Kenya: Soccer Tourney Brings Health Care Too

WASHINGTON, Sep 4 (OneWorld.net) - For many at last month's regional soccer tournament in Kenya's Dago village, the side event was a lifesaver; hundreds of local people received free medical checkups, eye and dental exams, and HIV testing and counseling.

What's the Story?

Kick It With Kenya competitors. © Patrick OdoyoSoccer is a mainstay for the people of Dago, who live a largely agricultural existence some six hours by bus from the capital city of Nairobi. But basic health care is relatively scarce, and information about nutrition, HIV/AIDS, and other health issues is in short supply.

So a local community group decided to capitalize on one to boost the other, organizing the Kick It With Kenya soccer tournament and health fair in August this year.

The five days of men's soccer and women's netball games were greeted as a welcome change of pace from everyday life by the 3,000 people in the stands each day as well as the 360 players and coaches and dozens of referees and volunteer tournament officials and health care workers.

The HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing team got perhaps the greatest workout of all. Over 550 local people were tested for HIV by the five-person team, and the demand was so strong that there could have been twice as many testers and counselors on hand, said tournament organizer Patrick Odoyo.

Soccer fans stopped by the local primary school, where counselors would explain the basics of HIV/AIDS -- and the ramifications of a positive test result -- before taking two samples of blood, which were both tested to ensure the accuracy of all results.

While the vast majority of those tested were HIV-free, 34 local people -- about 6 percent of those tested -- learned that they are living with the virus. Each was given additional counseling and referred to a local program that will help them cope with the health, family, and societal issues that come along with a positive test result.

Several teams of local health workers and specialists were also on hand to provide medical checkups for several hundred children and adults -- a rare luxury for people in this part of the world.

Ten malnourished children were treated. Mare than 70 got immunizations. Over 60 dental exams and 200 eye exams were conducted, and 100 people got free eyeglasses.

And of course, there was soccer -- and netball, a derivative of basketball that's particularly popular among British Commonwealth nations. In addition to the tournaments pitting local teams against each other, a coaches clinic was organized and a Kenyan professional team brought in to play a match against an All-Star team of local players. (The professionals won, 7-0.)

Patrick Odoyo and Pamela Adoyo. © Patrick Odoyo"Kick It With Kenya was an overwhelming success," said Odoyo in an email to supporters after the tournament's conclusion. "We had tremendous support from people donating soccer balls, uniforms, socks, soccer training manuals, water filtration buckets, baseball caps, helping with training the Dago players, and delivery of donations from the United States, among numerous other things."

Odoyo hopes the success of this year's tournament will help drive funding to make the event, which was co-organized by the Seattle-based nonprofit organization link..