WBSC and AHEEN launch new Baseball5 project in Kenya

The World
Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has successfully launched a newBaseball5 project in Kenya in collaboration with the African Higher Educationin Emergencies Network (AHEEN) and Olympic Solidarity.

Baseball5, the
WBSC’s accessible and urban discipline, has been introduced into the KakumaRefugee Camp and Kalobeyei integrated settlement following the successfulrunning of similar training programmes in the Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan.

“The WBSC iscommitted to growing our sport worldwide and to helping those less fortunatewhile doing so," WBSC President Fraccari said. "By launching thisproject alongside AHEEN and thanks to the support of Olympic Solidarity, we areexpanding the reach of Baseball5 and offering displaced youngsters theopportunity to play organised sport on a regular basis”.

“We have seengreat success through our project in the Azraq Refugee Camp and are confidentthat the introduction of Baseball5 to the Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyeiintegrated settlement will have a similar effect. I look forward to visitingKenya in the future to see the success.”

The WBSC haspartnered with AHEEN, who are focused on displaced youth to succeed in secondary education as a pathway to highereducation and employment, to run the initiative, whichkicked off on 1 August 2024.

Baseball5’sintroduction will not only encourage healthy living and give displaced youththe opportunity to engage with sport, but also help drive social cohesion andbuild on the legacy of other similar projects run by the WBSC.

AHEEN’s Athletics & Education program focuses on building social-emotional and life skills through sports combined with regulareducation support. In addition to its physical benefit,teamwork, coordination and competition within Baseball5 will support youth educationin this respect.

Run inconjunction with Olympic Solidarity, Under-18s in the camps will be able totake part in regular Baseball5 activities, which will be run by Head CoachDenis Mitei, who was one of four coaches able to take part in a coaching clinicin Nairobi and has experience dealing with displaced young people during his teachingcareer.

To guarantee high standards of delivery, the WBSC and AHEEN built up a “Project Delivery Team” formed by two AHEEN Members - Youth Education & Sports (YES), a refugee-led organisation, and Women Educational Researchers of Kenya (WERK), the Kenya National Federations of Baseball and Softball, the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, UNHCR Sub-office Kakuma and the schools involved.

The cooperationbetween these stakeholders will ensure not only high technical standards, butalso compliance with child safeguarding and refugee protection protocols, asolid nutrition plan for the participants, a system to monitoring and reportingtargeted outcomes and systematic coordination with teachers and parents through YES.

The project isdesigned to encourage its participants to progress to Higher Education, and forthe possible participation of a team from Kenya to compete in future YouthOlympic Games (YOG).