Sporting activities held in Suba to fight bad behaviours among teens

Victoria Friendly Montessori-Kenya is holding sporting activities in the Suba South constituency to enhance the fight against teen pregnancies and insecurity among adolescents.

The organization project manager Philip Ongeri said their assessment reveals that defilement and break-ins are rampant when schools are closed.

According to records from the Homa Bay health department, the high HIV infection in the county is attributed to the increasing cases of defilement and drug abuse.

Most of the defilement cases and other sexual molestation occur when youths and adolescents are in school holidays.

Ongeri argued that such sports tournaments keep adolescents busy and reduce idleness.

“These youths and adolescents are now focused on the sports they want to win. The reduction of idleness helps us to tame teen pregnancies and other social ills,” Ongeri said.

Speaking during finals of Suba Talents annual tournaments at Kiembe primary school, Ongeri said they are strategic in implementing their project in the area.

The high HIV prevalence and teen pregnancies in the Suba region are attributed to poverty and the socio-economic behaviour of the locals.

Most youths practice fishing as their economic activity as the region borders Lake Victoria.

Suba South constituency manager Walter Oloo, Gwassi West Location Chief Tobias Opiyo, and parents Janet Achango and Paul Kitoro were in attendance.

Ongeri said they are using the tournaments to nurture talents.   

“We’re awarding money and other incentives to participants as a way of encouraging them. The tournament is held annually to fight vices that ruin the future of our younger generation,” Ongeri added.

Some of the sporting activities they participated in are football, netball and volleyball. Others included Ajua and cultural dance.

Opiyo said they realised that such sporting events have led to a reduction in cases of sexual and gender-based violence.

“Cases of break-ins and other criminal activities have reduced during the tournament. We’re calling for more such activities during holidays to help us fight crime,” he said.

Oloo said they are going to improve the Kiembe grounds by installing goalposts and fencing the field.

“We’re going to use the CDF money to improve the pitch," Oloo said.

Achango and Kotoro said such tournaments help them to fight child labour and assaults.

“Domestic conflicts and cases where minors are asked to do business for their parents are reduced,” Achango said