The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) supports Grassroot Soccer in its work to foster mental well-being among adolescents in Kenya and beyond through sport-based mental health interventions. The nonprofit’s MindSKILLZ curriculum, the cornerstone of its adolescent mental health strategy across Africa, recognizes the significance of community-based solutions in low-resource settings and guided by research indicating the positive impact of sports on adolescent mental health.
Developed following the success of its Mindset program in Scotland, MindSKILLZ seeks to comprehensively address adolescent mental well-being. This 12-session curriculum, tailored for adolescents aged 10-19, is designed to reinforce coping skills and strengths, empowering participants to effectively manage life’s stresses. It also aims to foster a culture of positive mental well-being behavior, creating an enabling environment for adolescents to thrive.
Through the guidance of trained young adult mentors known as “Coaches,” MindSKILLZ sessions cover essential topics including emotional expression, coping strategies, stigma reduction, and gender considerations in mental health. The program also endeavors to enhance adolescents’ access to youth-friendly health and social services to bridge gaps in mental health care provision. Additionally, MindSKILLZ focuses on building capacity across Grassroot Soccer’s international partner network by seamlessly integrating mental health principles into existing programming.
With support from a first SNF grant, Grassroot Soccer, in collaboration with LVCT Health and the Governments of Mombasa and Nairobi Counties, engaged over four thousand adolescents ages 10-14 and 30 Coaches ages 19-35 in Kenya, addressing a critical gap in mental health support for adolescents in the region. A more recent SNF grant supports Grassroot Soccer to scale implementation of the MindSKILLZ program in Kenya, consolidating their achievements there and building on their momentum. This effort is part of a wider plan by Grassroot Soccer to expand the MindSKILLZ program into new countries across Africa, Europe, and South Asia.
By harnessing the power of sport and community engagement, MindSKILLZ is helping young people lay a foundation for a healthier, more resilient future and builds upon SNF’s commitment to addressing global health challenges and advancing mental health initiatives worldwide.