Jan van Hövell and KLABU: Building a Global Club for Refugees
“Home is something we can never replace. But with KLABU we try to give something back, a place where you feel welcome, where you can be yourself, where sport connects and empowers.” These words capture the vision of Jan van Hövell, founder and director of KLABU, the social club that builds sports clubhouses in refugee camps and communities worldwide.
From Idea to Impact
Jan’s journey started during a UNHCR internship in Ghana, where he witnessed the daily reality of young people growing up in a refugee camp. “For them, the camp was the only place they knew, while their real home was the country they had to flee and could not return to. That deeply touched me and shaped my view on home and identity.” The seed for KLABU was planted, though Jan first spent four years as a lawyer, gaining the skills he would later use to turn an idea into reality.
To fund his dream, he also worked as a DJ, finding parallels between the power of music and the unifying force of sport. “The connection that arises when you play music and people dance, I see that in everything we do with KLABU. It does not matter what language you speak or what your background is, because through sport, strangers become friends.”
A Club with a Mission
KLABU has grown from a vision into a movement that combines social and commercial power. “KLABU means ‘club’ in Swahili. And the most important thing about our club is that we make sport possible for people who would otherwise have no access to it.” To achieve that, KLABU builds clubhouses in refugee camps and urban neighborhoods, always putting social impact first.
Yet sustainability is key, which is why KLABU also sells sportswear linked to its clubhouses and recently launched a membership program. “You don’t join KLABU to play yourself, but to give someone else the chance to play. Mission and impact always come first. If people believe in our work for refugees, commercial success will follow.”
As a result, this approach has led to partnerships with giants like Paris Saint-Germain and the adidas Foundation. “The strength of KLABU is that we connect what seem like opposites. From the biggest clubs in the world to the most remote refugee camps, sport is a universal language that everyone speaks.”
The Power of Sport
For Jan, sport is more than a game, it is a tool that unlocks potential. “We often hear about the number of refugees and the problems, but we forget that these are people with dreams, talent and the will to build something. Sometimes they only need the tools to make that possible. Sport is one of those tools.”
That belief is the heartbeat of KLABU’s message to young people. “KLABU is about unbeatable spirit. However difficult life may be, don’t give up.”
Looking Ahead
The vision for the future is ambitious: to become the biggest sports club in the world in terms of members and impact. “For just one euro a month, you can make it possible for someone else to play sport for a month. Our goal is to reach 400,000 members, which is more than Bayern Munich. In ten years I hope we can surpass them.”
But Jan’s hopes are also personal. “So far KLABU has been my child. In ten years, I hope to also have a family with my wife Fernanda, and to build another kind of home alongside KLABU.”
KLABU’s story shows the power of sport to connect worlds. What began with one idea in Ghana has become a global movement, and the journey is only just beginning.
Curious for more? Read the full interview with Jan van Hövell in our latest issue — Life After Football Magazine, Issue 85.
Images in this article are sourced from publicly available social media and online platforms. If you are a rights holder and wish to request removal, please contact us.
Ready for more?
Inspired by KLABU’s impact? Read how Bodø/Glimt use their new kit to fight climate change.
From charity matches to movements for equality, explore more inspiring stories in Football for All.
To stay up to date with KLABU’s recent events and collaborations, check out their Instagram!
