Community development – Fariji Solutions

COMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Post-Election Violence (PEV) period after disputed 2007 elections provided the first interaction of Kiarie Mwangi with tribal and political hatred especially in cosmopolitan Eastlands region of Nairobi where he was born and raised. The low end income areas were the hardest hit. Former Footballers and other like-minded residents came up with an idea to start “wazee” football that would be the “glue” that “fuels” conversations amongst different communities.

WAZEE PAMOJA LEAGUE

Wazee Pamoja League (WPL) was thus formed and equally an interest in community engagement was born. Kiarie Mwangi as the current chairman for the last three (3) years has continued to uphold the WPL vision of networking and cohesion within the community amongst the 9-teams geographically spread across Eastlands Region. For growth sustainability of the expanding teams yearly a sister league – New Wazee Pamoja League (NWPL) was recently formed. The winner being the continued positive influence sports drive to community. The league runs from February – November each year with membership age strictly over 35-years.

SUPERSPORT

SuperSport, a South African Broadcast company set foot in Kenya effectively revolutionizing Kenyan football with live broadcast. Kiarie Mwangi was at the heart of its set up initially managing the administration and operations of the organization and eventually being the Production Manager for the nine (9) years period SuperSport Limited operated in East and Central Africa. This presented another opportunity to further engage the community through sports. Through interactions with different stakeholders (federation, players, and fans) & being a resident of Eastlands area of Nairobi gave Kiarie Mwangi a new angle of how sports personalities doubled up in drugs, alcohol and substance abuse. A combination of engagement between Wazee Pamoja League and SuperSport had set tone for using sports to reach out to community.

SPORTS WITHIN PENAL INSTITUTIONS

In between budgeting and logistics planning for weekend live broadcast football productions, Kiarie Mwangi found time to start visiting penal institutions to pay homage to incarcerated sports personalities. 2009 – Then President, Mwai Kibaki commuted death row convicts to Life Imprisonment. Kamiti Maximum Prison facility was home to many former footballers who had been condemned to death row. Their daily routine of 15-mins sunshine & sleeping in crowded cells was “disrupted” by moving them to mingle with other inmates. A welcome relief it was! Amongst the incarcerated football personalities were Tedium Rodgers (Mathare United F.C.) and Moses Opula (AFC Leopards F.C.). Through the office of Officer in Charge, Kamiti United was formed with Tedium as team captain and Opula as coach. Kiarie Mwangi provided the footballs and playing bibs. Ten (10) years later a 16-club league complete with a federation (Kamiti Inmates Football Association –KIFA) inside the maximum facility provides a platform for rehabilitation and reintegration. Indeed a testimony that sports is a transformational tool.

NAIROBI COUNTY - ACTION PLAN TO PREVENT & COUNTER VIOLENT EXTREMISM

Year 2019 President Uhuru Kenyatta, through presidential directive, directed ALL 47-counties to develop at county level a policy document on countering violent extremism (CVE). Radicalization and Terrorism continues to be global threat to peace and trade. Kiarie Mwangi is part of the forum membership with key presentation being on “using sports as a transformational tool”. Through Radio talk shows and interactive sessions with like-minded stakeholders Kiarie Mwangi remains peace ambassador amongst the community.