I’m excited to introduce you to Masha. He was my daughter’s coach at soccer camp this past summer at Ambassadors Football camp. The kids learned how to dribble, pass, defend and score! They also met coaches from all over the world, sang songs & learned what the Bible has to say about the theme “Unshakeable”. The grand finale of the week was a skills competition and World Cup tournament. So let’s meet this Kenyan coach…
Q: Masha, thanks so much for agreeing to do this interview. I’m sure our readers will be fascinated to learn about your home country Kenya. First of all, what is the capital of Kenya? How many people live in that city? And where can I find Kenya on a world map?
A: The capital of Kenya is Nairobi. It is the largest city in Kenya. It means cold water. There are approximately 3.12 million people living in the city. Kenya is located in Africa on the east just below the “horn” which is Somalia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean on the south.
The Horn of Africa
Q: Could you describe Kenya’s flag? Tell me a bit about the colors and design and why they were chosen?
A: The flag of Kenya was officially adopted on December 12, 1963. Kenya’s flag is black, red, green and white with a traditional masai shield and spears in the center. The color black represents the Kenyan people, red symbolizes the blood they spilled fighting colonialism, green is the country’s landscape and white means peace.
The Kenyan Flag
Q: What languages are spoken in Kenya? Can you tell us the words for “Hello, how are you?” in that language?
A: Kenya is a multilingual country. The country has over 20 languages as well as Swahili and English as the national languages. The most interesting thing about the Kenyan languages is the latest youth language known as “Sheng”. It is mostly a mix of the two national languages and some tribal words.
The Swahili word for “Hello” is “Habari” or “Jambo” and the response is “Mzuri” or “Sijambo” respectively. You can listen to this youtube video to hear some of these common phrases.
Q: I hear you are a football (soccer for the American audience) coach with a program called the Kickers Clinic. So I am guessing that you like football. Is football popular in Kenya? Could you tell us a couple things about the Kickers Clinic and how it impacts the lives of the children you coach?
A: Football is the most popular sport in Kenya. Kickers Clinic is one of the Ambassadors Football Kenya programs that is conducted every Saturday throughout the year. We have kids coming from all backgrounds — that is slums (informal structures) and estates (good homes). The program is not only about coaching and playing football but also about teaching the good news of Jesus. We also teach other life skills such as cleanliness, and we follow up with how kids are doing in school and at home.
A Kicker’s Clinic Coach Robert with Players
Q: Finally, what are some popular places to visit in Kenya? And where do you recommend our readers visit if they were to win a dream vacation to Kenya?
A: Mt. Kenya, Nairobi National Park, Hell’s Gate, Giraffe Centre, Uhuru Gardens, Bomas of Kenya, National Museums of Kenya, Ngong Hills etc.
Giraffe and Skyline at Nairobi National Park
Bomas of Kenya
Feeding Time at Giraffe Centre
Ngong Hills
Wow Masha, based on these photos Kenya looks like an absolutely gorgeous country! And you are a pretty amazing coach. I am so glad I had the privilege of meeting you this summer. You made quite an impact on my daughter. She said, “Coach Masha asked us if we wanted to read our Bibles everyday. And I raised my hand.” Thanks for making my heart happy Masha!
