Safaricom Foundation marks 20 years of existence with a series of community engagement activities in Western Kenya Counties building up to the Chapa Dimba Western Regional Finals.
The giant telco will hand over a renovated ICT Lab and ICT digital devices and Gadgets worth over Sh6 million to Eregi Teachers Training College in Kakamega.
The Lab was constructed as part of the company’s support for Technical Vocation and Education Training (TVET) and through its Social Corporate Responsibility (CSR).
In the Chapa Dimba competitions, Safaricom has rewarded the best players with cash and TVET sponsorship to help them acquire knowledge while honing their football talents.
The TVET sponsorship awards will benefit the Most Valuable Players (MVP) during the regional finals and the Chapa Dimba National Competitions.
Speaking to journalists during a breakfast meeting, Safaricom’s Business Lead for Kakamega Territory, Maurice Oyamo, said they would organise medical camps and launch Safaricom Foundation and MPESA projects in the region.
He said the first medical camp would be held in Mumias on August 19 and the second one at Kakamega Approved School grounds.
It will then be followed by a regional financial literacy training in Bungoma on August 23, where customers will be taken through Digital Literacy Training.
“We shall have a campus tour on August 24 at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology for engineering students to learn from our engineers at Safaricom since we are one of the employers of engineers,” he noted.
On August 25, the company officers will organise coaches’ clinics at Bukhungu Stadium in readiness for the Chapa Dimba Finals on August 26 and 27.
A total of eight teams, both boys and girls, from four western counties will battle for the regional title to represent Western at the national competition.
The Menace boys team will represent Kakamega at the regional finals, while Lugari Progressive will represent the county in the girls’ category.
Compell Sportif will represent Bungoma in the regional finals in Kakamega for the boys’ category, as Brenda Girls represents the girls’ team.
From Vihiga County, Ebwali boys will represent the boys’ category, and Madira girls will represent the girls’ category.
John Osogo Secondary from Busia represents boys, as Chakol represents Girls.
In the Western region, 435 teams participated in the tournament, of which 332 were boys teams and 103 girls’ teams.
Kakamega had a total of 164 teams participating in the tournament, the highest in the region. 130 teams were boys, while 34 were girls’ teams.Bungoma had 115 boys’ teams and 36 girls’ teams, totaling 151.
Vihiga had a total of 64 teams, with 43 boys and 21 girls. Busia presented a total of 56 teams in the tournament, 44 being boys teams and 12 being girls teams.
Trade Representative Kakamega Region Catherine Osita said the tournament is meant to Nurture talents.
“We have started awarding Chapa Dimba’s best teams and players from the county level; initially we were not doing so,” she noted.
By Moses Wekesa
