Bringing sport as a path to education in Kenya

At Softquo, our core is sports. From our Virtual Sports and Sportsbook, we create competitions that millions of players enjoy every day. But behind every successful innovation, there’s a simple truth: we are a team of people who genuinely love sports.

And it’s that same passion that led us to Kibera, Nairobi’s largest informal settlement. Because when you strip sport down to its essence - hope, teamwork, resilience - you find the same values beating in Kibera. And we found that what we do and what they dream share the same heart: the world’s favourite game, our star product, football.

Together with the Kibera Celtic Foundation, we use football to open doors to education, build character and change the stakes of their future. For us, whether it’s in a cutting-edge Sportsbook or a dusty pitch in Kibera, football has the power to transform lives.

Football as a lifeline

Life in Kibera is fragile. Yet in the middle of this uncertainty, there is a place where hope gathers: the pitch.
More than a decade ago, the Kibera Celtic Foundation launched a school football programme to bring hope where it was scarce. The field became a second classroom - teaching discipline, teamwork and perseverance.

Studies show that children from low-income families are six times more likely to quit sport because of costs such as equipment, transport or fees compared to their wealthier peers. And yet, in Kibera, research reveals that nearly one in three young people take part in sport, even with limited resources, because it is one of the few safe activities available.

For many, football is the reason they remain in school. It is the chance to continue learning, to grow in dignity and to change the path of their future.

Today, Softquo helps carry that vision forward. We support 16 secondary school students, covering school fees and transport so they can attend classes throughout the year. And when holidays come, we make sure they can stay connected through football. It is a lesson in leadership, belonging and resilience.

We bet on people

But education and sport alone are not enough if emergencies pull families back. In Kibera, fires, floods and disasters are part of daily life. That is why Softquo also stands with the community in times of crisis - helping families navigate the toughest moments and making sure support does not stop at the classroom or the pitch.

Because true commitment means being present not only in moments of growth, but also in moments of hardship. This is not charity. It is a partnership built on respect and shared purpose.

For Softquo, betting on people is the most certain investment of all. We stood with the youth of Kibera yesterday. We do so today. And we will continue tomorrow - because every child deserves the chance to play, to study and to thrive.

See the story for yourself here.