The Atlas Foundation, in partnership with Little Sports Organisation (LSO) and Far & Wild Travel, has launched Sport for the Planet, an initiative that blends sport, education, and environmental action to support disadvantaged young people in Mombasa, Kenya.  This collaboration uses weekly sports sessions as a powerful entry point to engage children, build life skills, and foster environmental stewardship at grassroots level.

At its heart, the partnership seeks to advance young Kenyans’ environmental awareness while expanding their life opportunities through education, leadership, and practical eco-action. By embedding environmental learning into existing sports programmes, the initiative ensures that sustainability becomes part of everyday life rather than an abstract concept.

Many children in Mombasa’s urban villages grow up in environments heavily affected by plastic pollution and waste. Community spaces and sports fields are often littered with refuse, particularly single-use plastics. Outside of structured programmes, children frequently discard waste on the ground, and commonly consume food served in small plastic bags, often biting holes in them, unknowingly ingesting microplastics.

Prior to this initiative, many children lacked a basic understanding of environmental issues… 

• They did not know what oil is or how it is extracted.
• They were unaware that plastic is derived from oil.
• They had never heard of microplastics or their potential harm to human health.
• Although they had participated in tree planting and beach clean-ups, they did not fully understand why these activities mattered.

This gap in understanding highlighted the need for simple, accessible, and engaging environmental education and delivered in a way that resonates with young people.

Conservation Component

Recognising the vital role of coastal ecosystems, the partnership includes strong conservation efforts:

• 2,000 mangrove seedlings planted, restoring two hectares of coastline.
• Training of 50 Youth Ocean Guardians in blue carbon conservation and waste management.
• Two community coastal clean-ups and education days involving schools and local residents.

These efforts are expected to absorb approximately 50 tonnes of CO₂ over ten years, while also restoring habitats that support fish, crabs, and local livelihoods.

A central philosophy of this partnership is that meaningful and sustainable change requires understanding. Simply asking children to plant trees or pick up litter is not enough; they need to grasp why these actions matter for their health, their community, and the planet. By combining sport with engaging, child-friendly education, the programme provides that crucial context, empowering children to become informed environmental advocates rather than passive participants.

Through the power of sport, education, and collective action, this partnership is nurturing a new generation of young leaders who will protect both their community and the planet for years to come.