Safaricom officially flags off Rift Valley Regional finals with a series of Community Engagement Activities

07 November 2023

Nakuru, Kenya – 7^th November 2023…  Safaricom has officially flagged off the Rift Valley regional finals’ games of the Chapa Dimba football tournament with a series of community engagement activities geared towards empowering the locals and transforming their lives. These activities will culminate in the regional finals, slated for the weekend of Saturday, November 11th, and Sunday, November 12th, 2023.

The community engagement initiatives include free Digital and Financial Literacy training, a collaborative effort between Safaricom and Britam Insurance Company. This training is designed for Boda Boda riders, vendors, small business operators, shopkeepers, and others who are Safaricom customers in the region. The training's primary objective is to impart knowledge that fosters a culture of saving and enhances preparedness for credit and investment opportunities.

"Rift Valley is one of the business hubs significantly contributing to our country's economic growth, with a substantial portion of the revenues originating from small and medium enterprises. Thus, as we head to the Safaricom Chapa Dimba regional finals, we have organized community engagement activities in this region which include free Digital and Financial Literacy training for our Boda boda operators, vendors, and small business operators geared towards providing tips that can inculcate a saving culture and enhance credit and investment readiness.” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom PLC.

Additionally, through the Safaricom Foundation, the telco has organized a dissemination forum on Friday, November 10th, involving stakeholders in the Rift Region. The forum will focus on unpacking the 2023-2026 strategy, with a specific emphasis on education, health, and economic empowerment. On the same day, there will also be a players and coaches clinic featuring training on Safaricom's newly introduced GPS Wearable Vests, which are AI-powered.

The community engagements will then build up to the Safaricom Chapa Dimba regional final matches that will be played at ASK Nakuru Showground with eight teams lining up for competition. These include Laiser Hill Academy from Kajiado, Mwenge FC and Trinity Mission Girls both from Nakuru, Ol Melil Girl’s Secondary from Narok, Wiyeta Girls and Ndura Sports both from Trans Nzoia, Itigo Girls from Nandi   and PASC Langa FC from Uasin Gishu county.

Safaricom Chapa Dimba aims to provide a structured platform for scouts and coaches to tap into new talent and build feeder systems for the Kenyan football leagues across the country while also training a total of 250 coaches. The football tournament targets young people aged between 16 and 20 years old.