Nyarugenge: ADEPR, Ambassadors Football promote children’s talents through gaming and worshiping
By Elias Hakizimana.
Pentecostal Church of Rwanda (ADEPR) in partnership with Ambassadors Football have initiated a football game programme to promote children’s talents and Rwandan values through gaming and worshiping in Kigali sector, Nyarugenge district.
The programme is sponsored by United Kingdom’s Ambassadors Group Rwanda (AGR) through its affiliated organization ‘Ambassadors Football and has benefited around 5,000 children from ADEPR 50 schools and 180 coaches countrywide who meet every Saturday on different grounds.
Speaking to The Inspirer on Saturday, May 6, 2023, during a ceremony to welcome the guests from government and partners of the programme in Kigali sector, Pastor Isaie NDAYIZEYE, Senior pastor of ADEPR at the national level explained that the initiative builds around three pillars that are Football in talent detection and promotion, faith to enable children grow in religion as well as Future that intends to build a dream country.
“Through this programme, we teach children faith-based values, and we prepare them to become decent kids who will be able to contribute to the national development. Today we have had the guest from the United Kingdom (UK) who currently help us to train our coaches. This initiative has so far reduced juvenile delinquency such as drug abuse, whereby some children returned to school,” he says
Pastor Ndayizeye adds that Football, Faith and Future initiative helps to share experience and learn more talents beyond football. He gave a good example where the u-17 children have recently won football competition in Tanzania as the best in his Emmy NGABONZIZA, Nyarugenge District’s Executive Administrator (DEA) said that the partnership between ADEPR and Ambassadors Football has contributed a lot in the development of children’s welfare in the district.
“Today, 15 kids were moved from the streets where they were much affected by drug abuse and they were returned to school and integrated in the families, through the football, faith and future pillars they learn good Rwandan values plus church values to avoid sins, overall, 300 children from Nyarugenge district are enrolled in this programme and we believe to have some among them to get certificates to join the 1st and 2nd division in the near future,” Ngabonziza said.
He added that there is a plan ahead to expand partnership with ADEPR in order to have more playing grounds to accommodate more children in Kigali sector, which has four (4) housing sites with many populations but with only one football ground.
“We want to have good playgrounds and we are planning to have discussions with other players including the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) to further promote such initiatives,” he said.
Pastor Jean Paul SENEZA, Representative of Ambassadors Football in ADEPR said the partnership with UK people helped to transform lives of over 5,000 children countrywide through talent development and fostering Rwandan values through worshiping.
“We have seen a tremendous and positive change of our society; 102 former street children were returned to school. Through this partnership, sports and mindset were taken to an advanced level within the ADEPR schools and one of these schools represented Rwanda in the recent 19th Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Associations (FEASSSA) games held in Arusha City-Tanzania from 14-26 September 2022.” Seneza says.
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