During the 2016 Olympics in Rio, a refugee team participated for the first time in history, representing 79.5 million forcibly displaced people around the world. Many refugees are younger than 18, and spend an average of 17 years in refugee camps, where their days are long and there is nothing to do.

This historic moment inspired a group of young people in Amsterdam and Kenya to find a structural solution for the lack of opportunities for young athletes in refugee camps. With an overarching ambition to build bridges across borders and power positive and sustainable change, we launched KLABU in 2019 and are growing the club every day.

Local KLABU Leaders, male and female representatives chosen by the local community, are in charge of the day-to-day management of the Clubhouse.

Individuals and teams can register to borrow equipment and sportswear. The library system ensures that items are returned and the community can benefit from sustainable access to sports. 

Although the borrowing of sports equipment and clothing is free of charge, additional benefits for the community (such as electricity and wifi) come at a small price to stimulate self-reliance and ownership of the Clubhouse. 

The Clubhouse is a hub for training, tournaments, and social gatherings. Groups can hold meetings or organize indoor games tournaments in the Clubhouse - especially popular among women and children.

To set up new Clubhouses in refugee camps, we find sponsors to cover setup costs. The operating costs to run the Clubhouses are funded through the KLABU brand. This means that when you buy a KLABU product, you are giving a refugee athlete access to sports through our Clubhouses.

The KLABU Foundation builds and operates our Clubhouses on a non-profit basis. The Foundation is funded primarily through donations from institutions and private individuals and proceeds from the sale of KLABU products. 100% of what we fundraise goes towards unlocking sports for the overlooked.

The development and sale of KLABU products is carried out by a separate legal entity, KLABU B.V. This limited private company is a social enterprise in charge of the KLABU brand.

For every €5 we fundraise through the sale of products, we can power access to sports for one person for one year through one of our Clubhouses. Either 50% of the brand’s profit or 10% of the revenue, whichever is higher, is donated to the Foundation to support the maintenance and operational costs of the Clubhouses. The other 50% is reinvested into the brand to grow the business, impact, and visibility of the KLABU organization as a whole.