International Kids' Tennis Programs
This page describes some of the past tennis-related activities in various countries, together with some historical photos
SIERRA LEONE KIDS' TENNIS (SLKT)
The Sierra Leone Kids’ Tennis program was established in September 2007 by a group of young tennis enthusiasts in Freetown, Sierra Leone in collaboration with Coach Amidu Dumbuya and Sarah Johnston.
The initiative was supported by then members of the Sierra Leone Tennis Association Executive. LemonAID Fund, an innovative Freetown-based NGO, agreed to provide an organisational umbrella for SLKT.
The program was not planned, and certainly not driven from outside. It arose spontaneously from:
- Amidu’s personal commitment to coaching local children during his spare time between coaching fee-paying adults at Freetown’s Country Lodge Hotel;
- Sarah’s long-standing interest and experience in supporting grass-roots children’s projects in other countries, including projects with street children in Bangkok and Kabul;
- The enthusiasm and energy of 9 local Freetown boys and girls, whose love of tennis and desire to work together with other kids inspired the establishment of a more formal program that is now reaching across Sierra Leone.
Training Programs
Since 2007 a number of training clinics were held and assistance given to schools, teachers, coaches and kids in Kono (made famous by the film “Blood Diamond”), Freetown, Makeni, and Bo.
Sierra Leone Kids' Tennis and LemonAID Fund have also supported initiatives of the Max and Sam Foundation to further tennis as a sport in Sierra Leone.
Gallery
TIMOR-LESTE KIDS' TENNIS
Timor-Leste Kids’ Tennis was established in 2008 under FETTIL, the National Tennis Federation of Timor-Leste (East Timor). In November 2008 after the first regional training clinics were run in Baucau (east) and Maliana (west) the President of Timor-Leste, Dr Jose Ramos Horta officially launched the program in Dili with kids from Dili, Baucau and Maliana participating and demonstrating their skills. See Utube, “Stefanojay”, “A Day to Remember” to view a short video of the official launch of Timor-Leste Kids’ Tennis.
Since 2008 the program also trained a number of NGO workers eg ALOLA Foundation education staff and teachers from the Norweiian Refugee Council (NRC) ducation program. In 2008 the ALOLA summer program reached 3000 kids across the country introducing some of the activities from the TLKT program. In Baucau teacher trainers from the Baucau Teachers college have participated in training sessions and then incorporated training activities into the program they deliver to primary teacher trainees, building their "tool kit" of skills.
A Day to Remember: The official launch of Timor-Leste Kids’ Tennis.
Play for Life
Gallery
Ainaro Training with Sheldon and Will
ETHIOPIA KIDS' TENNIS
In February 2010 a pilot program in Addis Ababa at Daventry Academy was conducted by Asseged, a local coach, commenced working at the school with the teachers and students introducing them to ball skills, fitness and mini tennis. He then conducted similar training activities at the School of St Yared, which is supported by Hope for Children Australia.
Gallery
SOUTH SUDAN KIDS' TENNIS
South Sudan Kids' Tennis, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports started pre independence (July 9 2011) with a pilot program with Confident Children Out of Conflict (CCC). Andrew Allam, a well known South Sudanese film maker, documented this program with a short documentary film called "Seeds of Hope".
Seeds of Hope.
As with other country programs the plan is, as funds become available, to deliver training to school sports teachers and NGO education workers to build their skills and increase their "tool box" of activities.
Gallery 1
Gallery 2 - Kids' Tennis Training for New Coaches and Kids with Samuel Jalloh (Max and Sam Tennis Foundation) Juba, South Sudan 2012
MONGOLIA KIDS’ TENNIS
Since 2011 the Institute of Education and Training (IET Mongolia), a Mongolian non-government organization specializing in education for all Mongolians, has run summer and more recently winter literacy camps for children from disadvantaged areas. In 2015 and 2016 at a camp run for the Verbist Care Centre kids’ tennis activities were incorporated into the program, using professional tennis coaches and volunteers, building communication and fitness using English and Mongolian language skills. The project was designed to improve the confidence and communication skills of disadvantaged children, some of whom are orphans. The Verbist Care Centre reported that the inclusion of the kids’ tennis activities encouraged some of the children to take a greater interest in sport. Over the following years where possible the kids’ tennis activities have continued to be included in the literacy camp program run in outlying areas of Ulaanbaatar.
