In rural Kenya, where agriculture is the backbone of daily life, George Osoya has found an extraordinary way to unite farming and football to empower his community. Through his organization, Football Without Borders, George is leveraging the universal appeal of the beautiful game to educate young people about sustainable farming practices while fostering teamwork, leadership, and opportunity. This innovative approach not only nurtures talent on the pitch but also equips youth with essential agricultural skills, blending two vital pillars of the community to cultivate a brighter future.

Bonito: Welcome to the Bonito Platform George- Tell us about how your passion for football began and how you were captivated to explore the ways the game could bring about positive changes for society? 

George: My passion for football began during my younger days, I used to carry one of those polythene cover balls around with strings five to ten going to school. We had an evening league from grade four to eight and I was the only person with the ball! Those kids were more physically advanced than me but luckily as the only one with a ball they had to let me play- no Geroge=No Ball! So it was forcing them to give me a chance to play even though I wasn’t a good footballer. Coming to secondary school now I started playing with a real ball and this was due to my brother Josky who was a goalkeeper in the top team in Kenya premier league called Sony Sunger, I gained confidence and wanted to join the top leagues too. After my high school I went for trial and I signed my first ever contract with KCB Club. Before the leagues fixture you have friendly matches and that’s where I began to carry the dream of playing as a national or professional player. Sadly, I got a very serious injury the MCL and ACL were damaged, I came back home and founded an organization call Society Empowerment Project who gave me another life after sports.

Bonito: When one door closes another opens! You have been around the football world all of your life- why do you think football evokes such powerful sentiments with such a broad range of people all over the world?

George: It’s a very entertaining tool and brings joy, fun and love. It’s the only method that I know where every person follows either victory or loss with conversation and a feeling of togetherness. I think because it brings so many people together, giving the information is very easy. It is only culture and a unique way of giving feedback to every culture.

Bonito: Tell us about Football without Borders Kenya- how did it start?

George: Football without borders-Kenya is a community based organization that uses the power of football to mobilize youth, empower and skill develop them in the areas of agriculture, education, female empowerment, afforestation, WASH, Health and Football for Life. We are also large on teaching our young ones life skills every opportunity we get because we believe self-development equals  community development.

As of  2021, we are working with 25 schools and with 8 zones .

Bonito: Could you tell us a bit more about your main programs?

George: Of course, let me list them:

FOOTBALL 4 AGRICULTURE – For a while now we have been running Football 4 Agribusiness where we encourage our communities to engage in modern and sustainable farming through sporting activities. Through the program we have created the Young Farmer Club and organized one-day tournaments and workshops in this regard. Football without Borders Kenya aim has always been to eradicate poverty and hunger and bring food security starting with the family unit. By encouraging and supporting our young ones to engage in agricultural activities at home we ensure that every one of our members and their families can cater for their immediate basic needs especially food. Read more about it here, its really our flagship program!

FWB ACADEMY- FWB Academy aims at supporting the development of the most talented players in communities who are selected to enter the academy. The program works to support the players in Football Without Borders. The most talented players from the Football Without Borders develop their education, life skills in addition to the sport skills. Currently, the academy only runs boys under 13 years football but this is an area that we want to expand and also open a girls academy.

EDUCATION- We have made large strides in ensuring our youth stay focused on their studies even when they are away from school. We so far have books and even laptops to ensure holistic learning. We know and appreciate the importance of a library in building and sustaining a healthy community. Our community library ensures that there is a balance Between sports, impacting of life skills and education. The presence of the library has ensured after school reading programs and preparation for exams.

LIFE ON THE BALL- FWB-K has over time found a way to integrate Football and Natural learning in a 20 minute small-sided match with no referees. Within this exciting Football match questions of the day are placed in corners to be opened, reflected on and answered at particular times of the match. Active learning beats all forms of learning as students get involved, engaged and work together to solve a problem. We have successfully integrated this concept in agriculture, female empowerment and afforestation.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT– Menstrual hygiene management martial arts education for self defense. Making of reusable sanitary towels and period pants. We run workshops also within the areas of the importance of education and on subjects like early marriages and pregnancies, gender based violence and many others.

FOOTBALL 4 WASH– We might not have enough funds to put into the program but we continue to strive to empower our girls,Menstrual Hygiene Management Training and creating awareness against stereotypes and cultural practices. We marked the menstruation hygiene month by carrying out workshops and a woman empowerment tournament

AFFORESTATION- We recognize the need to conserve the environment by planting a tree in every free spot and at every opportunity. We started the initiative last year and continue to plant our own share of the 10% forest cover Kenya aims to achieve by the year 2030. 

Bonito: Fantastic portfolio of programs George. In your region, the majority of the inhabitants work with agriculture. Agriculture, like football, is very affected by climate change- what are some of the ways that regions like yours work to protect against climate related disturbances?

George: Some concrete examples are crop rotation, reduced tillage, mulching, cover cropping and cross-slope farming. You might have to look some of these terms up!

Football Without Borders Kenya also collect garbage and plastic to use them as markers and cones  Making reusable sanitary pads and period panties also help my community health wise due to no disposal pads that affect our environment.

Bonito: Can you tell us about a moment in your journey so far which has truly touched you and inspired you?

George: Yes, I was so lucky to have been chosen by Wilfried Lemke and the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) to attend one of their Youth Leadership Programs in Bosön in Sweden. Just being there was an inspiration and made me realize that all of this was possible- it was definitely a turning point for me.

Bonito: George, thanks so much for speaking with us and we hope to have you on the platform again soon to help us delve deeper into the practical elements associated with football for agricultural development and resilience!

George: Thanks Bonito!

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BIO

Name: George Osoya

Organization (s): Football without Borders Kenya

Role: Founder/Director 

Favorite Football (or sport) for good organization apart from your own:Mathare Youth sports association (MYSA)

Favorite Football Club: Chelsea 

Dream sport for good organization that you would love to collaborate with on a project: Common Goal, FDF

About George: George Okoth Osoya is the Founder and Director of Football Without Borders Kenya, an organization empowering youth through sports by impacting education, physical wellness, nurturing talents, and teaching life skills. From a young age, George envisioned a community free from HIV/AIDS, poverty, unemployment, gender-based violence, early marriages, and drug abuse. His dedication has led to the organization’s tremendous growth, particularly in empowering girls and women. Football Without Borders Kenya now boasts men, women, and junior teams participating in national tournaments and championships.

George graduated from the African ChangeMakers with a project management certificate in 2018 and holds various certificates in women empowerment, disability, sustainability, leadership management, human rights, and child protection. He is also a qualified referee and coach working for the Football Federation of Kenya. Currently, he is involved in creating and participating in leagues and workshops focusing on menstrual hygiene management, agriculture, and general women empowerment for skill development. George’s dedication has earned him numerous awards, sponsors, and opportunities for volunteer and exchange programs, further growing his community.

It was 2002, and Brazil had just clinched their record-breaking fifth World Cup title. In Zimbabwe, a nine-year-old boy named Webster sat glued to the TV, captivated by Ronaldo and the magic of the beautiful game. Little did he know, this moment would shape his destiny. As twilight fell and his mother called him to wash away the day’s dirt, Webster began to map out his life in four-year cycles, using future World Cups as guideposts. Secondary school by 2006, A-levels by 2010, and university by 2014—such was the impact of football on his dreams. With only his imagination and passion as tools, Webster’s journey into the world of football had begun.

Fast forward 22 years, and that young boy with big dreams has transformed into a researcher and advocate who has married his love for football with a commitment to social impact. Webster’s career spans groundbreaking research on football and international trade to meaningful work with marginalized communities. His story is a testament to the unifying power of football and its ability to inspire not just ambition, but real, tangible change in the world.

Bonito: Hi Webster, thanks for joining us. Tell us about how your passion for football began and how you were captivated to explore the ways the game could bring about positive changes for society? 

Webster: Thanks for having me! For me the setting is 2002, Brazil have just lifted a record fifth World Cup inspired by Ronaldo. A young 9 year old boy has just finished watching the first world cup of the 21st century without the slightest realization of how this historical experience would shape his destiny. Due to the vagaries of time zones between Asia and my modest landlocked country of Zimbabwe, I am called to bath by my mother at twilight to wash up having just witnessed the trophy presentation. As I do that, I envisage my life before me with the use of future World Cups as my guiding thread, only after my father had informed me it occurred every four years. By my final systemic tally, referenced by 4 year intervals (all World Cup years), my ambitions consist roughly of going to secondary school by 2006, being in A level by 2010 and to be in University by 2014; such was my love for Sport. Thus, I would begin my journey armed with nothing but my idealistic conceptualizations and my 4 year plans.

Twenty-two years on, I can definitely say that my shower daydreaming that cool late afternoon in July somewhat kick-started my mobility towards my involvement in football/sport as I have managed to marry my passion to reason.

Bonito: Why do you think football evokes such powerful sentiments with such a broad range of people all over the world? 

Webster: I believe football evokes powerful sentiments from people the world over as it has something that sets it apart from other sports, whether it be its status as the most played sport globally, the opportunities it creates beyond football (think jobs, inclusion etc), the adoration of players as role models which allow children to dream or the tribalism (rivalries) that characterizes it – the fusion and intersection of all of these makes football have such a powerful reach

Bonito: Tell us about your current research at the University of Malmö regarding football and trade?

Webster: Of course! I am researching on football and international trade to try to understand how football clubs use free trade agreements when sourcing their goods and services (including players) and whether they impress international trade sustainability standards within their supply chains.

Bonito: FIFA and the WTO recently started a partnership, what is the potential impact (positive or negative of such a partnership)?

Webster: This is a great question and this partnership is something I have also been trying to factor into my research as FIFA naturally carries influence. On the positives, this partnership is predicated at harmonizing trade and football by having manufacturing of football products such as shirts, kits etc happening in 4 or 5 African countries with supposedly the most sustainable cotton in the world. A number of positives can be read from this. Firstly, having these products manufactured, then exported from Africa would bring in more GDP for the African countries exporting the products which will be value added, compared to the age long and economically unsustainable practice whereby African countries export raw materials primarily. In general we need to find ways to allow all parts of the world to benefit from the massive economic opportunities that come with growing the football industry. 

Another potential benefit is the globalization of the football industry. For instance, manufacturing often takes place in different regions, which can support local cotton farmers and boost the local manufacturing sector. However, as with most globalized processes, there may be negative externalities, particularly concerning labor standards and the rights of workers in these manufacturing industries.

Bonito: Where do you see the football/sport for social good field heading in the next years? Where do you think academics in this field will focus their research on?

Webster: This is an interesting question. I genuinely think that this field will, if not already, develop in a trajectory that sees sport organizations (football clubs and private companies) as the main player or actors as they are the middle man between producers or  suppliers and society, hence have a major role to play. Furthermore, as politics becomes increasingly intertwined with sports, researchers will need to focus on an emerging angle: beyond the traditional narrative of  regimes using sports for propaganda, their involvement may also reflect elements of “sport for social good.” This trend highlights how gaining legitimacy through sports is likely to increasingly incorporate such dimensions in the future.

Bonito: Can you tell us about a moment in your football (or sport) for social good journey that touched your heart profoundly?

Webster: I worked on a project with the Saudi sport for All organization by consulting on how to attract and retain girls in sport. For me, this was a poignant experience as Nike agreed to partner with Saudi Sport for All organization by providing Nike themed hijabs as we perceived the lack or apparel as  one of the main barriers to female participation in sport. It was refreshing as this exercise resulted in so many girls participating in sport and some also being identified and supported to pursue their chosen sports further at a competitive level.

Bonito: Is there one colleague at your organization or who you have collaborated with who maybe doesn’t always get the spotlight that you would like to shine today and why?

Webster: This would be Franz Atare, who invented the game called Floormatics aimed at inclusion of the blind therefore allowing the blind and those with no visual impairment to compete on a level playing field. 

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BIO

Name: Webster Chakawata

Organization (s): Malmö University

Role: Researcher

Favorite Football Club: The Arsenal FC

Dream sport for good organization that you would love to collaborate with on a project: Laureus

 

 

Elisabeth Anderton’s journey to becoming a force in football for good is as unique as it is inspiring. Her story begins on a sofa, watching Liverpool FC with her father, captivated by the roar of stadiums during World Cups and the electric thrill of club matches. Yet her path wound through surprising places: a career in show business, a passion for music that once brought her center stage at IFK Göteborg’s games, and a volunteer stint with a street magazine in Stockholm. That’s when a simple question became her life’s calling: Could football change lives? She answered by founding Gatans Lag FF, a football club dedicated to supporting people experiencing homelessness and addiction. Now, as IFK Göteborg’s Sustainability Manager, Elisabeth leverages the power of football to unite and uplift her city. Here, she shares her journey, insights into the future of football for good, and her commitment to ensuring the sport leaves a lasting impact on communities.

Bonito: Elisabeth, thanks so much for doing this, we have known eachother for a long time since even before sportf or development was on the radar in Sweden- you have been a pioneer in transforming swedish football for good and we are so happy to have you on the Bonito platform!

Elisabeth: It has indeed been a long time! im delighted to be on the Bonito platform.

Bonito: Tell us about how your passion for football began and how you were captivated to explore the ways the game could bring about positive changes for society? 

Elisabeth: As a child, I spent many hours on the sofa with my dad, watching Liverpool games and World Cups, moments that sparked my earliest love for football. In my teenage years, I played football but eventually leaned into basketball, which became my main sport. I also played the saxophone, and performing with my orchestra at IFK Göteborg home games—especially when they faced international teams or rivals in Allsvenskan—immersed me in the powerful energy of live matches.

My passion for music and acting eventually led me to show business, and while performing in Stockholm, I began volunteering with a street magazine supporting people experiencing homelessness and addiction. Around the same time, I learned of the first Homeless World Cup and started organizing football training sessions for street vendors. This experience inspired me to found Gatans Lag FF, a football club for those facing homelessness and addiction, beginning a journey of using football for social good. Today, working with football clubs and organizations both nationally and internationally remains a true privilege.

Bonito: Thats so cool, I never knew that you began in music and acting!

Bonito: Why do you think football evokes such powerful sentiments with such a broad range of people all over the world?

Elisabeth: It´s very easy- thats the key! You hardly even need a football to be able to join the game. I’ve seen kids putting out branches or stones as goals and using several things that they´ve formed as a football and then the game is on. It´s played in all parts of the world and even if you don´t play it almost everyone have some kind of relationship to it.

Bonito: Tell us about some of the projects you are currently working on or recently have worked on in the football for good arena?

Elisabeth: IFK in the community, IFK på Schemat/Skol-IF and Young Fellows are some projects Im quite excited about.

IFK på Schemat” (“IFK on the Schedule”) is a long-running project designed to promote friendship and the joy of movement during school hours, particularly in schools where IFK Göteborg, or organized sports in general, is not a regular part of students’ lives. The initiative, responding to interest from students and parents alike, seeks to provide children and teens with a sense of belonging within a sports club. In 2023, IFK Göteborg launched Skol-IF (School Sports Club) in various city schools. Each Skol-IF has a student-led board, empowering young people to take an active role in the club. Weekly activities foster camaraderie, movement, and fun, with activity leaders serving as role models who embody IFK Göteborg’s vision and values, creating a welcoming sports environment for all.

At Young Fellows, a group of boys and girls aged 9 to 15 gathers at each match to cheer on IFK Göteborg (Blåvitt) to victory. Here, the kids attend without parents, instead being guided by leaders from IFK Göteborg who cultivate a positive supporter culture centered on friendship, responsibility, and respect.

We’re incredibly proud of the atmosphere at our games, and through Young Fellows, we aim to reflect our mission of being the team for the entire city. This initiative offers a fantastic opportunity to welcome more young people into IFK Göteborg’s supportive community, providing an ideal environment for youth from across Gothenburg to take their first steps as dedicated fans, grounded in camaraderie, responsibility, and mutual respect.

Bonito: In what way are football clubs like IFK Göteborg in a special place to have a positive impact on the cities they represent?

Elisabeth: We are not an authority but a football club with a lot of trust. We are not a short time project but a long lasting club with a huge fanbase and supporters who represent all kinds of social conditions. 

Bonito: You were instrumental in bringing Cruyff Courts to Sweden in 2018. Can you tell us about that process and how the courts have been doing in the three communities they serve in Göteborg?

Elisabeth:

Bonito: Where do you see the football/sport for social good field heading in the next years? Which thematic areas will be most important to deal with and what are the big challenges awaiting sport for good practitioners?

Elisabeth: I believe international policies and directives such as SDG form an example will play a bigger part which I like.
I´m hoping and I do believe that the holistic perspective will be more important through the whole organization from board members, staff and participants.

Bonito: Can you tell us about a moment in your football (or sport) for social good journey that touched your heart profoundly?

Elisabeth: I’ve had the honor of working in football for good for many years, and along the way, I’ve met people who, at one time, neither they nor those around them thought they would survive for long. Today, these same individuals have families, jobs, or are pursuing education, living fulfilling lives. Witnessing them build self-confidence and push themselves to achieve things they once thought impossible, all with the support of their teammates, truly touches my heart.

Bonito: Is there one colleague at your organization or who you have collaborated with who maybe doesn’t always get the spotlight that you would like to shine today and why?

Elisabeth: I have many colleagues who would deserve all shine, but I would like to mention one; Frankie Boayke who is a coach in our P19 – team and also works at Lärjeskolan. Frankie has done so much for so many youngsters in Angered. He is a great coach and person. 

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BIO

Name: Elisabeth Anderton

Organization (s): IFK Göteborg

Role: Sustainability Manager

Favorite Football (or sport) for good organization apart from your own: Cruyff Foundation and Homeless World Cup

Favorite Football Club: Liverpool FC