Malindi community turns to sports to shield youth from drug abuse during school break
The programme is running weekly sessions at Buntwani Waterfront Park, where children and teenagers are taking part in cycling, skating, beach football, swimming and a range of informal competitions.
A community effort in Malindi has begun using sport-based activities to keep young people occupied during the lengthy school break, amid rising concern that the holiday period leaves many adolescents vulnerable to drug abuse and street idleness.
The programme is running weekly sessions at Buntwani Waterfront Park, where children and teenagers are taking part in cycling, skating, beach football, swimming and a range of informal competitions. Elderly residents have also joined in to help supervise and mentor participants.
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It is coordinated by the Okoa Malindi Community-Based Organisation.
Okoa Malindi chairperson Mohamed Nassor Clay said the initiative was prompted by fears that the November to January break often exposes unsupervised youths to drug dens and negative peer influence.
“We worry about the number of young people left with nothing meaningful to do during this long holiday,” he said, noting that drug addiction remains one of Malindi’s most persistent challenges.
He added that the organisers deliberately included multiple sports to ensure all children find an activity to participate in, regardless of skill.
The activities, which run throughout the festive season, will culminate in a community final scheduled for December 21 at the same venue.
Okoa Malindi secretary Farihani Abdulkadir Mohamed said the decision to involve families and residents was deliberate, arguing that community guidance is essential when schools close. “The responsibility shifts to us once pupils go home,” he said, adding that parents are being encouraged to enrol their children free of charge.
Local sports enthusiasts have also backed the effort.
Malindi Cycling Club vice-chair Ali Shabani said the inclusion of cycling was aimed at promoting healthier routines among children who would otherwise spend hours idly in the streets. He noted increasing interest in the sport, including four-year-olds and visiting cyclists from other coastal counties.
According to Shabani, the discipline and stamina built through cycling can offer long-term opportunities for young people who take it seriously.
Organisers have appealed for financial and logistical support from both county and national governments to ensure the programme continues during future school holidays in April, August and December.
With Malindi still grappling with drug-related concerns, the community says the initiative is an attempt to provide a structured alternative before more young people slip into harmful habits.
Photo of some of the participants. Community has turned to sport-based activities to keep young people occupied during the lengthy school break, amid rising concern that the holiday period leaves many adolescents vulnerable to drug abuse and street idleness
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