To counter the alarming rates of girls dropping out of school in the communities MANDO serves, a program is launched that is both fun for the girls but emphasizes choices they have. Gender equality posters and banners will be hung at strategically visible places. Uniforms will advertise the theme and acknowledge sponsors. Before the start of a match announcements and discussion will sensitize girl
s to the need of staying in school, making their own choices vis-a-vis FGM and the perils of early marriage and pregnancy. Included would be pregnancy preventive measures such as condoms, the option of abstinence, avoiding s*x before marriage. We are hopeful that this will be a yearly event. Mission statement for Football Against FGM
• To use sport as a means to connect and inspire our youth to achieve potential on and off the sports field
• To promote understanding of life choices that arm our youth with the tools needed to break free from the poverty cycle
This project aims to provide guidance, funds and equipment to enhance the lives of disadvantaged kids in the communities we support. These are in Kajiado county, Kenya, where a safe house is being built where girls threatened with female ge***al mutilation can live and continue their education. The sport will be used not only to teach football skills but life skills – health and hygiene, rights and social responsibility. Basic tenets are "free to participate" and "never turn a girl away" – whatever skill level or whatever social standing they come from. We will be recruiting both local and international volunteers to work with us on this charitable event. Funds raised will not only be used to stage the tournaments but fed back into the communities for indigenous-owned social enterprises in the future. Proceeds would feed back to pursuing years' events, provide sanitary pads to participating schools girls, support scholarships and make the football event self sufficient. The tournament
Teams representing Eremit, Oloikum Nasira, Enkoireroi, Nkuyan, Ilkilorit, Oloika, Mpirishi and Kimelok – all MANDO focus communities – will play during one month. Teams will be organized for ages 8-10, 10-12 and 13-15 years. Tournaments would alternate from one school to another in subsequent years but will kick off at Eremit Primary School. The winning team will receive a prize of goats which should motivate support from the various communities. The winning team would get a trophy. Individual participant girls to this event would receive a new school uniform for the subsequent year. Losing teams would continue to receive coaching during the tournament to improve their skills. Every player would receive a medal to wear.
