Sporting chance for slum kids

China-sponsored school provides opportunity to Kenya students

NAIROBI - Stacy Awuor developed a love for soccer at a tender age while growing up in Nairobi's Mathare slums, where poverty and other social problems have always conspired to deny youngsters a chance to realize their dreams.

But the 16-year-old student at MCEDO Beijing school, whose construction was financed by Chinese firms, has defied cultural stereotypes and financial hardships to develop her sporting prowess and impress her peers.