In order to strengthen its refugee program, World Athletics worked with the Area Athletics Development Center (AADC) to sponsor and host Level 1 coaching practical training.
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In order to strengthen its refugee program, World Athletics worked with the Area Athletics Development center (AADC), situated in Nairobi, to sponsor and host Level 1 coaching practical training for important refugee camp support workers employed in northwest Kenya. The emphasis was given to the Kenyan refugee camps of Kakuma, Kalobeyei, and Dadaab, which are mostly populated by refugees from South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Uganda. A group of six people successfully completed the first level of the World Athletics eLearning modules this year. The second round was held at Eldoret’s scenic Lobo Village and was led by Samuel Litaba of Kenyatta University, a World Athletics Coaches Education and Certification System Level I and Level II qualified coach.
The five-day practical curriculum concentrated on jumps, sprints, relays, throws, race walk, and Kids’ Athletics, and included a visit to the Complete Sports Training Camp in Kaptagat. At Kipchoge Stadium, the group also supported in the training of premier Kenyan athletes. The final day was devoted to talent evaluation and coaching practice. It was a life-changing event for the group, demonstrating the value of a blended strategy that combined online learning with hands-on training. This represented a wonderful end to the year’s activities, giving back to a group of committed people who spent much of 2022 preparing and mentoring young athletes. The climate and living circumstances in the camps were extremely challenging, but a strong desire to make a difference conquered.
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The Head coach Janeth Jepkosgei who is also the 2007 world 800m gold medalist said, “The experience and skills gained will go a long way, coupled with the long period in my career spent sharpening and positively impacting the upcoming Athlete Refugee Team (ART) athletes, physically, mentally and psychologically.”
The U20 Project leader of the Refugee Team, Barbara Moser-Mercer, stated, “Education and sport change lives. This course has set the coaching bar high and the skills and professional competencies we acquired will translate into life-changing experiences for refugee athletes. It will contribute to sustainable quality athletics programing in refugee contexts, linking these to the world of athletics in their hosting country, Kenya.”
The director of the AADC Nairobi, Ibrahim Hussein, said that they were grateful to World Athletics for giving them the opportunity to be part of the program. He even appreciated the fact that most of the participants who enrolled in the course were from their region and included former top athletes who were playing their role in assisting the program.
