Dennis Lutaaya Believes In Education

My name is Lutaaya John Dennis. I am 16 years old and  was  born  on  the  9th  of  January  1997. I am from Uganda. I was born in Nsambya Hospital. I am from a poor family. I  am a Tennis  player  as  well  as  a  pupil  of  Malezi  School. I train  at  Sadili  Oval. My  parents  work in the Industrial  Area  of  Kampala whenever they can get jobs. My  father  works  as  a  carpenter  and  my  mother is a cook.
I  love  and  treasure  my  education  because  it  will  make  me  who  I  aspire  to  be  someday - a  mechanical  engineer.  I  also  love  Tennis  because  it  helped  me  to  come  to  Sadili, a  place  where  I  can  improve  my  game. This  happened  when, Dr. Liz Odera came to my  club  in  Uganda,  and she  coached  over  20  of  us  free of charge and  chose  two of us  to join Sadili's players.  This happened in  2009 when  I  was  12  years  old. I was really scared that I would not be picked, because I wasn’t the best, but when my name was called out, I became overjoyed because I knew that this was my one big chance in life. When I came to Sadili, my  tennis  wasn't  that  good  but  now, I  have  tremendously  improved  and  this year, Malezi called me to play for the school team for the second year running in the national school games, where my partner Jamin Luvembe and I won the District, County , Regionals and Nationals, and represented Kenya at the East Africa Ball games in Lira, Uganda, where we won the doubles title again. I have also had a great chance to play for Uganda in the 14 and Under Circuit in April, I and I am now number 2 in the Under 16 boys in the Tennis Africa Cup (www.tennisafrica.info). I hope to perform even better next year, so that I my scholarship can be extended and I can remain in the Africa Talent Training Academy - SATTA. I have seen many tennis players who behave very badly, and my  dream  is  to  become  a  well  educated  professional  tennis  player!
If you would like to support me, please go to http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-child-education-sport-talent-fund-in-africa/
    

Sadili Oval News: Malezi Team Lift The National Tennis Award 2013!

Sadili Oval News: Malezi Team Lift The National Tennis Award 2013!: Defending Champions, Malezi School, partner of Sadili Talent Training Academy, led by captain, Jamin Luvembe, once again lifted the Nation...

Malezi Hold Firm At Nationals As They Head to Tennis Semis

Jamin Luvembe

Henry Ayesiga (Boys Player 1), Chizi Mutsumi /Melissa Brown (girls doubles), JaminLuvembe/John Lutaaya (boys doubles) continue to brave the rain, as they march to the semi-fianls at this year's Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA), Term 2 National Ball Games held in Embu. In the boys singles, Malezi remains unbeaten as Henry does not drop a single game, trouncing Nzoia 4-0, Nakuru 4-0 and Lake Region 4-0.

The Girls Doubles Team Of Chizi/Melissa have played and won two matches, winning against Central 4-2, and Nakuru 4-1.

Jamin/John have not disappointed the fans, as they mauled Lake Region  4-0, Nzoia 4-0 and  Eastern 4-1 in their run to the semi-finals, which will be played tomorrow.

Ace Amadi Kagoma Earns USA College Place

Sadili Oval Player Testimonials: Sadili Tennis Academy: Ace Amadi Kagoma Earns USA ...: Sadili Tennis Academy: Ace Amadi Kagoma Earns USA College Place : Malezi School Tennis Captain, 2010 – 2012, Amadi Kagoma, has arrived at Ce...

Sadili's Malezi School Boys Are County Finalists!

Sadili Oval News: Sadili Basketball Academy Kenya: Sadili's Malezi S...: Sadili Basketball Academy Kenya: Sadili's Malezi School Are County Basketball Final... : The Day, we had all been waiting for arrived a...

Sadili Basketball Academy Kenya: Sadili's Malezi T...

Sadili Oval News: Sadili Basketball Academy Kenya: Sadili's Malezi T...: Sadili Basketball Academy Kenya: Sadili's Malezi Team Advance to County Schools Bas... : The Malezi Varsity team had double-header in o...

Sadili Oval News: Malezi Takes Early Lead At County Basketball Champ...

Sadili Oval News: Malezi Takes Early Lead At County Basketball Champ...: The Malezi Varsity team showed just why they were District Champions of Lang’ata, playing two games and winning both, against Pumwani a...

Sadili Oval News: Malezi School are District Champions

Sadili Oval News: Malezi School are District Champions: Zack Okong'o received trophy Coach Nico, Captain Zack and teacher Nickson The Lang’ata District has crowned Malezi School a...

New Sadili-Kibera Talent Earns ITF/CAT Award For Kenya

Davis Matanda powered his way through to the Boys U12 singles quarterfinals of the ITF/CAT KIA Motors Junior Competitions in Mahe, Seychelles, trouncing Denzel Laporte 6-0 6-0. His team mate, Antony Hoka followed suite, easily flying past Arnold Mein (Seychelles) 6-1 6-1 to set up a quarterfinal match against Reunion Number 2 and third seed, Samuel Verbard, where he lost 6-0 6-0.

Davis Matanda In Action

Matanda later played against Seychelles number 2 and fourth seed Shaun Andriamaro, losing in a long tough quarterfinal match that was not reflected in the final scores, 1-6, 1-6. Both boys finally settled on position 7 (David) and 8 (Antony).

Davis and Antony partnered to beat Noah Jean-Louis/Christian Payet (Seychelles) 6-3 6-2 to reach the boys doubles semi-finals, where they met Damien/Shaun (sey), losing 1-6, 3-6. They then went on to overpower Seychelles to win Kenya their first bronze medal of the boys under 12s this year.

The boys singles champion was Damien Laporte (Sey), who neat favourite Cement Esparon  6-1, 6-2, while Samuel Verbard (Reunion) dispensed of Shaun Andriamaro (Sey) 6-0 6-1 to life the bronze medal.

Sadili's Jamin Luvembe Makes A First to Davis Cup From Kibera

Jamin Luvembe becomes the first tennis player from Kibera, Africa's largest slum, to play Davis Cup when he joins the Kenya team in Tunisia on the 1st of July 2012. 

Jamin was called in at the last minute to play trials at Nairobi Club, started out as the underdog, but rallied to win all his group-stage matches, qualifying for the semifinals as a firm candidate, and ending up as the runnerup, and 4th player for the team after Ibrahim Kibet. Other other two positions were not contested for, as KLTA had already selected  Faiz and Ishmael Changawa of Mombasa. Ishmael is currently the best ranked junior and has posted impressive results in ITF tournaments. Jamin, who is a student at Malezi School, started playing tennis at 8 years, when his brother, Francis Isiaho, introduced him to Sadili Oval Sports Academy. His sponsor and coach, Dr. Liz Odera says "this is Jamin's dream starting to come true. He has proved that committment and hard work pays. He still has a lot to do to become the player we hope to see, but this is a great step ib gaining experience, and we are very proud of him". Jamin has been put on standby, as funds are awaited for from the government, according to KLTA, so Kenyans may have to wait a little longer if he doesn't travel. Kenya will be play against some great teams, including Ghana, Nigeria, Tunisia, Benin, Zimbabwe, and Cote d'Ivoire. Kenya has barely managed to stay in Group 3 and it is hoped that, by exposing juniors like Ishmael and Jamin, the experience will pay off in a few years.

Shebani Kabura Is Living His Dreams

Playing at the UK Tour in May 2010

My name is Shebani Kabura. I was born in 1998 at a place call Buyenzi in Burundi. Buyenzi is a very small slum known widely in Eastern Africa, just like Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, where there is no electricity, water is hard to find and very few toilets. I was brought up in a very poor family and grow up in a very bad environment. My parents are both jobless and we are ten in our family. I have been playing tennis since I was 8 years old. I used to follow my older brother, Amadi Kagoma, to a local tennis club in Bujumbura, where I would help Amadi when he played with rich members and their children, while picking balls, in order to get some money to pay for our school fees, buy ourselves clothes and food for our family.

I learned a lot while copying my brother Amadi, and he always said that he would one day to go to a good school and get a good job, like many of the rich kids did. When he joined Malezi School in 2006, I was very happy for him, but very sad, because I could no longer follow him. In 2007, when I was 9 years old, Kassie McIlvaine, who had sponsored Amadi to Malezi told me that she would help me go for a special camp in Sadili, and if the lady there liked me, then I would get to join Amadi. I was very excited! I went with a team of players from Burundi, many of us from Buyenzi slum. When we were there, we met many other kids from around Africa and made friends. That is when I met Dr. Liz Odera, who was in charge of Sadili Oval. For two weeks we worked very hard and learned about life and played tennis for many hours. Then some of us were chosen to go for interviews at Malezi School. I was very scared. I did not pass the interview well, but I was one of the 3 children chosen that year, because of my hard work during the camp.  I remember that Coach George Muga taught me my backhand during that camp, I had never played a backhand before.

I joined Malezi School the next year, and now I was very happy, because I was back with my brother and he looked after me until I made my own friends. Catching up with school was hard because I had to learn English as we spoke French in Burundi, and I often got into trouble because I did not understand what the teacher was saying and reading was hard for me so I would do my homework. The only subject I liked was Maths because the symbols were easy to understand.  I enjoy tennis, and training is very tough. I am working hard to pass my final primary exams this year, and I am praying that Dr. Liz chooses me to join the Sadili Talent Training Academy, next year, where I can balance school and tennis and play many junior tournaments like my brother is doing. I am now ranked number 1 in the Boys Under 16 Tennis Africa Cup, and number 10 in the Confederation of Africa Tennis. With Sadili, I have travelled to America in 2009, where I won a Boys Under 14 tournament. I don’t know what I want to be in the future, but I know that it will have a tennis racquet.

Kenyan Joab Odera Blazing The Trail In USA

Former Kenyan school tennis champion trailing blaze in U.S.

NAIROBI, Jan. 11 (Xinhua)-- Many young Kenyans leave the country to study in overseas universities on sports scholarships and that is the last time they are heard by the public .

However, that is not the case for former national schools tennis champion Joab Odera who spoke to Xinhua about his studies and tennis exploits in the United States

"A lot of people leave the country for studies in faraway lands and that is the last time the public hears of them. I want the society to know about my tennis and other spheres of life," the 21-year old Odera said in Nairobi when Xinhua caught up with him recently during the long vacation.

Amadi Is Team Captain 2010-2011

My name is Amadi Kagoma. I was born in 1994 at a place call Buyenzi in Burundi. Buyenzi is a very small slum known widely in Eastern Africa. I was brought up in a very poor family and grow up in a very bad environment. My parent are jobless and we are ten in our family. I have been playing tennis since I was 8 years old. I used to follow other older kids to a local tennis club in Bujumbura, where I would pick balls for rich people, and later I picked up courage and started to play in the back courts, imitating how they played. Then I started to play with these rich members and their children in order to get some money to pay my school fees, buy myself clothes and sometimes, some meals for our family.

From the age of eleven, I developed a critical mind about tennis. I always wanting to know more about tennis but most of all, I really wanted to go a real school. You see, because of the wars, Burundi does not have stable public schools. Through tennis, I came to know that sports can take someone far and can earn someone a living, but that it wasn't enough because the rich people's kids all went to school and got big jobs when they completed their education. I decided to apply to for a scholarship to Malezi school since its in doing well both in sports and academically. I was so happy when Kassie McIlvaine and Liz Odera organised to help me join Malezi school in 2006 because I knew very well that I will improve game and the English language and go to a top school.

I have performed well in tennis where I am number two in Burundi both in juniors and seniors. I have  played three Africa Junior Championships and I have reached two finals in doubles. I have been playing for my school where my strength is doubles, usually partnering with my former 4-year Captain, Joab Odera (who is now playing college tennis in USA), where we have helped keep Malezi as the national Schools Champion. This year was the singles champion at nationals school games in tennis. I am top-ranked in the Tennis Africa Cup Under 18 Boys. Malezi/Sadili has help me a lot in my life, training me how to grow my game, and helping me travel to different parts of the world, including Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, USA, UK and South Africa.
My dream is to perfect to play professional tennis or get a scholarship in America for further studies in order to depend myself in future.

Yasini Shabani Takes A Positive Turn

My name is Yasini Shabani. I am 17 Years old. I was born in Arusha, Tanzania and come from a very  humble family. My parents run small business to keep food on the table, and I often missed school for long periods to help out. I like playing tennis after I finish my studies every day. I started playing  tennis when I was 12 years old. I couldn't  improve my  game as  fast as I would have wanted because I lacked the facilities.
When the Sadili Oval Tennis Team came to my country for a tournament, I played very well with one of   their  top  players although I lost narrowly. Due to this, I got a scholarship the following year to join Malezi  School, and I finally got a chance to have a good education. While at Malezi, I have  played tennis  at the National Secondary  Schools Games for the past three consecutive years for the school team, which have been winners for the last eight years. I have been playing for the Tanzanian national team for 5 years and I have been the Team captain. In 2009, I represented my country in the Africa Junior Championship in Morocco, and I have also played the East Africa ITF 18 and Under Circuits since 2008. I do well  in both my academics and tennis. My dream is to become a tennis  professional in the future and an Architect, because I like to design things.

Henry Ayesiga Aiming High

My name is Ayesiga Henry. I am from Uganda. I was born in 1997 and I am 13 years old. I came from one of the small slums found in Kampala, Uganda. Life in that area is hard because of the Hygiene and Health of the place. I was brought up by my Father and Mother. My family is made up of five children. We are four boys and one girl. I am the second born child. I was introduced in tennis by my father because he was working in a tennis club called Kampala Club as a grounds supervisor. The salary that he was getting was not enough to sustain us with all our needs. That made our life hard, because my mother had no job and staying in school was very difficult. I joined tennis at the age of 8 years, while picking balls for members at Kampala Club to earn some money and help my mother and I found the game very interesting. I started working very hard with the encouragement of my father and a member of the club, Mr. John Nagenda, who told me that tennis was my talent. One day, I was told that there was going to be a free tennis camp for all children at Lugogo Stadium, and many children went, and I got to meet Dr. Liz for the first time. Because of my efforts and hard work, I was given a tennis scholarship in Kenya, I have never been so happy and my parents are very proud of me. I finally got to go to Malezi School and I train to improve my tennis at Sadili Oval. My dream is that one day I will become a professional tennis player and a Lawyer after school. I also play basketball and football during my leisure time. I one day dream of achieving my goals and help my family, relatives and friends who need my help. Malezi has helped me to know myself and to discover who I am, and I managed to complete the primary school with good passes in KCPE and graduated to high school this year, where a few of us are now part of Sadili Talent Training Academy, which helps us balance between school and tennis. Through Sadili, I now play very well and have represented Uganda in Under 14 tournaments, and I am also number 2 in the 16 and Under and number 1 in the 14 and Under in the Tennis Africa Cup tournaments (www.tennisafrica.info). In April this year, I played the ITF 14 and Under Circuit, and was runner-up in the first event and won the second one, making me number 18 in the Confederation of Africa Ranking. I also work with younger children from the slums of Kibera every Saturday, helping coach and advise them, all of us are expected to do this at Sadili, and I find it very interesting mentoring other children and watching them improve. I know that it is not easy to look after me, and hope that more people will come out to sponsor more children, but this is my home now, and I am sure that Malezi and Sadili will help me to achieve my goals for the future.

Kibera-born Jamin Admitted To Tennis School

My name is Jamin Luvembe and I am 15 years of age. I am a Kenyan citizen. I was born in Kibera slums in Nairobi. Life in the slums is very hard. The toilets are very bad meaning that you have to wear specialised boots to access them. The bathrooms have mosquitoes which expose our health to danger of contracting malaria. Everyone relies on their God for security. There are many jobless youths who attack others when they come from their work places. My brother started going to Sadili and later I asked him to teach me the basics of tennis. Since we had no racquets, we decided to use our hands and a ball since that was the easier way. We did it out of passion even though our hands were paining and turning red. I felt very pleased to know another different sport apart from soccer. I chose tennis because soccer had many players and my chances of going far with it were very low. Soccer had competition and I knew that I was not among the best. I knew at last I could disapprove my fellow ghetto boys. I have travelled to three countries: the USA, Tanzania and Uganda, and I am currently Number 1 in the Tennis Africa Cup tournaments. My tennis has helped me join Malezi School, a very different school from others. People are good and social and they don't discriminate others. They have helped me to be a social and friendly. My life has changed for the burden of school fees is no longer on my parents. I have learnt that whatever you do on the court is for yourself and from your heart. When I travelled I thanked God because it is very rare for a slum child to travel out of the country. I want to become a neurosurgeon or a professional tennis player in the future. This is because I want to save lives and inspire others to do so.