Background

In December 2021,  during the Christmas season I went to Kisumu to document a final game of the local tournament with my friends. I was contracted to do this and got compensated for it. As I was covering the event I came across this gentleman with patched up shoes as I was shooting the line up. You can imagine the kind of questions I started asking myself, how is he even playing with this kind of boots, how did he make it to the finals. I paid so much attention to him during the game as I wanted to get answers to all these personal questions I had. I went ahead to shoot and finalized on my assignment and handed over the photos to the client of the day.

Later in March 2022 as I was reviewing my hard drive to create space for my recent and upcoming projects I came across these images I had taken in December of the game, I immediately remembered my encounter with the lad with the patched up shoes and I even remembered how well he played during that game despite losing in the final. I went ahead and put a man hunt for him because I had promised myself that I would find him and give him a pair of boot so that he can keep playing football.

https://twitter.com/evansmarube/status/1499365154978418689?s=20&t=cG4XphofhNbhyxDeGZfGtA

This story got the interest of some digital media outlets here in Kenya.

https://www.tuko.co.ke/people/445306-photographer-launches-search-kisumu-footballer-spotted-donning-worn-boots-gift-2-pairs/

A few days later someone got in touch with me and shared his contacts. His name is Eugene Depale, 20 yr old. I likened him to James Rodriguez, the Colombian who has played for Real Madrid, Bayern, Everton among many other clubs. Eugene has a brilliant left foot. We have been in touch ever since, he is a good young man, he was supposed to join University but had to defer for 1 year due to lack of school fees. My hope is that with my help he will use soccer as an alternative to life even when other things are not working well. He also has a big chance of playing professional football since he’s very good and he’s just 20 years old. This is the situation with most of the young people I meet and shoot everyday here in Kenya.

Solution

This whole experience got me thinking hard about the children, the teenagers I meet who lack this basic resource in their life. I spend a lot of my time in these slums and less fortunate communities and this story reminds me of the many young boys and girls who need soccer boots, sports shoes and even soccer balls to kick start their careers.

How can you help?

It is in this regard that I am requesting for your support in this journey by donating the little you can to support this course. With your help I will order boots and balls and will hand them over to the needy children who I will meet during the shoots I will be doing in the communities here in Kenya. The need is vast, a bigger percentage of kids who play football here don’t have boots and balls. In some teams  the players share boots, shirts, balls, basically everything and it works however, with your help they can have more. You can also donate actual balls and boots, I have set up a collection point at United Pictures & Studio, 209 Statehouse Rd, Nairobi, Kenya.

1. You can donate using my personal line +254 721677137 you send MPesa to my number and I will go ahead and order boots from my regular supplier.

For together let’s shape the future of these Stars!

I hope we can raise Kshs. 200,000 with a target of reaching at least 50 kids and teenagers with a ball and a boot by December 2023.

If you would like more information you can write to me at [email redacted]

Welcome to my website: https://evansogeto.com/

In the pictures:

1. Kids having fun during the finals of the Kibera Cup in Dec 2020 in Kibera, Nairobi.

2. Eugene Depale playing against Manyatta F.C in Dec 2021. This is the image I captured that keeps reminding me of how our communities need help.

3. Eugene Depale’s shoes on the very day I met him during the game in Kisumu in Dec 2021.