GAFFER set out in 2006 to set up a project that would organise competitions and coaching, improve sports facilities, and provide tough footballs to a rural area of Kenya. After starting off in villages in an area surrounding Kasigau, Ben quickly realised that the sport would require more permanent support and the surrounding villages also wanted to get involved. With 16 villages surrounding the area and thousands of people who wanted to play sport, GAFFER set up a base and the fun began...
Ben left in October 2006 and Kamau has continued running the project with the help of volunteers from various destinations. GAFFER is currently being overseen by James and pays local people to coach the youth and repair balls.
Ben
Ben is the man first responsible for setting up Gaffer and is still very much at the forefront. There are details in the blog about the genesis of Gaffer and the hows and whys of everything but suffice it to say that it has been a long, hard and hugely fun thing to do!
Kamau
Kamau Edward Mugi was born in 1970 in Waithaka, a town not far from Nairobi. From a Kikuyu family Kamau was the third born of five girls and two boys. After completing school Kamau and his brother took refuge from the overwhelmingly female household at the local Jua Kali* car shop. Here Kamau learnt the skills of the mechanic. Kamau's Uncle drove a Land Rover and transported goods around the region, he employed Kamau to keep the car running and they worked together for five years. In 1993 Kamau was given the Land Rover and he left for Kasigau region, making a living by transporting water to the gemstone mines, miles from civilisation in the hot African savannah.
Living in Rukanga, in 2001 Kamau met an 18 year old gap year kid called Ben. They became good friends despite the fact Rukanga was one of the biggest rivals of Bens beloved Jora football team. But even after a Jora defeat, Kamau and Ben were friends once again once Ben had stopped sulking. Every year that Ben returned, he and Kamau would spend some time catching up over a cheeky Tusker*.
Ben very quickly realised he needed a trustworthy employee to help with the GAFFER initiative. The candidate had to fulfil the following criteria:
- Fluent in Kiswahili. Spoken and written.
- High level of English. Spoken and written.
- Good knowledge of football.
- Level of fitness similar to Ben. (i.e. not as fit as one probably should be in Africa!)
- Good knowledge of car mechanics.
The interview was conducted over Nyama Choma kilo moja*. Ben determined that Kamau had the following attributes:
- Fluent in Kiswahili, Kikuyu and Taita. Good level of Kikamba
- English probably better than Ben.
- Good at football AND supports Arsenal.
- It's not too hard to be as fit as Ben if you live in Africa.
- Kamau has kept a Land Rover that is older than my Dad (young for a man, old for a car!) on the road up until recently with not a lot of spare parts.
So that was sorted. Kamau is now part of GAFFER and has been helping with the training sessions and Bens appalling Kiswahili ever since. He is on a month by month rolling contract and is renting a place very close to Ben's house...
*Footnotes:
"Jua kali" - Fantastic Kiswahili term, literally means "Hot Sun". Jua kali mechanics pop up everywhere along the main roads. Just a tin shack and a few mechanics working on cars under the beating African sun. Jua kali industries include making jikos (charcoal stoves), panel beating, bed making... in fact anything that is constructed outside.
"Tusker" - Fantastic beer. Normally taken warm by the locals, very cold by Ben.
"Nyama choma kilo moja" - Fantastic concept. Take one kilo of fresh beef, char-grill it and serve with chilli!
James Gray-King
James joins us this year and traveled out at the end of February. He has been working with Garrett in the UK through January to get this new website up and running. James had been doing a lot of work with the voluntary sector in England and Wales and is now helping to run GAFFER on the ground.
Jared Field & James Ruwa
With 16 villages separated by many miles of tough dirt roads, its a big task for Kamau to run the project alone. It was time for Ben to organise some new employees! Two young lads came to mind who had a lot in common. Both gap year students looking for some good experience to take to further education. Both enthusiastic and with a love of sport. Both hard working and just out of High School.
Jared is a 21-year old Oxford lad who has finished College and was looking for a challenge. A keen footballer and Liverpool supporter, he is affectionally known as Gerrard by the African players he is now is charge of! Ben popped out to Kenya to settle him in and within days he was just like a local! He has been helping with the Best of the Best training camps and his experience with a competitive Sunday league team in the UK has really helped the best players from the GAFFER stable!
James is a 20-year old High School graduate from Mkamenyi Village, Kasigau, Kenya. Sponsored by a brilliant family in the UK, he was one of the top graduates from Moi High School in the Kasigau region. James now has the great opportunity to go on to College and GAFFER is a good way to improve some of the skills that College requires. With Jared as a computing and English teacher and the responsibility of organising coaching sessions and logistics for the training camps as well as being in charge of his Village in the Champions League, James is really improving and at the same time earning a steady wage that supports mum and family after the tragic death of his father last year.
Ryce, Cyprian, Mohammed, Gibran, Charo and Philip
These guys are the latest people to join the GAFFER stable. They all work as paid employees and train the youth in primary schools throughout the area. Ryce is based in Jora and has been training for GAFFER in the area for quite some time now! The other guys are based in the more northerly villages that GAFFER covers.
In addition to coaching Philip is also responsible for our northern football repair operations. Charo is responsible for fixing the footballs among the southern villages. The GAFFER family is certainly growing well!