Kenya
Nchi ya Kenya ilikuwa nchi ya kwanza kupokea vifaa kutoka kwa Malaika huko Bat. Zaidi ya hayo, Kenya imepokea vifaa vingi zaidi ya nchi zote zinazoungwa mkono na Angels at Bat. Kenya pia ilikuwa nchi ya kwanza ya Angel at Bat kutembelea kusambaza vifaa na kufunza mchezo wa besiboli kibinafsi.
Mwanzo
Nairobi was where Angels at Bat first worked to grow baseball all the way back in 2014. Since starting in a few schools and orphanages in Nairobi, Angels at Bat (and baseball) has truly taken off. We've grown into more schools and brought baseball equipment to nearly 1,000 children in the area.
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One of our equipment recipients exemplifies the growth that baseball has undergone over the years: Samuel Gatheri at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). We started working with Samuel and JKUAT in 2016, equipping them with the necessary gear to play. Since then, JKUAT has deeply invested in baseball. One of our parter organizations -- IfWeBuildIt -- has worked with JKUAT to lead the construction of Nairobi's Field of Dreams. This complex is currently under construction but is already home to the country's best field.
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Photo: IfWeBuildIt
2. Meru
One of Angels at Bat's earliest equipment recipients was the Meru Angels team based in Meru County. The Angels were head coached by Francis Muchiri who also oversaw a few other teams of younger players. Coach Francis' team was one of the country's most talented before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the team to stop training. Because of this, Coach Francis' baseball efforts took a brief hiatus, but he is now active and ready to bring his team(s) back to their previous level.
3. Western Kenya
Our partners affiliated with the Kongoni Community Library (KCL) lead our baseball efforts in Western Kenya. This group, led by Felix Kwachi and Nelson Kassim (overseen by Elphas On'gongo), has proven to be among the most valuable for baseball in Kenya. We began sending equipment to the KCL in 2018. Felix oversees a baseball program that consists of 13 teams spread across 8 schools in 3 counties in Western Kenya, summing up to hundreds of children of all ages.
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After supplying their baseball program with equipment for 5 years, we were finally able to go and see their work firsthand in 2023. This was an incredible formative experience for Angels at Bat as we realized that we cannot do things alone; the work done by Felix, Nelson, Elphas, and the rest of the KCL staff showed us that we needed to prioritize supporting our community partners. Felix and the rest of the KCL staff recently began construction on their very own field, just the third field in the entire country.
4. Makueni County
The baseball program in Makueni County started in February of 2023 after the Angels at Bat team met with Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. and Minister Nicholas Nzioka. After this meeting, we officially launched the county's first baseball program. From there, we got Minister Nzioka's staff equipped with all of the gear needed to start a program. Just a few months after this meeting, Minister Nzioka and his staff visited 3 schools around Wote (the county's capital) and introduced baseball. We are honored to work with Governor Kilonzo Jr. and his staff; we believe that in due time, Makueni just might become the baseball capital of Kenya.
Kutuma Vifaa
Wakati wa safari yetu ya kwanza nchini Kenya, tulileta 19 masanduku iliyojazwa hadi ukingo na vifaa vya besiboli. Hata hivyo, tulijua kwamba kubeba vifaa hivyo kwenda nchi za Afrika haikuwa endelevu. Kwa shukrani, George Mahinda alituunganisha na kikundi cha Marafiki wa Marekani wa Kenya kutoka Connecticut (Marafiki wa Marekani wa Kenya hutoa vifaa vya maktaba, vitabu, na vifaa vingine vya matibabu kwa watu wa Kenya). Baada ya kuzungumza na Wayne na Audra wa AFK, walichangia kwa ukarimu sehemu ya kontena lao la usafirishaji la kila mwaka.
Hii imekuwa njia yetu kubwa na ya msingi ya kusafirisha ili kupata vifaa vya besiboli vilivyotolewa kwa Kenya. Kila majira ya kuchipua, tunafungasha mzigo mkubwa wa vifaa na kuendesha gari kutoka Green Bay, WI hadi Connecticut ili kuacha michango; ikiwa msimu wetu wa kukusanya umekuwa wa mafanikio hasa, tunaweza kufukuza hadi Connecticut mara mbili. Tunashukuru milele kwa ukarimu wa American Friends of Kenya -- bila msaada wao, Angels at Bat hangeweza kufika hapo ilipo. .
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Njia nyingine ya kupata vifaa vya besiboli hadi Kenya ni kuleta pamoja nasi kwenye mizigo katika safari zetu za kwenda Kenya. Ingawa tunaleta vifaa vidogo sana tunaposafiri ikilinganishwa na safari yetu ya kwanza, huu bado ni mchakato muhimu. Tunaposafiri kwenda sehemu ambazo bado hazijaanzishwa kwa besiboli, tunahitaji vifaa vya kuweza kufundishia na kuweza kuondoka na watoto ili waendelee kucheza.