Promoting girls’ health thanks to football in Malawi

Context

According to UNICEF, 70 % of the population of Malawi and 63 % of the children live below the poverty line. Most of the children have unsatisfied basic needs that are essential to their development, including access to quality education, health care, nutrition, drinking water and hygiene resources. Besides, with over a million HIV/AIDS orphan children, Malawi is one of  countries worst-hit by the  disease.

So do cultural norms maintain rigid gender roles affecting disproportionately girls and women in terms of access to education, high exposition to HIV/AIDS and early and forced marriages. Nearly 47% of the young marry before they are 18 and 29% are victims of early pregnancies.

Objectives

• Building safe places to facilitate the organisation of football matches and health education activities in 3 cities of Malawi (Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu)
• Improving girls’ physical and emotional well-being, knowledge and awareness of sexual and reproductive health in 3 targeted cities
• Managing community events and launching pertinent campaigns on girls’ health and physical activity
• Promoting girls’ empowerment thanks to sport

Activities

• Organising football tournaments and educational events in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu, during spring break
• Outreach campaigns on gender equality, girls’ protection and empowerment
• Educating girls on the risks and dangers of STIs and setting up support channels for people living with HIV/AIDS
• Training and assisting 15 to 30 year-old young women so they are better-equipped to act as leaders and mentors in their respective communities
• Recruiting and training the personnel in monitoring and evaluation

Impacts

• Nearly 1,000 (a thousand) 10 to 18 year-old vulnerable girls shall directly be benefitting from the activities of this project
• 8 basic football events held in 5 key targeted places
• Over 300 people consisting notably of coaches, teachers, people from the 3 targeted cities and community leaders shall be indirect beneficiaries of this initiative.

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