At DBA Africa, we believe that community sports are more than just week-end activities, they are a lifeline for learning, health, and hope. From the high-altitude training grounds of Iten, Kenya to the dusty fields of Kampala, Uganda, our academies are using sport as a transformative tool to help educate and inspire the next generation.

Community Sports as a Pathway to Education

Our sports academies serve as informal learning spaces, helping young people develop discipline, time management, goal setting, and teamwork, skills that extend far beyond the pitch and into the classroom. In many of the communities where DBA operates, access to quality education is often limited, combined with pressure from family and friends to dropout, results in school levers finishing their schooling with minimal education. Many school leavers however continue to play sports at community level, whether for informal football teams, or club rugby.

Through initiatives like the Kakamega Girls Rugby Academy, we’ve seen a measurable boost in self-confidence, school attendance, and academic motivation. Coaches have become trusted mentors. Teammates become lifelong friends, and Sport has become a gateway to learning and created a sense of community.

Sport for Physical and Mental Health

Youth, often face chronic stress, from poverty, gender-based violence, academic pressure and stigma. Our programmes offer a space for healthy physical activity, social connection, and emotional expression. For many of our participants, the academy may be the only safe place they can truly be themselves.

Supporting existing programmes

Each DBA Africa sports academy, whether Rugby or Lacrosse is led by local coaches and designed in partnership with local community members. We work within existing systems and adapt our programmes to reflect the unique context of each region. Whether it's rugby in Nakuru and Kilifi or lacrosse in Uganda, our sports development models are locally driven. Each community faces different challenges and it’s the adaptation of each sports development academy that ensures that the outcomes impact both education and health positively.

Scaling for Greater Impact

With over 800 youth actively involved across Kenya and Uganda every week, DBA Africa is committed to scaling community sport. we are actively:

• Training more community coaches
• Building new partnerships with schools, health providers, and local governments
• Enhancing the educational and health curriculum embedding life skill components into our sports programmes

At DBA Africa, we’re not just running sports academies. We’re building a movement where community sports unlock brighter futures.