KLABU

Where the unbeatable spirit originated

In 2004, something happened when Jan van Hövell, a young intern at the United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR in Ghana, joined the refugees in their soccer game. People came together in a moment of spirited fun, hope, and connection that stuck with him long after. After working in law, he decided to give up his corporate job to make a long-lasting difference for the now over 114 million refugees worldwide. Inspired by his experience, he successfully pitched his idea to bring relief, pride, and happiness to refugees through sports to UNHCR. The first KLABU sports club in Kenya is community-driven, run by locals and refugees who operate a library of sports equipment that people can borrow. Its success grew into the idea of a clubhouse where people could get together. KLABU, or “club” in Swahili, was born.

Join the biggest sports club that can change the world

Today, KLABU runs six clubhouses in Kenya, Bangladesh, Brazil, Greece, and the Netherlands, reaching fifteen thousand participants every month. In 2024, two more will open, including in Mauritania. Clubhouse by clubhouse, the organization is building the world’s biggest sports club for those who do not have one.

By 2030, KLABU aims to build fifty clubhouses, powering sports for more than two million young refugees. Their plans are funded by their unique business model. They combine a powerful brand as a social enterprise that sells sportswear inspired by the communities around the clubhouses with the KLABU Foundation which builds and operates clubhouses around the world. Half of the profits from the sportswear sales go to the KLABU Foundation; the other half is reinvested into the brand to increase the organization’s impact.

Working at KLABU

The start-up works from an office in the center of Amsterdam and offers opportunities to work on the ground at their clubhouses around the world. The ten-person international team is friendly, highly driven, and enthusiastic and regularly joins the Amsterdam clubhouse’s workouts. Every KLABU team member lives the organization’s mission, thriving on new ideas and innovative initiatives to make KLABU’s big plans a reality for refugees worldwide.