Showing Corruption the RED CARD

Since the inception of Kick-Out corruption program last year, students from Grasam high became the first graduates of VAP’s new program. The program uses football to teach anti-corruption values to youth aged 12-20 years and it’s being implemented by VAP’s Anti corruption crusaders (ACC).A total of 200 students graduated through the program and are expected to teach their peers and community through formal and informal educational sessions.

 Survey evidence indicates direct correlation between income levels and incidences of bribery encountered.

 The Kenya Urban Bribery Index results indicate that those with low-income are more vulnerable to corruption than those with higher income levels. Those on the lowest income reported a 74.4% incidence of bribery encountered and those on the highest income reported a 61.9% incidence. Similar comparisons exist for other social-economic categories, such as, for example, education and employment. The findings indicate that those likely to be poor (i.e. unemployed, those with low education, etc.) are more vulnerable to corruption than the better off socio-economic groups. Respondents with primary education and below encounter bribery in 75% of their interactions with public organisations, as compared to 67% for those with secondary school education and 63% for those with tertiary education. The unemployed encounter bribery the most (in 71% of their interactions), self- or family employees 68% of the time, the business and non-profit sector 61% of the time, and the public sector employees report encountering bribery in just over half (52%) of their interactions, significantly lower than all the other groups.

 Corruption affects the poor by diverting resources and holding back development.

 A report by the African Union, presented before a meeting in Addis Ababa in September 2002, estimated that corruption costs African economies in excess of 148bn dollars a year. This figure, which includes both direct and indirect costs of corruption, i.e. resources diverted by corrupt acts and resources withheld or deterred due to the existence of corruption, is thought to represent 25% of Africa's GDP and to increase the cost of goods by as much as 20% deterring investment and holding back development. Most of the cost, the report says, falls on the poor. Through this soccer activity-based curriculum, young people in our society will be able to gain key messages that will help them stay and live corruption FREE lives hence having a developed nation.

 Sources: Transparency International

              Global corruption Barometer 2003

              World Bank, voices of the poor programme

              Kenya urban Bribery index