Janay Issack Adhan, a 41-year-old mother of 12 and Somali refugee, has become an unlikely beacon of change at Dagahaley Refugee Camp in Garissa County, northeastern Kenya — coaching young Somali refugees through football and steering them away from drugs, crime, and perilous migration routes. Her story, emerging from the sprawling Dadaab refugee complex, challenges deep-rooted cultural resistance to women in sport.

A Coach Born Out of Crisis

Adhan took up coaching five years ago after witnessing the toll that idleness and despair were taking on camp youth. 'I became a football coach five years ago when I realised that many young people in the refugee camp had no one to guide them. Many had fallen into drug and substance abuse, joined criminal gangs, or died while attempting to reach Europe,' she said.

Having arrived in Kenya in 1991, shortly after the Dadaab complex was established, Adhan has lived through decades of refugee hardship. That firsthand experience, she says, is precisely what drives her to act.

Cultural Pushback and Quiet Defiance

Adhan's decision to coach football has not come without cost. Some community members, citing traditional views on women's roles, have approached her elderly mother and husband, urging them to persuade her to stop. Critics have argued that football is not an appropriate sport for women.

Adhan has remained unmoved. 'I have no time to listen to negative criticism. My goal is to ensure young people have something meaningful to engage in until they can make informed decisions about their future,' she said. After each tournament, she holds counselling sessions with her players, encouraging them to focus on building stable futures.

Funding Cuts Deepen Camp Hardships

The backdrop to Adhan's work is one of mounting humanitarian strain. She says life for refugees has grown harder in recent years as international funding cuts have reduced food rations and strained access to water and other essential services. 'The number of young people has increased significantly, yet many remain unemployed, while funding cuts have forced humanitarian agencies to reduce food rations and other essential services, including access to water,' Adhan said.

She noted that these pressures have pushed some young people toward dangerous irregular migration routes to Europe, with some losing their lives in the attempt. Neither the Kenyan government nor humanitarian agencies have been fully able to address these gaps, she said.

Results on the Pitch — and Beyond

Liban Abdikadir, captain of Walalah FC, said the team has won at least three tournament titles under Adhan's guidance — a remarkable record given the resource constraints of camp life. 'Unlike many other teams in the refugee camp, Janay has led our team to Garissa to play a friendly match,' Abdikadir said.

Fellow player Mohamed Ahmed credited Adhan with regularly counselling team members against substance abuse, and noted that she has used her own money to purchase footballs and uniforms when no other support was available. Local youth continue to form teams despite a chronic shortage of basic equipment.

A Call for Investment in Youth Sport

Adhan has appealed to donors and organisations to fund youth empowerment programmes and invest in football pitches and sports infrastructure across the Dadaab complex. She trains her team every Friday and Saturday, fitting sessions around her responsibilities as a mother of 12. Her players say her consistency has earned their complete trust — and, for many, has been a lifeline.