Talent4Development is an initiative that aims to come to the aid of young people living in extreme poverty, provide resources needed to channel their talent, bring out their full potential and allow them to achieve their dreams.
Talent4Development was founded during the summer of 2016 following a volunteer experience in Kenya. Together with the local association MYTO, ("Mathare Youth Talent Organization") a pilot program was launched to introduce table tennis to schools in the third largest slum in Africa, Mathare.
The idea raised as a way of combining two passions: sports and education, within the framework of a social project. The project was born from the deep conviction that talent trainings and personal development programs will make a substantial difference in the lives of many young people, whose human rights and opportunities in life are vulnerable.
For this we focus mainly on two lines of work:
Training of the coaches will provide necessary knowledge and skills to transmit them with passion to the students. Creating employment opportunities and professional development so they can become leaders and agents of change in their communities.
The program aims to make productive use of the children’s leisure time, serving them as role models reinforcing commitment and self-discipline to their school and personal lives.
Approximately 50% of the population in Kenya lives in shantytowns using less than 1 euro per day. Mathare is one of these settlements located just 5 km from the centre of Nairobi. Approximately 1 million people live in a space of about 8 km2. Mathare is registered as the third largest slum in Africa.
The main problems that its residents face daily are:
• Lack of basic infrastructure such as access to running water, electricity, public toilets, or health centres.
• Poor sanitation due to the lack of a waste and sewage management system.
• Limited access to quality and free education, with few positive role models.
• Tribal and gender discrimination episodes.
All this translates mainly into an environment with a wide inequality of opportunities, especially for the youngest ones to get a decent job and to be able to break the cycle of poverty in which they are immersed.
"Developing talent as a tool for education, progress and peace in environments with great scarcity of resources and opportunities"
"We want to contribute in creating a world where every child, regardless of where they come from, has the opportunity to develop their talents and abilities"
Respect - Integrity - Solidarity - Resilience - Courage - Humility - Responsibility - Equality - Happiness
Table tennis has all the ingredients that a successful activity requires within a "slum", since it does not need great resources or facilities to practice. The basic equipment is affordable and it is very attractive to practice for all ages.
The Academy operates during the school calendar of Kenya. Three school terms (January-March / May-July / September-November). This allows each group of students to have the opportunity to train for one hour three or four times a week.
Students will participate in both local and national competitions, promoting their development as athletes and other professions within the sport industry.
Dancing, singing, composing, are admired activities in the Kenyan culture. Therefore, together with the collaboration of artists, musicians and local groups, we want to develop these competences from very early ages. This segment intends to make the participating children the future leaders of the program for them to receive the baton.
In this program we will seek to adapt to the needs of many children who live with physical or mental disability in the slum. We want to finance required means for improving their quality of life and facilitating their incorporation in the existing activities.
Their participation should be able to help them integrate, develop skills as their peers, build confidence and exceed expectations
What better way is there to share your passions and talents than to put them at the service of those who have fewer resources? Sharing all your knowledge and expertise in the activity that makes you happy and you enjoy doing. Tell us the idea you have (education, health, entrepreneurship, sports, art, technology, psychology, etc.) and together with our local team we will implement it to generate maximum impact in the long term.
Would you like to associate your company, school or brand with a social purpose? Little goes a long way. We seek collaborations to bring more value to the program, reach more individuals and bring efficiency in running all intended activities. With your support, Talent4Development seeks to continue to have a long-term impact on the lives of all its participants and grow little by little, reaching more and more young people and new communities with similar needs and structures.
