Former Amavubi player and Coach Jimmy Mulisa has started a special talent detection exercise for street children in a move to help them get back to normal life and also give them a platform to develop their talent.

The AS Kigali assistant coach is running the initiative under ‘6 Aside Street Football Tournament’ that was launched on Saturday, November 27, at Nyagatovu playground in Kimironko Sector, Gasabo District.

The programme was designed for 60 street children registered from the streets in the area but a bigger number of children estimated at 160 also joined the tournament.

"These numbers are incredible. It shows how hungry children are for this football game and through this initiative, it’s no surprise that the future of the national team lies in these amazing talents. Children want to play and there is plenty of talent out there that is going to waste yet we can play our part to make the best out of it and help them make their dream come true,” Mulisa said.

While there are number of children on streets in Kigali, Mulisa, through his football foundation ‘Umuri’, thought of organizing the tournament to give them a reason to feel welcome in society while also enjoying football.

His idea impressed the City of Kigali, UNICEF Rwanda and AFH and all pledged to support his initiative.

Jimmy Mulisa wants to use Football as a tool to get the children off the streets and go back to school and live a happy life and his partners are working closely to support his idea in different ways.

"Football has an influence to get these children off the streets. Nothing makes these children happier than gathering at a place like this and playing. With this initiative, we can then have a conversation with them and look at how they can start a new life in families and take them back to school. That’s all we want,” he said.

A big number of players developed their talents from street football and went on to become great footballers, something that Mulisa believes he can replicate in Rwandan football as a contribution to the development of Rwandan football from the grassroots.

"In countries like Brazil and South Africa, so many talents are detected from the streets and become football stars. That’s the concept I want to introduce in Rwanda because we obviously want to see more young footballers taking this chance and show what they’ve got,” he said. 

"I can’t forget that my football career started from the street and I think it can be of good importance if I go back there and give a helping hand to other young talents aspiring to become great players in the future,” he added.

Amavubi legends Olivier Karekezi and Karim Kamanzi were in attendance to support their former teammate in an initiative they said should be a shared responsibility by the Ministry of Sport and Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) among other football stakeholders.

"This should not be about Mulisa but every stakeholder in football. I think the Ministry of Sports and Football governing body should be investing in development of football from the grass roots from different age categories if Rwanda is to discover and produce so many football talents, said Karekezi. 

The 6 aside street football tournament brought together six teams of 10 players each. They played between each through the knockouts and the champions walked away with a trophy.

The tournament will shift to other five sites across Kigali including Kinyinya, Nyabugogo, Gitikinyoni and Rwarutabura.

A team of coaches will help Mulisa select outstanding talented children from the tournament to join his football academy. Mulisa also has a partnership with the City of Kigali that the best of them will be promoted to the junior teams of AS Kigali.