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Arnold Origi’s special gift to street families in Pangani and Dandora


Finland-based Kenyan goalkeeper Arnold Origi has been feeding street families in Pangani and Dandora for the past one week.

Origi has been funding the preparation and distribution of free lunch to the needy street families in the two neighborhoods. The former Kenyan international says this is to cushion them during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.

“I am aware of how they (street families) survive – mainly through left-overs from restaurants and now they can’t access that. I spoke to my teammates and a few friends and we decided to start this initiative to feed them,” Origi said in an interview with Citizen TV.

“I also spoke with a friend of mine who is a chef based in Nairobi and he oversees the whole program and ensures they are served with different meals each day. Our intention is to ensure we continue doing this even after the pandemic,” he added.

The former Mathare United and Tusker FC custodian currently plays for Finnish top-tier side HIFK Fotboll, a team he joined late last year after spending slightly over a decade in Norway playing for different sides.

Despite having over 4,000 confirmed cases and 149 deaths, Finland is yet to declare a complete lockdown as Origi explained.

“Public transport is still normal and other crucial services as well. We miss football but for now, that has to be put aside. I am using this time to train individually to maintain my fitness as we wait for the league to resume,” he said.