Eddie Mungai

While visiting various organizations in Berlin centered around refugees, a common thread I noticed was innovation, evident through unique combinations of different fields. I found it helpful to understand unique ways of combining an NGO’s mission in an effort to make it multifaceted. That allowed me to think about how to do my soccer initiative in the future.

I was privileged to gain extensive exposure to sports development while in Berlin. I got a chance to speak to the CEO and co-founder of streetfootballworld, Johannes Alster. In that conversation, I learned about their mission of improving the livelihood of low-income/indigent populations through football in combination with health, gender equality, and peacebuilding. The intersectionality of football and discussions surrounding employment resources and housing options for refugees serves as a unique model for football development, specifically at Champions ohne Grenzen. That energized me to pursue the multifaceted approach to football development in my career.

To apply this intersectional component, I intend on furthering my understanding on how

I could combine football with financial education amongst low and moderate income individuals (including international communities in the United States or abroad). An integral part of Champions ohne Grenzen is their refusal to partner with an association. independent of an association. However, they struggle for funding. I would like low and moderate income individuals to benefit monetarily from the presence of a professional football team (thus the team will be part of an association). More funding through an association is ensured. And I anticipate that funding can be added through sponsorships of large corporations that want to engage their corporate social responsibility branch. Through sponsorships from particular companies, they can provide educational courses to low and moderate income residents/refugees on how to improve credit scores and attain capital. My career goal is to combine football and financial literacy.

I’m so glad I got a chance to participate in this unique opportunity in Berlin. I got the chance to visit innovative organizations working with refugee populations. The intersectionality of these organizations contributes to their widespread impact. Seeking inspiration from the football organizations I visited, I seek to be involved in football in this capacity.