Football, or soccer, is by far and away Kenya’s most popular sport. You will find on arrival there that almost everyone is a diehard football fan, with people gathering in pubs on weekends wearing replica Arsenal and Manchester United jerseys to watch English club matches.

Although there is a great desire for football, it is very hard for children to gain access to good facilities and equipment. It’s not an unusual sight to see children in the street playing in bare feet, using plastic bags tied up with rubber bands as footballs. We have arranged this placement to be in Nairobi, where the national program has been the most successful, and has the greatest potential to recruit more children. Be prepared to spend some time visiting various schools scouting for talent and talking to children about the game.

Tembeza volunteer coaches will work alongside local coaches, many of whom are professional players for regional teams, and will help with football and general fitness training. You don't need to be qualified, a sports star or even terribly good at football to take part. Your presence and support alone will help the students' language skills and general education, which are two of the foundation’s major goals. For people with more sports skills we can tailor-make the placement to concentrate particularly on the coaching, and volunteers with previous coaching experience or first aid qualifications would certainly be welcomed. Bear in mind that a lot of the children have very advanced football skills so a lot of lesson planning will be involved to keep them improving!

Location: Nairobi Duration: 1 to 6 months Costs: from $1,295 Requirements: Reasonable level of fitness, familiarity with rules of football Project Brief: Although you will officially be there as a football coach, you will also find that the kids you work with consider you a teacher, mentor and friend. The Musa Otieno Foundation, sponsored by the Kenyan national team’s captain, aims to help young people develop not only as footballers, but as people.