Scoring life goals

Moving the Goalposts Kilifi project has injected hope and life into the lives of 3,000 girls through football, NJOKI CHEGE writes

“Nataka kufundishwa, niweze kutia fora
Sitaki kubakwa, sitaki kutumiwa Na haki kudhulumiwa, siachi kujitetea”  (I want to go to school and learn, I don’t want injustice in my life).

This is an excerpt from a poem recited by girls from Mnarani Primary School in Kilifi County.

These girls are among the 3,000 pupils who are beneficiaries of Moving The Goalposts, a programme that aims to transform the lives of young girls through football in Kilifi.

The message relayed by these young girls, most of whom are below the age of ten, is not only deep, but touching as well.

Girls in Kilifi County face numerous challenges, namely early marriages, unwanted pregnancies, child prostitution and vulnerability to HIV and Aids.
But why football?

They barely have access to information, health and other social amenities, a challenge that causes them to lag behind their peers. But not anymore. These girls have now been offered a level playing field, through football.

In this village, football is not a reserve for the boys, but a much-loved sport among girls.

Margaret Belewa, the programmes manager of Moving The Goalposts Kilifi, says football is an excellent empowerment project for girls between the ages of nine and 25.

“Football is a means through which we mobilise the local community, particularly the young girls,” she notes.

Margaret says the girls have come to love the game and are perfecting their art.

The project not only equips the girls with football skills but also knowledge on reproductive health, human rights and economic empowerment.

Before and after the tournaments, the young female participants are given vital information on life skills.
The young girls have also acquired skills on saving and investment. 

Lydia Kasiwa, a 27-year-old peer educator and the health education coordinator for the organisation, is a testimony of how the project has transformed lives. Lydia joined the project when she was barely 20 years old and her life was at crossroads.

LIVES TRANSFORMED
“I had just finished my O-Levels and my elder siblings could not raise my college fees as our parents had passed on earlier. The future looked dim and my  only option was to get married, but I decided otherwise when I discovered this organisation.

I was good at sports in high school, so I joined the Moving Goalposts Project,” she says.
Once she joined, her life took a different turn, and she was introduced to a whole new world of opportunities.

Thanks to the project Lydia has now completed a Diploma in Community Development from Pwani University and is pursuing a degree in Environmental Science at the same university.

Football has not only built the confidence of these young girls, but also managed to tackle the gender disparities in the area.

“We have used the sport to change the attitude of a community that for a long time believed girls could not and should not play football,” says Margaret.
Fifteen-year-old Mwanaidi Karisa, a beneficiary of the project is full of confidence and hope for the future.

“This initiative has changed my life. I am a striker and occasionally a defender. Our team has been to Tanzania and Nairobi to compete and we have won several tournaments. It is a great past-time after school and on weekends,” she says with excitement.

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS
Much as the community has embraced the fact that girls can also play football, there still some hurdles to overcome.

“Most of the locals have accepted that there is potential in us. But there are others who don’t believe that young girls like us can play football,” she says.

In a bid to create awareness among the community, the organisation has created a community liaison programme that  works with parents in an interactive forum.

“Through Tumayane (let’s get to know each other) we, involve parents to support their girls to achieve their full potential. We want parents to take the leading role in the success of their daughters,” says Margaret.