In Nairobi’s industrial area, lies a warehouse that looks like an automobile garage. It’s actually hard to find the place along Mombasa road as it is situated behind towers along the highway. A dusty road navigates me to the entrance after about an hour of going round in circles, but thanks to the security men manning the surroundings, i finally arrive to my destination.
Richard Gituro, the sales manager walks majestically with a broad smile to welcome me and immediately shows me inside as I quickly adjust to my new environment and settle in.
Different men and women both young and old are seated at their work stations and busy stitching balls in a sight that I could not resist to gaze at.
With great interest, I chat with the busy jovial and social employees. A few of them narrate their life stories to me.
After an hour of socializing with Nairobi’s most jovial employees, a 5 foot tall, light skinned, Asian looking like African lady walks towards me and introduces herself as Rose Maket.
She is the country director of alive and kicking organization in Kenya and also over sees day to day activities of the football manufacturing organization at their offices and manufacturing plant.
Alive and kicking formed in 2004, is an African social enterprise that manufactures hand stitched leather footballs, rugby balls, volley balls and hand balls in Nairobi, Kenya.
The aim of the organization is to improve the health and quality of life among young people living in underprivileged social conditions.
The organization also aims to continuously create ethical sustainable employment opportunities not only in Kenya but also in sub-Saharan Africa.
Rose Maket, now her second year at the organization, goes ahead to explain that their vision is to have an Africa where underprivileged children can play with an affordable real ball, create thousands of sustainable job opportunities in the production and distribution of balls where sports significantly contributes to the health and quality of life among young people.
Sales manager Gituro supplements his boss’ remarks by adding that providing teams with the right equipment helps boosts the quality of ball sports within the country. “We are giving the youth a chance to fully exploit their talents and potentials at a very affordable rate,” Gituro said.
The organization also plays a significant role in Nairobi’s low class society by employing over 130 individuals who would otherwise have engaged into societal vices like crime, drugs and prostitution just to mention but a few.
“Though I am not fully comfortable here, but at least now i can afford my basic needs. I am independent and also sustain my family,” says eighth month old employee, victor from Kawangware.
He inherited the skill of stitching balls from his father who also worked at the facility but later retired.
John Herbert, chief boss of the organization hired leaders who know the market and Nairobi’s vicinity and its surroundings well.
The older experienced men and women who once worked for the now extinct orbit sports, found solace and earn a living at alive and kicking where the veterans also take the responsibility of training new recruits.
It takes between three to four months to fully train an individual on the job.
“Though I knew how to stitch balls from my previous job, I needed a better place with better working conditions, so I heard of this place and walked in to ask for employment.
The boss interviewed me and I got hired two years ago,” narrates Maureen Mwikali from Umoja.
The country director, who worked in Zambia before her new challenge, admits the high levels of corruption in the country’s industrial and sporting sectors to being a hindrance in her efforts to network, but she is not stopping any time soon in her efforts to prove her prowess in management.
She has plans for more corporate social responsibility and expansion of thoughts by also hiring the disabled in society through partnerships with local organizations KEPSA and Goal Kenya.
Alive and kicking on Tuesday morning this week, partnered with taking football to Africa and beyond charitable appeal, an organization run by members of the British Royal air force. The queens’ army, which is also linked with RAF football association and English football association, saw Maket and company walk their talk by donating 100 footballs to their campaign which is headed to African slums, Kenya included.
The event also witnessed another beneficiary, MYSA Kenya from Nairobi’s Mathare area.
The organization’s main income comes from selling hand stitched balls to local consumers mainly in Kenya, Zambia and Ghana. This has also become one of the main challenges, though the balls are affordable to the ordinary locals.
“Marketing strategies and several partnerships including the ministry of education and other non-governmental organizations are yet to fully bear fruits, but we are trying our best to meet these ends,” says Faiza Athman, head of communications and public relations at the facility.
Alive and kicking’s main customers include local youth teams, supermarkets and schools who place in orders for whatever product they desire.
Author; Shadrack Andenga Odinga