Beyond the game: Coach Maureen gives Bondeni boys hope through football

For more than a decade, Coach Maureen Marvellous has quietly rewritten the story of young men growing up in Bondeni informal settlement, using football not just as a sport, but as a powerful tool for survival, discipline and hope. 

‎‎Her journey into coaching began nearly 14 years ago, not by design, but through curiosity, motherhood and a deep love for the game.

‎‎At the time, Maureen was a teacher and an active footballer. As she took her son to school each morning, she often passed by Kamukunji training ground, where a coach, was training the young boys. 

‎When her son asked to join the team, she agreed. “I was a footballer myself, so I felt it was right to let him play,” she recalls. Before long, Maureen found herself joining the sessions, helping out and playing with the boys purely for fun.

‎‎Within a year, however, the coach left her with the entire team, unknowingly setting her on a life-changing path. 

‎‎“I didn’t know I was signing up to be a coach. It was curiosity, I just wanted to understand what coaching was all about,” she says. 

‎‎The team later evolved into Bondeni Youth Academy, becoming more community-driven after she partnered with Coach Kasisi.

‎‎Her coaching journey, however, was far from easy. “It has not been a bed of roses,” Maureen admits. For years, she single-handedly supported the boys, often from her own pocket, despite earning as little as Sh6,000 a month. 

‎‎Despite the hardship, football became a lifeline. It kept the boys away from drugs, crime and idleness. Under her guidance, Bondeni Youth grew from casual neighbourhood games to competing in the county league. 

‎‎“Seeing them reach the county league made everything worth it,” she notes proudly. 

‎Recognising the need to start afresh, Maureen founded the Great Rift Football Academy, based at St Paul’s Primary School. The academy focuses on nurturing boys from as early as Grade Five, with a clear pathway from junior teams to senior competitive football. 

‎‎“I want them to grow together, from under-11 to senior level, with discipline and structure,” she explains.

‎‎Importantly, the academy is also opening doors for girls, tackling early pregnancies and high dropout rates. “I realised I had neglected the girl child for too long. Football can also save them,” she says.

‎‎For Maureen, coaching is more than a career; it is a calling. She left formal teaching and now balances flexible work with coaching. 

" I focus on holistic development beyond just football skills, emphasizing confidence and social awareness for my players," she says 

‎‎Through football, Coach Maureen continues to fight poverty, drug abuse and lost dreams in Bondeni, proving that real change is possible to achieve.

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