Special Olympics Kenya officially launches Unified with Refugees program at Decathlon Store and announces powerful new partnership with the Decathlon Foundation in Nairobi on the eve of World Refugee Day.
It was a quadruple celebration at the Decathlon Store, The Karen Hub, Nairobi on 19 June. Not only had Special Olympics athletes, including those from the refugee community, Unified partners and key stakeholders gathered to support the launch of the Unified with Refugees program in Kenya, they were also marking the eve of World Refugee Day, 50 years of impact of Decathlon Kenya and the launch of a powerful new partnership between Special Olympics Kenya and the Decathlon Foundation!
The celebration event and sports demonstration, which was held during Decathlon Kenya’s Sports Extravaganza celebrating 50 years of impact, brought together 19 athletes with intellectual disabilities, comprising athletes from refugee communities and athletes from the Special Olympics Kenya University of Nairobi Club. They were joined by refugee family members, including siblings/Unified partners, alongside representatives from key partners and stakeholders including Decathlon Kenya, UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency) Kenya’s Department of Refugee Services (DRS), HIAS and the Communities for Africa Network (CAN).
A key highlight of the event was a Unified Bocce demonstration led by Special Olympics Kenya. Athletes from both refugee and host communities played together with Unified partners, demonstrating the values of inclusion and unity through sport. Another major milestone was the official announcement of the partnership between Special Olympics Kenya and the Decathlon Foundation, followed by the formal launch of the Unified with Refugees program. This partnership reinforces a shared commitment to expanding inclusive opportunities and strengthening social cohesion through sports in the spirit of this year’s World Refugee Day theme “Solidarity with Refugees”.
Speaking about the partnership, Alexia Vanlaere, Social Project Manager with the Decathlon Foundation, said, “Sport truly belongs to everyone, not only to the able-bodied, and not only to those already included in our societies. At the Decathlon Foundation, this belief drives us to bring the benefits of sport to those who are most excluded, for medical, social, physical, cultural, or economic reasons. Sport is a powerful force for social inclusion — a universal language that creates joy, connection, and both mental and physical well-being. That is why we are proud to support the Special Olympics’ Unified with Refugees program, which actively fights exclusion and builds a more inclusive world."
Gerald Mballe, Special Olympics Unified with Refugees Coordinator, added, “This generous support from the Decathlon Foundation is not only supporting individual athletes and partners to experience to true value of inclusion, but also helping Special Olympics to expand the reach of the invaluable Unified with Refugees program.”
Gerald continued, “Currently, more than 123 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide who require immediate social protection, access to basic health and education services, and the support of the global community. They also require access to the joy and power of sport in the darkest of times. Special Olympics Unified with Refugees is helping to deliver that to more and more people across the globe, thanks to partners like the Decathlon Foundation.”
