Can Village Sport Help Keep Teenagers in School and Away From Early Parenthood?

Every week during the August holiday, young people from rural schools and surrounding communities converge on the playing field for football tournaments that are becoming more than sporting events. 

Four tournaments have already been held, with another planned each week as learners remain out of school. 

For the coaches and community leaders behind the activities, the matches provide an opportunity to reach young people with a message that extends beyond sport: stay in school, make responsible choices and seek guidance when faced with challenges. 

Coach Kevin Kirua says the tournaments have received positive feedback from parents, who appreciate the activities and their impact on young people. 

“Since we started the tournaments, we have received very positive feedback from parents. They appreciate what we are doing and the impact the activities are having on the young people,” he says. 

For the players, the tournaments offer a constructive way to spend the holiday while building relationships with teammates and mentors. 

Sayianka, captain of Kilusu FC, says the activities are helping young people develop a more positive outlook. 

“We are focused on doing something positive. These activities keep us engaged and give us a different mindset. We go home with a changed mentality,” he says. 

The tournaments also provide an avenue for young people to interact with coaches and community leaders, who use the gatherings to encourage learners to remain in school and seek guidance when facing challenges. 

However, participation is not equal. Boys' teams currently outnumber girls' teams, with household responsibilities and cultural expectations among the factors limiting girls' participation. 

Miriam Nashipai, captain of the Mutenkuar team, is encouraging more girls to join the activities. 

“I encourage my fellow girls to come to the pitch, participate and remain positive. We want to see girls focused on their future rather than early parenthood and marriage,” she says. 

Her message highlights one of the challenges facing the initiative. If sport is to become a broader youth-development tool, girls must also have meaningful opportunities to participate. 

For village elder David, the tournaments have become an important community activity that deserves greater support. 

“We are asking the Narok County Government to support these sporting activities because they are helping both our boys and girls. We need support in terms of mentorship and resources so that these activities can grow,” he says. 

Teachers also see an opportunity to use the holiday activities to reinforce messages around education and adolescent wellbeing. 

Teacher Mark Ledama says keeping learners engaged during the holiday can create opportunities for conversations about the consequences of early parenthood and teenage pregnancy. 

“When we engage learners during the holiday, we have an opportunity to talk to them about the dangers of teenage pregnancy and early parenthood. This is an initiative that should be embraced and strengthened,” he says. 

The approach is straightforward: use an activity that already attracts young people as a platform for mentorship, education and positive engagement. 

But whether sport actually reduces teenage pregnancy or early parenthood is a question that cannot be answered by four tournaments alone. It would require longer-term evidence tracking participation and examining outcomes such as school attendance, retention and adolescent wellbeing. 

For now, the tournaments are providing something tangible, a regular gathering point where young people can play, interact with peers and receive guidance from coaches, community leaders and teachers. 

The initiative also faces a significant challenge: ensuring girls benefit equally. 

With more boys' teams participating than girls' teams, organisers and community leaders will need to address the household responsibilities and cultural expectations that can limit girls' participation. 

The next step could be to strengthen the mentorship component, increase girls' participation and involve schools, parents and county authorities more deliberately. 

A weekly tournament cannot by itself solve teenage pregnancy or early parenthood. But if the playing field becomes a place where young people find mentorship, remain connected to education and are encouraged to think about their futures, sport could become an important part of a wider community response.