EACDT’s programme tackles the lack of ‘soft skills’ development within the educational system in Kenya, targeting children from Nairobi’s slum communities who are born into poverty and seldom ever alleviate themselves from its grasp and who are at most risk of being disenfranchised from their own society. EACDT aspires to help young people by developing their social and character-led capabilities. As a result, they should be better able to manage the extreme challenges of slum life and to support their advancement through education and employment, and ultimately, to elevate themselves from their historic deprivations.

EACDT teaches key character traits academically proven to be essential to progress and success in life; it implants in young, disadvantaged people, via coaching and playing sport, attitudes and life skills which will fit them for school, employment, family and community life and social integration.

EACDT’s programme is inspired by the ‘Knowledge is Power’ programme, developed by the world-renowned KIPP Foundation, that has identified seven core character traits as being fundamental to a successful and fulfilling life. EACDT has developed a syllabus that instructs these character traits through the learning and playing of cricket, delivered by Kenyan-African cricket coaches. The character traits – Optimism, Gratitude, Curiosity, Perseverance, Enthusiasm, Social Intelligence and Self-Control – are all required to play and be successful in cricket, both as an individual and as a team and are also essential traits for an individual to have in such an economically deprived environment as Kenya’s unofficial urban settlements.

“Central to the COSARAF Foundation’s mission is our aim to enable young people to reach their potential, enabling those from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their skills and take advantage of opportunities which would otherwise be closed to them. The East Africa Character Development Trust programme in Kenya is an exceptional programme and the Foundation is delighted to be able to be partnering with them in supporting some of the very poorest children in Kenya to succeed in life.”
Haroon Sheikh
COSARAF Foundation Chairman

Some of the key successes of the programme since it’s inception and as a result of the Foundation’s support are:

  • Reinforced character development in schools through interventions that enhance cognitive skills and personal qualities to over 4,900
    students in our schools.
  • Taught cricket skills to over 4,000 students.
  • The character education lessons were integrated with the Physical Health Education component under the new Competency-Based
    Curriculum in Kenya. The schools in the programme now rely on our staff to support the teaching of life skills and physical education as
    stipulated in the Physical Health Education syllabus.
  • Contributed to efforts in the schools to boost academic performance through improved discipline, school attendance and by building
    students’ enthusiasm, resilience and determination.
  • Increased students’ resilience to socio-economic hardships in life.
  • Reduced children’s involvement in social vices in and out of school.
  • Developed students towards professionalism and employability.
  • Boosted uptake of physical education, especially cricket, in the schools.
  • Increased responsiveness to socio-economic challenges affecting young people like forced marriages, gender-based violence, early
    pregnancy, crime, peer pressure, among others.
  • Development of leadership qualities in young people.
  •  Promotion of physical fitness and healthy living in the communities.
  • Creation of a platform where young people are free to communicate with coaches/character tutors on sensitive or confidential issues
    affecting their lives and developing appropriate solutions to the identified problems.