How DBA Africa’s Programmes are Changing Lives, Opening Doors and Creating Futures

At DBA Africa, we believe sport is more than a game, it’s a pathway to confidence, opportunity, education and leadership for girls, youth and entire communities across East Africa. Through intentional programmes, inclusive academies, scholarships, international exposure and life-changing support, we’re rewriting the story for girls in sport and in life.

Inclusive Grassroots Programmes That Leave No Girl on the Sidelines

While many treat girls’ participation as an add-on, DBA Africa’s Girls and Inclusion initiative is at the core of its mission. In urban and rural communities across Kenya, from Nairobi to the Rift Valley, Western and Coastal regions, girls are actively recruited into programmes spanning rugby, athletics and lacrosse. These aren’t separate activities, they’re inclusive, well-structured training environments where girls train alongside boys, coached by trained mentors from their own communities. 

Sport becomes a tool for empowerment, participants receive life skills education, leadership training, menstrual health support, safe transport and safeguarding awareness so that nothing physical, social or cultural, holds them back from sustained participation and progress. 

Community Academies: Training, Mentorship & Growth

DBA Africa’s Youth Academies are foundational to its work. These community-centered hubs offer regular rugby, athletics and sport-for-development sessions that integrate physical training with resilience, teamwork and character building. Girls make up about 40% of participants in some regions, and that number continues to grow as barriers are reduced and programmes expand. 

Some standout academy initiatives include:

• DBA Africa Rugby Academy (Nairobi) – a safe, skill-building space for both boys and girls to grow on and off the pitch. 
• DBA x Kabras RFC Girls Rugby Academy (Western Kenya) – one of the region’s dedicated girls’ rugby hubs, supporting young women in sport and school retention and reducing early dropout. 
• Rift Valley Rugby Academies – with hundreds of youth training weekly, this network of training centres reflects DBA’s drive for inclusive growth. 
• Uganda Lacrosse Academy – broadening sport opportunities beyond traditional games and offering international scholarship pathways for standout players. 

The Futures Cup: A Launchpad for Opportunity

The Futures Cup DBA Africa’s flagship youth sports tournament, has become a powerful platform for girls to showcase talent, confidence and leadership. From a single girls’ rugby match in 2023, it expanded in 2024 into a full girls’ division, with teams like the Rift Valley Lakers winning championships and gaining recognition across the region. This tournament goes beyond competition, it’s a scouting and scholarship funnel, connecting promising female athletes with educational and athletic opportunities within Kenya and internationally, and strengthening pathways that elevate girls from community sport into broader horizons. 

Scholarships, Tours, and Global Exposure

DBA Africa doesn’t stop at training, it actively opens doors to academia and global sport experiences. Through focused scholarship programmes and partnerships, young women have gained life-changing academic placements: including full school scholarships in Kenya and abroad, and exceptional cases where girls and boys have received international opportunities to pursue sport and education at leading institutions. 

Highlights include:

• Local scholarships awarded via Futures Cup performance: supporting girls to continue both sport and education. 
• International placements, including school placements in the UK, demonstrating the calibre and potential of athletes developed through DBA programmes. This so far has been extended to the boys.
• Athletics exposure trips, such as journeys from Iten to international races in Dubai, where girls and boys alike gained competitive experience and personal best performances. 

Removing Barriers: Support That Matters

What makes DBA Africa’s girls programmes truly transformative is their focus on real-world barriers. Beyond sport, girls receive:

• Mentorship and leadership development through community coaches and female role models.
• Life skills and safeguarding training to boost confidence and protect wellbeing. 
• Holistic support, from menstrual health education to safe transport, so no girl is forced to choose between dignity and participation. 

Outcomes: Confidence, Opportunity and Impact

The outcomes of DBA Africa’s girls programmes aren’t just measured in wins or medals, they’re measured in empowered young women who lead, speak up, succeed in school and chase future goals with belief and drive. Through sport and structured support, girls are:

• Gaining leadership confidence and life skills that translate into school and community engagement. 
• Accessing scholarships and educational pathways that would otherwise be out of reach.
• Breaking cultural barriers around sport participation and gender norms across regions in Kenya and beyond.