Road Trip of a Lifetime – Rising Star’s Head to Tanzania

Our team has been selected to participate in the East Africa Cup, a sports tournament that provides so much more than sporting opportunities. Our team will travel at the end of June. Pray for their safety and learning opportunities.

About the East Africa Cup:

Every year thousands of young people from what can be considered to be an expanded definition of East Africa encompassing Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan and Somalia – come together in the town of Moshi in Tanzania, under the impressive snow-capped Kilimanjaro.

The East Africa Cup includes everything from vibrant sports activities like football, volleyball and sitting volleyball – to inspiring thematic workshops and awareness building on relevant topics facing the young people in their respective communities.

Our motto is ‘a week in Moshi, but the whole year in the community’. The week in Moshi is meant to inspire and act as a catalyst to the activities the various participating organizations run throughout the year in their various communities. Therefore, in order to enter organizations must have a provable, year-round commitment to community activity using sports or culture as a development tool.

After 10 years of this unique event, we have something to celebrate. We are really proud of having trained thousands of young referees, first aiders, youth leaders, coaches, and thousands of committed youth in this time – and winning awards in the process.

‘Umoja’ is the Swahili word for unity, and it’s important to the East Africa Cup. We bring together people from the whole region in a spirit of sports, education, fun and fellowship. Some of these countries have a history of contact through conflict, so we think this sends out a powerful message.

Through the event activities, the East Africa Cup builds bridges, cooperation and friendships that transcend the various conflicts and differences.

The East Africa Cup is the perfect companion tournament for Rising Star to teach in creative ways, how to build communities.