Former Kenyan marathoners Tegla Loroup use her notoriety to defend the cause of refugees through sport. She founded an athletics training center in Ngong, near Nairobi, which houses refugees. Originally from South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia or the Democratic Republic of Congo, they practice athletics and some have even been selected to participate in the Tokyo Olympics.
as reported from Nairobi, Albane Thirouard
Rose Nathike Lokonyen is from South Sudan. She fled the Civil War in 2002 when her village was attacked. She arrived at the Kakuma camp in Kenya when she was only eight years old with her family. It was not until 2015 that she started athletics in earnest by joining the Tegla Loroupe training center.
Today, Rose is training for Tokyo, her second participation in the Olympic Games: “Being a runner, a sport, it changed my life and it made me who I am today, it gave me hope. And it has also given refugees around the world. It shows that refugees are human beings, that they can do what others do, that in the end it is just a refugee status. ”
Thrives on sports
Giving refugees a chance through sports is precisely the goal former marathons Tegla Loroupeby setting up its training center: “I decided to help refugees through sport, because that’s my area, because sport does not know politics. It’s something that unites us. Often people have prejudices about refugees. But in the end, as people , we must all learn from their stories, from their resilience. ”
The center currently houses about twenty refugees who train in athletics. Selection within Kakuma camp and by Dadaab should take place soon to expand the team. Because Tegla Loroupe is already thinking about Paris 2024.
.
