News – Play Handball

PLAY HANDBALL uses handball as a tool for social development in Africa – together with partner organisations such as Go4Goals and supported by dedicated volunteers. One of them is Wolf Meyer-Hagen, 80 years old, head of the handball department for many years and now honorary president of the handball department of KSV AJAX Köpenick and […]

A Berlin handball legend as a volunteer coach in Tanzania

Tanzania, Trainings and Workshops, Volunteer,

PLAY HANDBALL uses handball as a tool for social development in Africa – together with partner organisations such as Go4Goals and supported by dedicated volunteers. One of them is Wolf Meyer-Hagen, 80 years old, head of the handball department for many years and now honorary president of the handball department of KSV AJAX Köpenick and a true veteran of Berlin handball.

In spring, he travelled to Tanzania to train children and coaches in handball. With his energy, humour and decades of experience, he quickly became an inspiration for many people there.

After his return, we at PLAY HANDBALL spoke to Wolf about his experiences, his motivation and his love of the sport. (more…)

Handball Player Robin Lorenz Experiences a Moving Year with PLAY HANDBALL and Shows How Sport Creates Community Around the WorldBy Robin Lorenz, weltwärts volunteer for PLAY HANDBALL in Kenya in partnership with Kultur-Life, Nairobi, April-2025 My name is Robin Lorenz, I’m 19 years old and from the Rheingau region. I played handball for 12 years […]

From the Rheingau to Nairobi – A Jersey Donation Brings Hope

Kenya, Volunteer, weltwärts,

Handball Player Robin Lorenz Experiences a Moving Year with PLAY HANDBALL and Shows How Sport Creates Community Around the World
By Robin Lorenz, weltwärts volunteer for PLAY HANDBALL in Kenya in partnership with Kultur-Life, Nairobi, April-2025

My name is Robin Lorenz, I’m 19 years old and from the Rheingau region. I played handball for 12 years with TGE Eltville. In the summer of 2024, I completed my Abitur (high school diploma) and then consciously chose to do a voluntary social year abroad. Through the German government’s development volunteer program “weltwärts,” I’ve been working with PLAY HANDBALL in Kenya since September 2024 – a non-profit organization that uses sport, especially handball, as a tool for social development. In Nairobi, I support PLAY HANDBALL Kenya as a volunteer handball coach, helping to build up handball programs for disadvantaged children and youth in Utawala and Mathare. (more…)

Nairobi, Kenya / Denmark – March 2025 – Exciting news from the PLAY HANDBALL family! We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Handball That Impact (HTI), a newly established Denmark-based NGO dedicated to using handball for social good. This collaboration is all about making handball more accessible, strengthening our programs, and creating even bigger […]

New Partnership with HANDBALL THAT IMPACT to grow Handball in Kenya

Kenya, Others, Partnership and Support,

Nairobi, Kenya / Denmark – March 2025 – Exciting news from the PLAY HANDBALL family! We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Handball That Impact (HTI), a newly established Denmark-based NGO dedicated to using handball for social good. This collaboration is all about making handball more accessible, strengthening our programs, and creating even bigger opportunities for young players in Kenya. (more…)

Last Saturday, 29 March, the first handball tournament took place in Buruburu. The plan was made in February during the interim seminar of our weltwärts volunteers, Ella and Cecilia organised a great tournament. Boys and girls teams from 5 schools from Buruburu, Korogsho and also a team from Machakos took part in the tournament. A […]

Buruburu’s First Handball Tournament: A Huge Success!

Kenya, Tournaments, Volunteer,

Last Saturday, 29 March, the first handball tournament took place in Buruburu. The plan was made in February during the interim seminar of our weltwärts volunteers, Ella and Cecilia organised a great tournament. Boys and girls teams from 5 schools from Buruburu, Korogsho and also a team from Machakos took part in the tournament. A total of 49 girls and 57 boys gave their all for their school team. The U15-players proved once again the power of sport.

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Cape Town, South Africa – March 2025 – From March 17-21, 2025, PLAY HANDBALL proudly hosted the Weltwärts Partner Conference Southern Africa in Cape Town, in collaboration with the German Red Cross in Hesse – Volunta. This significant event was organized on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and […]

PLAY HANDBALL hosts the Weltwärts Partner Conference Southern Africa 2025 in Cape Town

Event, South Africa, weltwärts,

Cape Town, South Africa – March 2025 – From March 17-21, 2025, PLAY HANDBALL proudly hosted the Weltwärts Partner Conference Southern Africa in Cape Town, in collaboration with the German Red Cross in Hesse – Volunta. This significant event was organized on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Programme Steering Committee (PSC). (more…)

Thanks to the jersey donation from FRISCH AUF Göppingen and the handballs donated by PASSA SPORTS from Cologne, the children in Machakos, Kenya, feel like real professionals. THANK YOU! (A report by Jonas Ott, weltwärts volunteer for PLAY HANDBALL in Kenya in partnership with Kultur-Life) My Name is Jonas Ott I am 18 years old […]

Playing Like the Pros – Donations Fuel Handball Passion in Kenya

Donation, Kenya, weltwärts,

Thanks to the jersey donation from FRISCH AUF Göppingen and the handballs donated by PASSA SPORTS from Cologne, the children in Machakos, Kenya, feel like real professionals. THANK YOU!

(A report by Jonas Ott, weltwärts volunteer for PLAY HANDBALL in Kenya in partnership with Kultur-Life)

My Name is Jonas Ott I am 18 years old and from Ebersbach/Bünzwangen. In 2024, I graduated from Georgii-Gymnasium in Esslingen and decided to spend a year doing social volunteer service abroad. I applied for the German government’s development volunteer program weltwärts, and since September 2024, I have been volunteering for PLAY HANDBALL in Kenya.

Together with my fellow volunteer and good friend Robin Lorenz, I support the sports and youth development organization in Machakos—both in schools and in after-school programs. (more…)

Handball Connects: Three Days of Training and Inspiration in Nairobi. A Report by Fabian Korell Eight years after my volunteer service with PLAY HANDBALL, my journey took me to Kenya to reconnect with old contacts and lead a coaching course for handball trainers. The course focused on developing skills for working with children and young […]

From Berlin to Nairobi: My Journey Back to PLAY HANDBALL

Kenya, Trainings and Workshops, Volunteer,

Handball Connects: Three Days of Training and Inspiration in Nairobi.
A Report by Fabian Korell

Eight years after my volunteer service with PLAY HANDBALL, my journey took me to Kenya to reconnect with old contacts and lead a coaching course for handball trainers. The course focused on developing skills for working with children and young people, enabling valuable exchanges and practical learning. In addition to the training, I visited inspiring handball projects in local communities. This experience once again showed me how sports connect people and how significant volunteer engagement is. (more…)

The year 2025 starts with reflection, community and planning for the next six months for our Weltwärts volunteers in South Africa! At the beginning of January, PLAY HANDBALL successfully organised and led the Weltwärts mid-term seminar, not only for our five PLAY HANDBALL and Kultur-Life volunteers, but also for another 14 volunteers from other sending […]

Learning, Reflecting, and Recharging: Highlights from the Weltwärts Mid-Term Seminar 2025

South Africa, Trainings and Workshops, Volunteer, weltwärts,

The year 2025 starts with reflection, community and planning for the next six months for our Weltwärts volunteers in South Africa! At the beginning of January, PLAY HANDBALL successfully organised and led the Weltwärts mid-term seminar, not only for our five PLAY HANDBALL and Kultur-Life volunteers, but also for another 14 volunteers from other sending organisations and projects from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique. From 13 to 17 January, 19 young women and men came together in Kleinmond to exchange experiences and learn from each other. The seminar was more than just a meeting – it was an opportunity to pause, reflect and grow together. Here is a little insight into the experience of our volunteer Laurids: (more…)

It started as a spark of an idea — a belief that sports could transform lives. This vision took root in Nkubu, Kenya, where PLAY HANDBALL recently wrapped up a vibrant three-month pilot project. From September to December 2024, this initiative brought together students, teachers, and the community, proving that handball is more than just […]

Shaping Futures Through Handball – Pilot Project in Nkubu, Kenya

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), Kenya,

It started as a spark of an idea — a belief that sports could transform lives. This vision took root in Nkubu, Kenya, where PLAY HANDBALL recently wrapped up a vibrant three-month pilot project. From September to December 2024, this initiative brought together students, teachers, and the community, proving that handball is more than just a game; it’s a powerful tool for education, personal growth, and community development. The initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Rotary Club Nkubu and with the support of the Rotary Club Eschborn in Germany, aimed to evaluate the feasibility for a large handball project. (more…)

“When are we going to play a lekker game of handball?” For the past three months, this was the enthusiastic question from children every Tuesday and Thursday during our afternoon handball lessons. Their dream of participating in a real tournament finally came true on the 14th of November, thanks to the dedication of Salome and […]

‘Lekker game, coach!’ – An unforgettable day of handball in Goedverwacht

South Africa, Tournaments, Volunteer,

“When are we going to play a lekker game of handball?” For the past three months, this was the enthusiastic question from children every Tuesday and Thursday during our afternoon handball lessons. Their dream of participating in a real tournament finally came true on the 14th of November, thanks to the dedication of Salome and Liv, PLAY HANDBALL volunteers with the “Piketberg Sports Development Foundation” in South Africa’s Bergrivier municipality. Together, they organised a memorable event in Salome’s host village of Goedverwacht. Here Salome and Liv share how the day unfolded.

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