Former Harambee Stars Captain Victor Wanyama is arguably Kenya’s most decorated footballer of the current generation.
He is currently plying his trade in Canada with Montreal Impact which participates in the United States’ Major League Soccer (MLS). Wanyama has also featured in the English Premier League for Tottenham Hotspurs and Southampton, Celtic in Scotland and Germinal Beerschot in Belgium.
A report by the MLS player association indicates that Wanyama takes home a monthly salary of Ksh22 million, with his annual guaranteed compensation including bonuses adding up to Ksh343 million per year.
Wanyama has since invested these millions amassed during his decorated career in a legacy project, the Victor Wanyama Foundation.
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According to its website, the foundation has four main focus areas: Sports, Education, Health and Wildlife.
The foundation is currently undertaking an ambitious project, the Victor Wanyama Academy in Busia. The project is to be constructed on a 22-acre piece of land, in the county.
It is set to have an administration block, which shall house the academy's reception area and administrators’ offices. Also included in the plan are state of the art pitches, to be used for training and official league matches.
The project also intends to have a teachers’ quarters, which shall house the tutors, coaches and players’ handlers. Footballers shall also reside at designated dormitories at the expansive complex.
It is envisioned that the players will receive formal education at the facility while pursuing their professional football careers.
This project has not only created job opportunities for youth in Busia but also given a chance to the youth in the region to get the chance to showcase their talents at the state of the art facility.
Wanyama's foundation is in the meantime, sponsoring needy students through scholarships. The students are also occasionally treated to extracurricular activities, such as visits to game parks.
Most recently, Wanyama signed a brand ambassadorial deal with World Aid, an international wildlife conservation organisation that conducts mass media campaigns that sensitize people on protecting wildlife threatened by illegal trade.
Wanyama retired from international football last year. He played for over 14 years for the national team.
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