Elite Marathoner Joan Chelimo/ HANDOUT
The athletics-rich town of Iten in Elgeyo Marakwet County will host a landmark Sports Awareness Event aimed at tackling gender-based violence (GBV) and promoting equality in sport on Friday.
The programme will feature a blend of educational forums, counselling sessions and sporting activities designed to empower young athletes—particularly girls—while challenging harmful gender norms.
Boys and girls will take part in discussions and games that promote safety, health and inclusion. The event will also mark the graduation of 12 Kenyan coaches — six women and six men — from the “House of Coaches” initiative, a France–Kenya partnership that offered professional training in Miramas, France, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Organised by the French Embassy in Kenya alongside key advocacy groups — including Tirop’s Angels, the Don’t Touch Programme and the Kechei Centre — the event is part of a wider effort to protect athletes and spark generational change through sport.
For Joan Chelimo, elite marathoner and co-founder of Tirop’s Angels, the mission is both urgent and personal.
“We are on the verge of creating awareness on gender-based violence, especially within the sports fraternity,” said Chelimo. “We want to educate athletes and communities, starting with children in schools. Most of the issues are cultural — especially affecting women in Elgeyo Marakwet — and it’s time we challenge those norms.”
The Don’t Touch Programme, founded by Viola Barsulai, is centred on child protection and works to train parents, teachers and coaches in creating safer, more inclusive environments.
Together with the Kechei Centre, the organisations aim to give young people the tools to recognise and respond to unsafe situations, while offering ongoing support through counselling and education.
The event reflects France’s growing commitment to gender equity through sport in Kenya. Since 2024, initiatives such as Elimu, Michezo na Mazoezi in Kiambu County and Wasichana Tunaweza in Turkana have reached thousands of young people, promoting leadership and gender awareness.
The Breaking Barriers, Building Champions programme — led by Ikaika Sports in partnership with Tirop’s Angels — continues to offer scholarships, mentorship and psychological support to talented athletes from underprivileged backgrounds.
Their message is clear: sport must be a vehicle for protection, equality and long-term empowerment.
