organisation
The Otto Benecker Foundation was founded in 1996 by young people in Mathare, the second largest informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. The foundation began as a girls’ football team that was heavily supported by Father Otto Benecker of St. Benedict Parish, Mathare. The team comprised of girls aged between 10 and 18, and later started enlisting young women aged 18 years and above. The focus on girls was inspired by the lack of spaces for young girls to engage socially in a structured manner, access information through training, mentorship and coaching, and access basic social economic services. Football became a promising entry point to barriers on teen girl’s issues. Over time, the organisation expanded to include adolescent youth of all genders and ages.
