Sport for Kenyan Youth Employment (SKYE) (2015-2017)

IYF has always been dedicated to addressing youth needs in a holistic way, and we’re interested in exploring the particular power of sports for positive youth development. Through the initiative Sport for Kenyan Youth Employment (SKYE) with partner Barclays Bank PLC, soccer was a key part of a dynamic training model enabling youth participants ages 18 to 25 from Nairobi’s Eastlands area to secure quality jobs in the construction sector. Drawing on IYF’s Passport to Success® life skills curriculum, SKYE strengthened the competencies developed through sports participation—including teamwork and discipline—to enable young people such as Linnet and Joseph to succeed in the workplace. Through lessons that integrate football, as its known locally, young athletes received rigorous work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy with local partner Mathare Youth Sports Association and practical, market-relevant training and certification led by Arc Skills.