Children from Ndumberi village in Kiambu Sub County have benefited from assorted education accessories in a bid to motivate them to embrace learning.
Kenya’s number one amateur golfer Michael Karanga over the weekend distributed school learning items to over 300 school-going children.
Through the Michael Karanga’s foundation together with other well-wishers the children were handed books, pencils, rulers and sharpeners worth Sh170,000.
Speaking to the media during the donation exercise in Ndumberi Karanga said that the foundation is passionate about motivating learners and assisting the needy not only for acquiring education but also in the line of sports.
“Apart from giving books we will also pay for school meals for children in the Kiambu Sub-County school feeding program dubbed ‘Tap to eat’ where every child is entitled to Sh 15 and parents top up money for their children to be given food in school,” he said.
Karanga at the same time has, as a way of giving back to the community been teaching children from primary and secondary school levels from his village and neighbouring villages golf for free so that they too can be able to play golf at an early age.
“I am privileged to be the number one Kenya amateur golfer and through this, I decided to engage children from my village to motivate them to play golf and probably the next Tiger Woods will come from my village,” Karanga said, in reference to famous American professional golf player Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods.
He explained that over 200 children have enrolled to be taught to play golf for free whenever they close school but urged that that schools also include golfing sports in school.
“We teach golf lessons on Wednesdays and Thursdays to children whenever schools are closed and we would want them to continue playing golf in schools so we are calling upon schools and the government to allow us to teach golf in schools so that we can nature the sport,” he said.
Karanga noted that more children are coming in to enroll for golf lessons and have been involved in various tournaments but faced with the challenge of a few golfing kits such as golf clubs and balls.
Karanga said he is looking forward to fly the Kenya’s flag high when he participates come April, this year at the Florida USA golf tournament to which he has been invited. He is also hopeful of winning the upcoming magical Kenya open golf tournament.
“Magical Kenya open golf tournament is a big opportunity for me to win and I am optimistic that I will make Kiambu and my village proud.
Ndumberi residents were full of accolades for Karanga, terming him as a hero and philanthropist who is giving back to the residents of his village by engaging the young people positively whenever they are on breaks from school calendar through golf lessons.
James Gaitho, a resident said that many children now always look forward during their school breaks as they learn the game of golf from Karanga, a sport they would never have engaged in as it is normally played in golf clubs and is also an expensive game.
“Karanga is not a politician and has thought big of children in his village by supporting and training them whenever they close the school and parents have embraced the move and have enrolled their children in the golfing lessons,” he said.
Annette Wairimu, a student said that she had enrolled for the golfing lessons and has learnt a lot but noted that apart from golf training, they are given counseling lessons on morals and school work.
Peter Njinu the children’s coach said that the dedication by the young people they train is amazing and hoped golf would be taken up by schools like other sports.
“We would want to see golf taken up by schools since we only train the children when they close school and it is important for continuity lest they forget the skills,” he said.
The foundation is rooting for and has called upon the Ministry of Sports to link up with the Ministry of Education to allow golf sport be introduced to schools.
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit a ball into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Karanga is ranked Kenyans Number one golfer, the World number 74 golfer and Africa’s second-best.
By Wangari Ndirangu
