Teamwork On & Off the pitch
In Kalobeyei, football is more than a game. It’s something people build together.
The Ukech Charity Foundation, a local organisation supporting communities in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei through education, wellbeing, and self-reliance, was the main organiser and led a football tournament in collaboration with the KLABU Kalobeyei team.
Long before the first whistle blew, preparation began with conversations. Lots of them.
It all started when the Ukech Charity Foundation and KLABU Kalobeyei team met with village leaders from all three villages. Their support was essential: not only to coordinate the tournament, but to make sure everyone felt included and ready. Together, they mapped out how many teams were active and who wanted to join. Posters went up across Kalobeyei. Word spread fast. Soon, players were registering, friends were debating lineups, and curiosity was growing about what the very first seven-aside tournament in Kalobeyei would look like.
Each village hosted its own qualification matches. Players ran, tackled, and pushed through the heat, hoping to secure a place in the final sixteen teams. Behind the scenes, the organisers met with local authorities and police to ensure the tournament would be safe for everyone. What started as an idea was slowly becoming something real.
The Kalobeyei team took the initiative to organise their own tournament
On the opening day, more than 250 people gathered around the pitch.
Some stood shoulder to shoulder. Others sat on the ground. Some jumped in the background, trying to catch a better view. Music played from speakers. Children ran along the sidelines. The energy was everywhere. No one wanted to miss this.
As the match began, the air filled with noise. Supporters shouted instructions like assistant coaches. Friends argued over whose team was better. Laughter, cheers, and groans followed every near miss and every goal. Even the elders, who don’t always come to watch, were cheering at the game and sharing their advice. When players from their nationality stepped onto the pitch, supporters moved closer, and screamed louder with pride.
On the field, players from eleven nationalities competed side by side, among them Congolese, Burundian, Ugandan, Ethiopian, South Sudanese, and members of the host community. For ninety minutes, the only thing that mattered was the game.
From duels to penalties, the tournament was packed with energy
Jean-Claude and Sadumba celebrating another win
"The theme of the tournament was bringing people together from different nationalities, different communities. Whenever any community sees their team being represented, everyone feels that happiness, that joy of seeing their team being part of the tournament. They want to go there and at least support their team while they are playing. "
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But the real work happened off the pitch.
Working in close collaboration, the Ukech Charity Foundation and KLABU Kalobeyei clubhouse team coordinated schedules, organised equipment, and made sure everything ran smoothly. Taking ownership strengthened leadership, confidence, and belief in what they could do together.
“We wanted to learn how to be independent and take initiative by ourselves,” says Sadumba, Head Manager of KLABU Kalobeyei. “The biggest learning for me personally is that I can take more responsibilities as Head Manager.”
For Home Team FC, preparation was intense. After identifying weaknesses in their attacking play, they recruited additional players and brought in support for the head coach. Training became part of daily life. Players practiced build-up, positioning, and finishing, pushing themselves to improve. Week by week, they grew stronger as a team.
As the tournament progressed, the stakes grew higher. Quarterfinals led to semifinals. Each match drew larger crowds. The pitch became a gathering place, somewhere to see friends, to cheer, to be part of something shared.
“Wamefunga mabaooo!” (Goooal!)
The final match ended in a penalty shootout.
Players stood still.
The crowd held its breath.
Then suddenly… Gooooooal!
Teammates ran toward each other, supporters rushed forward. A team that had only recently formed had won the tournament.
"Here in the camp, we’re using football as a tool to bring people together. We are using football as a tool to make people forget what they pass through back in their home countries because of the conflict and all of that. By cheering on the teams, by cheering on their best players, by supporting their home team that they loved most."
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More than movement, football is motivation.
For many, football offered more than competition. It created routine and motivation, but also something collective, a space where people could come together, support one another, and feel connected.
"For the legacy of the kids who are coming up, we are playing football for them. If I retire, a new kid will come and play. That's our goal, to motivate them for the upcoming tournament."
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