How we started
How we started
Kenya Youth Hockey Development goes back to 2014. Erik van der Dussen from Breda moved to Nairobi for his work. Looking for a hockey club, he met former field Kenyan hockey international Tom Olal. Together with the Kenya Hockey Union, Tom had started a hockey initiative with only very few resources or materials. That soon changed, thanks to the generous support of the Breda field hockey community. That was the start of a beautiful hockey program that offers vulnerable children a chance to a better future.
‘A circle of good’
Since then one thing led to another. You could also call it ‘a circle of good’. We have numerous examples of this. Thanks to Pim Janus and Ewout Sloof, entrepreneurs in Janus Vaten and Oryx respectively, we were able to transport all the children to and from the hockey fields and serve them weekly hot meals.
New goals and hockey scholarships
In 2016, the technical staff of SGA security group single-handedly made two brand new hockey goals for the young hockey players of the Ngong Children’s Home and sponsored a nice hockey event at the local sports field.
Family Ottenhof and all their friends collected a nice amount of money for the foundation during a great Rally. With this we were able to launch the Lenana boys team. Besides them, there are many other supporters, such as Kees van Lede and Hein van Opstal, who also provided hockey scholarships. Furthermore, we receive support from Rotary Club Breda, HC Voordaan, HC Push, HC Naarden, HCG and many other companies, institutions and clubs.
From initiative to foundation
In 2021 the initiative became a registered Foundation.
How we started
Kenya Youth Hockey Development goes back to 2014. Erik van der Dussen from Breda moved to Nairobi for his work. Looking for a hockey club, he met former field Kenyan hockey international Tom Olal. Together with the Kenya Hockey Union, Tom had started a hockey initiative with only very few resources or materials. That soon changed, thanks to the generous support of the Breda field hockey community. That was the start of Kenya Youth Hockey Development; a beautiful hockey program to offer vulnerable children a chance to a better future.
‘A circle of good’
Since then one thing led to another. You could also call it ‘a circle of good’. We have numerous examples of this. Thanks to Pim Janus and Ewout Sloof, entrepreneurs in Janus Vaten and Oryx respectively, we were able to transport all the children to and from the hockey fields and serve them weekly hot meals.
New goals and hockey scholarships
In 2016, the technical staff of SGA security group single-handedly made two brand new hockey goals for the young hockey players of the Ngong Children’s Home and sponsored a nice hockey event at the local sports field.
Family Ottenhof and all their friends collected a nice amount of money for the foundation during a great Rally. With this we were able to launch the Lenana boys team. Besides them, there are many other supporters, such as Kees van Lede and Hein van Opstal, who also provided hockey scholarships. Furthermore, we receive support from Rotary Club Breda, HC Voordaan, HC Push, HC Naarden, HCG and many other companies, institutions and clubs.
From initiative to foundation
In 2021 the initiative became a registered Foundation.
The power of hockey
The idea? Taking the kids out of their misery regularly. Hockey gives them the chance to have carefree fun and learn something at the same time. Through sports, kids learn that they can accomplish something on their own if they put in the effort.
Through the competitive element of the game they learn to deal with loss and disappointment. These are important lessons you need in life.
From clean water to a bus ride to the hockey fields
We work together with the Kenya Hockey Union on the youth program. Every Saturday morning, more than sixty children gather at the City Park Hockey Stadium for their hockey practice. We work on fitness and skills, play games and, of course, competitions. With support from our partners, we are able to provide the children with a warm meal each week, fruit, clean water and a bus ticket to and from the hockey fields. What started with material donations from Erik’s former hockey club HC Breda, has now grown to support from all over the Netherlands and companies from Brabant as well as Kenya. We are building similar programs in other places in Kenya and support schools, clubs and hockey initiatives.
A promising future
The program works. Very well! Initially, the program started with eight children, but now almost a hundred young hockey players from the slums are enrolled in the program. Some of them have now been accepted into a good school with a scholarship. “With a chance at education, they have a chance at a better future.”