Written by Gloire Ukwitegetse: Guest Writer and Former Athlete The Scea Development Currently in Oslo; Norway
Football, otherwise known as soccer in other countries, is the most popular sport in the world. The game has an indirect effect on other sports and industries as well.Though the ultimate goal of any football or soccer club is to rise and play a level up the pyramid, it is a big challenge for smaller clubs to compete with the financial muscle that the more established and richer clubs have in place. This is why it is paramount for small establishments like The Scea Development to not only aspire to play a level up, hope for a probable investor to pump money into their operations but also try to turn the tables to aim at the success of the local community as well as other lofty ideals. At the Scea Development, football goes beyond just a agame.
Having established its base in March; 2015 in Kasarani- Nairobi- Kenya, The Scea Development still commits to the goals it has set out to achieve far beyond the game of football or soccer. With an overarching vision of growing into a football or soccer centered school- institution as resources permit, the establishment remains committed to its mission of producing intelligent – exciting footballers besides helping young individuals grow into responsible and accountable individuals. This will always be our commitment despite the numerous obstacles we have to overcome along our way.
As a sustainable undertaking, The Scea Development continues to work with young football players from different countries and social cultural backgrounds within The East African Community- The EAC. Diversity, inclusion, acceptance and tolerance remain a core to our development program. The knowledge, expertise, experiences and skills that a diverse and included people bring on board has been and will always be critical to the kind of future we are or have been creating, leading and delivering to us. The environment we have created or aspire to create is one of meaning and purpose in which we learn alongside our young footballers as individuals, giving them the freedom to make mistakes but within a defined framework of responsibility and accountability. In this way and others we are teaching us alongside our local community how to be good global citizens. A win- win for the future we want for us.
With Kenya as a host country to a majority of our young players who immigrate or flee from conflict from other countries within The EAC for example The DRC, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, The Scea Development has been and will continue playing a crucial role. Integrating these young people within Kenyan mainstream culture while remaining true to their respective nationalities and social-cultures helps and enables our young soccer hopefuls to blend in a new community and culture. This is more than football.
It’s more than football in several parts of the world. Be it in developing or developed countries.