Kenya: Plucked From Street to Lush Course

Larry Ngala

19 June 2011

Nairobi — A group of young people who were until recently living on the streets of Mombasa will this summer be playing a part in one of the most prestigious events on the European Challenge Tour schedule.

The four former “street youths” have been trained as caddies by the UK charity Glad’s House and the European Tour Caddies’ Association and funded by The European Tour Players’ Foundation.

They are now among 44 young people working at the Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort, outside Mombasa.

The youths will be visiting the United Kingdom in July to train as caddies for the Challenge Tour professionals competing in the English Challenge at Stoke By Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa in Essex.

In stark contrast

Staying at the luxury hotel will be in stark contrast to the conditions endured by the caddies until last year.

Living on the streets of Mombasa, they experienced extreme poverty, with many resorting to begging and crime to survive.

Thanks to Glad’s House, however, the caddies now live near Vipingo Ridge where they have been trained to caddy – and play golf to a high standard – by professional caddies from The European Tour.

All the caddies – three boys and one girl, plus two social workers acting as caddy masters – look forward to experiencing the excitement of a professional tournament.

They will be in England for about two weeks. Cliff Ferguson, founder of Glad’s House, commented: “The transformation in the lives of these young people has been remarkable.

“From a life of unimaginable poverty they now have a profession, a real love of golf and, most importantly, a future.

“We can’t wait to see what they will make of life in the UK and how much they’ll enjoy caddying on such a magnificent course as the Gainsborough at Stoke By Nayland.”

Lifetime opportunity

Speaking to the Monday Sport from the magnificent Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort in Vipingo, Kilifi County, on behalf of her three colleagues – Fredrick Gatibaru, Julius Amos Simiyu and Ronald Simiyu – Janet Otieno said they were most delighted to have been offered a lifetime opportunity to caddie for professionals in the European Challenge Tour.

“When I was roaming around in the streets of Mombasa I did not think that one day I will be in such a place like Vipingo Ridge, leave alone playing golf,” she said.

“I did not even know or heard anything about golf and I thank Glad’s House for having brought me this far. I think it’s God who directed them to come to us.’

Paid a salary

Otieno said she was most grateful to Glad’s House, who not only trained the group but also have been assisting them in many ways.

This includes paying for the group’s accommodation for the first six months when they concluded their training programme.

“Here we are paid a salary at the end of the month and we are also allowed to play golf every Tuesday,” Otieno beamed,”And, for this, we will always be grateful to Glad’s House.”

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