accept correction or advice. Flexible enough to endure animals making noise on their roof at night, and to endure hard labor in the hot equatorial sun during the day. Their flexibility has left a lasting impression on CGA and Mbita, much more than just the computer lab they left behind. And, in the process of serving others... I think God has also left a lasting impression on them to bring back to their families, friends, churches and workplaces in Montana! 

While it's a lot of work to prepare for and host a team, we greatly enjoyed it.  We're both "planners" at heart, so we enjoyed all the planning details and it was especially wonderful hosting a team TOGETHER! We are grateful for the time we were able to spend with this team and look forward to seeing them again soon; perhaps again in Kenya or maybe in Montana!

A Hometown Win

This past weekend the Suba Laker Junior Girls won the CRADLE Tournament in Mbita town!  

CRADLE is an organization dedicated to children’s rights.  Each year they host a football tournament in Mbita which is largely geared towards boys.  This year they had over 30 boys teams participate in the 5-day tournament.  Unfortunately, the girls were just an afterthought.  It took a lot of convincing to get them to permit the girls to play on the last day.  With only one day notice the CRADLE organizers were able to find 4 local teams to play in a mini tournament.  

In our first match, we played against some older ladies called Mbita Lakeside.  It didn’t take long for us to gain control of the match as Primerose Achieng dribbled through 2 defenders and scored a classic goal in the opening minutes.  A few minutes later, Lucia Awino added to the total with a nice free kick from just outside the box.  In the 12^th minute Lencer Adoyo kicked a rocket from 25 feet that landed in the top right corner of the goal.  Shortly thereafter Lencer provided a great cross to Mourine Owiti who closed out the first half with a goal.  

Already leading by 4 goals, the Lakers kept the pressure on in the 2^nd half with a goal in the 6^th minute  by Brenda June.  In the 9^th minute Lucia scored her 2^nd goal on another free kick.  In the 12^th minute Lucia completed her hat-trick with a penalty shot.  In the 15^th minute June added her 2^nd goal with a beautiful dribbling exhibition and finish.  The final goal of the match was scored by striker Phylice Akoth who used her speed to race past the defense and place a shot beyond the reach of the hapless goalkeeper.  

The match ended 9-0 and the hometown crowd couldn’t stop talking about it.  They didn’t know a team of girls could score so many goals in such a short match.  The Suba Lakers don’t get many opportunities to play in front of their hometown fans especially with such a big crowd, so it was fun for them to enjoy the moment. 

The finals didn’t go quite as easily.  Facing a determined Kamgere team from Rusinga Island, the Lakers thought they would have another simple win, but it ended up being much more difficult.  They controlled the ball and created chances, but couldn’t make the final play to score.  As the game wore on, the players got more frustrated and started pressing.  Even the fans were expecting a lopsided victory and were getting restless.  No team could break the deadlock and the match ended 0-0.  In the post-match penalty shootout, all of the five Suba Lakers scored their penalty kick and goalkeeper Lillian Awuor blocked the last two shots to seal the victory and give the Lakers the Championship.  

The theme of the tournament was “Kicking Child Abuse out of Kenya”.  The main aim was to use sports to attract many people, especially youth, to sensitize them on their rights and what they should do if their rights are abused.  

As for the awards for the top teams, the organization was prepared to give out many prizes to the boys teams; including trophies, uniforms, balls and money.  Since they hadn’t planned for a girls match, they didn’t bring awards or prizes for the girls.  We were awarded with 1 ball; only.  We’re grateful for the 1 ball as we have a great need of quality, well-made balls.  

The Mbita Member of Parliament Millie Odhiambo graced the occasion and during her speech spoke that we must all strive for gender equality.  She directly stated to the CRADEL organizers that whatever awards and prizes which were given to the boys, the same should be given to the girls.  Following her speech, the girls were promised a trophy, a cash prize, t-shirts, and uniforms.  We’re extremely grateful to have local MP who is concerned about these equalities!  We are hoping that the organization will follow through so that the girls can receive what they earned, and more importantly, what they deserve as equals with the boys!   

Patience Pays Off

It’s a story of hard work and determination, of strong faith, and of God’s perfect timing. 

Moses Ochieng is the third oldest in his family of 9 children.  Before finishing his 8^th grade year in 1999, both of his parents passed away when Moses was only 15 years old.  After the death of his parents, there was no way he could get the school fees necessary to continue his education in high school.  He moved to Nairobi and began taking manual labor jobs to earn some money, always hoping, at some point, he would be able to go back to school.  The weeks and months turned into years.  He worked hard and kept a good attitude, trusting that God was in control of his life.  His younger brother managed to move on to high school and eventually teacher’s college with the help of a friend.  Even Moses’ two younger sisters received a chance to join a school for orphans in Mbita called Christ’s Gift Academy.  With the help of CGA his sisters received a good education, performed very well academically and went through high school on sponsorship.  One sister is currently joining a University in the U.S. while the other is finishing her 3^rd year of high school. 

Moses in his 2nd year at Mbita High School

Because of his family’s relationship with CGA, in 2007, Moses was invited to come back from Nairobi and work as a volunteer at the school.  He was the “errand” boy riding a bicycle into town to photocopy exams, pick letters and packages from the post office, deliver lunch to our nursery class, escort sick students to the clinic, help serve in the kitchen, cut the grass or whatever else was needed.  It was not easy work and he was paid virtually nothing, but he always had a smile on his face and a kind word for everyone he met.  It was difficult for Moses to see children much younger than him moving on to high school, including his younger siblings, and he wondered if his time would ever come.  He began sharing with his close friends his dream of going back to school, and after many years of prayer, God opened the door for him in the year 2009 at age 25.  CGA agreed to sponsor him to attend a local secondary school.  He was so happy that he didn’t mind riding his bicycle to school about 4 miles from home, but then again, he was used to riding the bicycle a lot by that point.  Some days it would rain, and he would have to walk to school because the wheels wouldn’t move on the muddy roads, but he was determined to do his best.  He would stay up late studying and wake up early just to try to keep up with his classmates who were 10 years younger than him.  He was behind in subjects like Math because of the long absence from school, but he knew he could make it.  With his strong desire, he quickly rose to be the 2^nd best student in his class of 110 students.  

Moses did very well in his first two years of high school, but he felt the school he was attending was not competitive enough, and also wanted to attend a boarding school so that he would have more time to study.  He was given the opportunity to attend Mbita High School, one of the best boys schools in the province.  Once again, he started off behind the other boys in his class, but set his sights on catching up. 

In November 2012 he finally finished secondary school at the age of 29.  But one of the best parts of his story was still to come.  When the national exam results were released throughout the country the next  February he didn’t get his results, even though everyone else did.  For some unknown reason, there was a problem.  He went to school to check on the issue multiple times and made calls to the exam board and the district education office.  Even with such disappointment and incredible anticipation, Moses did not lose hope and kept his faith, believing God would make a way. 

Finally, two months later, he received his results… he was among the top 15% in the country!  He was so excited, but there was still another problem.  He couldn’t get his official transcript and leaving certificate from school because his whole class was charged extra money to pay for damage that was done in school the previous year.  Even though most of the other boys hadn’t been able to get their documents, Moses decided to go to school and inquire anyway.  Fortunately for him, the teacher in charge told him that because he was such a disciplined student, he would waive the charge for him and give him the necessary documents.  Moses just praised God for what He had done. 

So even though Moses was the last one in his school to find out his results, he was one of the first ones to receive his official documents!

During this process of waiting for his results, Moses began volunteering again at CGA.  He began assisting teachers by helping struggling students with math.  He's now teaching a few classes in both math and social studies.  Even though he receives no pay, he has stayed dedicated to his service.  He shows up for every teacher meeting and devotion time. Moses has a fabulous servant's heart!

In June, Moses applied for the CGA Post-Secondary Scholarship. 

In his application, Moses wrote about how CGA has helped him in life:

“CGA is like a home.  Spiritually, I have grown by being rooted in the word of God. 
Socially, I have developed responsibility.  

Academically, CGA has sponsored me making me to successfully  

finish Form 4 and giving me hope. 

I thank God for CGA because I would have not had hope in life!"

He excelled in his application and during the interview, and was selected as one of the 10 scholarship recipients.  He looks forward to studying education so that he can teach History and/or Business in high school.

God is faithful and we are excited for what the Lord is going to do through Moses. 

High School Students Reminded of the True Gospel

Three times a year, CGA welcomes back all of its former primary school students who are currently being sponsored in high school, and even those that have finished high school.  These “Reunions” come in April, August and December during the school breaks.  It is a great time to check in with all of the students to see how they are doing, and try to encourage them in various aspects of their lives.  In August, 85 high school students along with 15 alumni greatly benefitted from the Biblical teaching of Pastor Ken from Emmanuel Baptist in Nairobi.  Pastor Ken, along with his friend Phillip, delivered 8 messages from the book of Romans.  They began by helping everyone understand the bad news that we are all sinful and separated from God.  They then delivered the Good News that through what Jesus did for us on the cross, we can be connected with God and have eternal life.  They also took time to discuss other “gospels” that are popular these days like the Prosperity Gospel and others which distort the true Gospel.  It was powerful and convicting preaching that really hit home with many of our students.  Many commented that it was very challenging and difficult, but so good to hear the “full truth."

We heard stories from their parents/guardians, as well as siblings of how many of them were going home each evening and sharing what they learned with their families. These stories show that what we are doing at Christ's Gift Academy is not only making a difference in the lives of the 400 students under the ministry, but also countless others whose lives these students touch.The program was led by CGA Alumni and throughout the week many of them gave their testimonies and shared devotions with the students. There was also time to discuss University and College information, as well as career choices and advice. In small groups they discussed anxiety and stress for high school students. Two sessions focused on boy-girl issues and how to honor God in those types of relationships. We also had a medical person who administers HIV/AIDS treatment discuss issues related to abstinence, consequences of pre-marital and unprotected sex, along with male circumcision. One of the favorite sessions was a Question and Answer time when they wrote their questions on paper and the Alumni and adults present tried to answer them to the best of their ability. Most of their questions revolved around dating, sex and marriage.  They ARE teenagers! :-)
 

Each day began with a worship session, and the week was crowned with some prizes awarded to the students who improved the most in school.  Many students claimed it was the best reunion they have had since joining high school.  We are grateful for the visitors who travelled all the way from Nairobi for the week, as well as the CGA alumni who prepared and ran the week’s program! 

All of the secondary students returned to school during the first week of September to begin their last term of the school year.  PRAY for their success academically and for them to be a great witness for Christ in the schools they attend. 

 Check out this video of the CGA Secondary Students at Reunion singing "How Great Thou Art":

 

Champions Battle in Oyugis

The same day that the KYFA Tournament was finishing in Kisumu, we were expected in Oyugis (a 2 hour drive) for another nationwide tournament run by Society Empowerment Project (SEP). In this tournament, there were teams from Thika, Nairobi, Kisumu and other places. We didn’t get a good drawing for the pools and were in a 3-team pool with two of the best teams. In our first match we played the defending champs, Kayole from Nairobi. Their team is loaded with good players from around the nation’s capital; several of them also play on the Kenyan National Team. We played with three of our primary girls and eight secondary school girls. It was a hard fought match, but both teams failed to score and settled for a scoreless draw. That result qualified Kayole for the semifinals and put us in a good position to qualify with a win or draw in our final group game. The only problem is we were facing a very strong team who also happened to be the hosts, SEP. Two years ago we beat the SEP team in the finals to win the trophy and take back to Mbita. However, this time around, they are older and much better than two years ago. Our girls jumped on top with two early goals by Pauline to take a 2-0 lead. Towards the end of the 1^st half, SEP received a rather dubious penalty kick from their hometown referee and pulled within a goal. The second half was pretty tense and we weren’t getting many breaks, but with a lot of grit and determination, we held on for a 2-1 win to tie atop the group. Because of goal difference, we took the 2^nd seed and faced the #1 seed from the other pool in the semifinals.

The semifinals weren’t as tough as our group games. We dominated Kasagam from Kisumu right from the opening whistle and it finally paid off with a great goal in the opening minutes of the 2^ndhalf. We were awarded a free kick outside the box and Irine Achieng placed a beautiful left-footed looping shot towards the far post of the goal. It sailed past the jumping goal keeper’s hands and Sharon Bismark leaped higher than the defender covering her for a perfect header into the back of the net. Kasagam never really had a serious threat on goal after that and we emerged as the winner, ready to face Kayole once again in the finals. It was a matchup of the previous two Champions; Suba Lakers in 2011 and Kayole in 2012.

The finals resembled the first group match, but this time there was even more effort and determination from both sides to take home the winner’s trophy. In the first half both teams had multiple shots on goal, but the game settled down in the second half and the defenses got more stingy. As the match was winding down, both teams were settling in to the reality that it would come down to post-match penalty kicks, but in the dying minutes a mistake cost the Suba Lakers. On a Kayole throw-in, the Lakers midfield relaxed for a moment and left the opponent unmarked. That player scooted through the midfield and laid a beautiful pass through the back defenders. Our goalkeeper recognized that the defense was beaten and raced to the ball, but she was a second too late as the striker chipped it over her head. With less than two minutes remaining we didn’t have a chance to mount a comeback. It was discouraging, but still a good showing for our girls who haven’t played or trained together very much during the school year.

While what’s happening on the pitch is often the focus of a tournament, we were grateful the girls were blessed with a special speaker. Margaret Belewa is the East Africa Regional Coordinator for Street Football World, a world-wide NGO dedicated to sustainable social change using football to support development and education. Margaret shared her personal life story with the girls, which included being brought up in a very humble home, much the same as our girls. She didn’t receive her first pair of shoes until she entered secondary school. She shared with the girls the importance of not only having dreams in life, but also setting goals. She challenged them to consider how their daily choices affect their future. She’s a very successful Kenyan woman who our girls can look to as an example, yet she wasn’t handed her success. She worked hard and taught our girls that “You can make it- if you work hard.”

--
On September 2^nd, our secondary girls returned to their various boarding schools for the last term of the school year, and we won’t see them again until the end of November. In September, October and November we will be focusing on the primary school girls from around Mbita town.

My Choice, My Future

The Kisumu Youth Football Association (KYFA) hosts a Nationwide Girls Tournament each year, located in the city of Kisumu. This tournament attracts competitive teams from Nairobi, Eldoret, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kitale and other parts of Kenya. In past years, we have always brought a team to compete in the Open Age category and a team to compete in the Under 15 age category. Because most of the secondary girls had just finished a long school football season, we decided to focus on the younger ones and only brought an Under 15 team. We’ve participated in this tournament for the past four years, and each year our team reached the semifinals; winning it the first year and finishing in third place every other year. This year we wanted to strive to regain the 1^stplace trophy which we believe we deserve as one of the best young teams in the country.

In sticking to the Suba Laker way of playing by the rules and regulations of each tournament, we are careful about only bringing players that fit into the age category. Our players must have birth certificates that confirm they are Under 15 years old. This means that we often are forced to leave some very good players off the team because they are a little too old. Often times, it seems like we are the only team which upholds to this value of sticking to the rules. We always find other teams having players who are much older than the designated age.

For this tournament, the matches are played on smaller fields with smaller goals and only 7 players on a side. This allows younger players the opportunity to be more involved in the game, with each player getting more ball touches in the match. With fewer players on the pitch, it is important for each one to be a quality player!

Our young players were up for the challenge and on the first day of preliminaries we managed two wins, both 1-0 on goals by our youngest and smallest player, Brenda June. Those results put us on top of the pool, tied with Port Florence. We met Port Florence in the first match on the 2^nd day. Even though they were much bigger and older, our girls managed to control the ball possession and dominated the game, though we found it difficult trying to score in the smaller goals. In the closing minutes, Port Florence took a shot from outside the box, and our goalkeeper mishandled the easy ball to give them a 1-0 victory. She played great the whole tournament and only allowed that one goal, but unfortunately it cost us dearly. In the final match we needed a 2-0 victory to clinch 2^nd place in the pool and qualify for semifinals but we came up just short. It was painful to watch one of the teams we defeated the first day, a skilled team from Nairobi, make it all the way to the finals. Sometimes- that’s just how sports go!

The most positive outcome of the KYFA tournament was what happened off the field. This year’s theme was, “My Choice, My Future.” They brought in guest speakers to share with all of the teams about the importance of having positive relationships, abstaining from sex until marriage, and making wise choices to build a better future. The girls were challenged on many different levels and were able to share many different things that they learned and want to apply to their lives. Mary Lucy, one of our older girls who finished high school last year, was taking care of the younger girls in the classroom where they were sleeping. She was also able to share devotions with them each night and each morning, and spend time in prayer and worship. Though we didn’t take home any trophy, these girls benefited very much from participating in the KYFA tournament; and really enjoyed the journey across the lake.