Kenya is famous for long distance running but in Kibera settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, another sport is gaining momentum: jump rope. Introduced to the streets of Kibera in 2010 by world jump rope champion Mike Fry, the area is now home to a growing jump rope community, and where the country's first aficionados of the activity sprang from.

David Okoth was one of the first jumpers in Kenya, after being taken through Mike Fry's training almost ten years ago. "When I saw Mike jumping, it looked fun so I asked myself: 'Why can't I do it?' I decided to take it seriously and I loved it," Okoth explained. "The good thing about jump rope is that whenever you see the rope, you just want to jump, no matter what."

"We pretty much spent every single day together training, coach training with the adults and then after school training with the kids," Mike Fry told CGTN of his time in Kibera. "Because of the nature of jump rope being a performance and something you can teach and the fact that this type of jump rope is new, it makes it attractive to schools and for kids looking for something fresh and exciting." 

From there Okoth participated in a number of competitions and now works to pass his skills on to the younger generations, creating a space for young people to feel free and express themselves. "I like seeing kids do jump, because if I don't engage them who will? Soccer is crowded (and) marathoners come from a certain region," he explains. "There are sports that people feel like they can't participate in, but jump rope is inclusive, anybody can do it, no matter the age, no matter the gender."

Wycliff Otieno, once Okoth's student, now joins him as a teacher and notices the benefits of the sport for Kibera's young people. "I am trying to give back by teaching jump rope," he says. "Through jump rope they learn so many things, like leadership skills, communication, life skills. They learn it through jump rope and it helps them a lot in their life."

As the Jump Rope Association of Kenya, the team have participated in competitions across the world, from Tanzania to Norway and America. "The chance to compete and represent my country was such a huge honor for me growing up, so I was thinking how can I pass on those same opportunities that the sport afforded to me?" said Fry, who fundraised to send the Kibera jumpers overseas to compete.

In 2014, the team came in third after the U.S. and France, and in 2018 they took home 40 medals. And for young people from Kibera, this opportunity to travel is one that is not taken for granted. 
"From jump rope I have been able to travel all over the world. I never imagined I could go to such places, meet so many people," said Otieno. "Currently I have friends all over, from Sweden, Norway and U.S.."

"When I am jumping I feel courageous. And I want to tell people to learn more so they can travel to countries," says 11-year-old Blessing Naliaka, who has participated in competitions in Florida and Norway.

While the resources and support for jump rope in Kenya are limited, the jump ropers work tirelessly to train and encourage the sport, not only in Kibera but across the country. "We are trying to see if jump rope can be played everywhere," says Okoth. "My hope in the future is to see every part of the country participating, I am really looking forward to seeing the time people are competing locally."