Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Using Football To Teach Girls

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This is a Foto-feature from the World Press Photo 2010 football programme. Courtesy of www.Roadto2010.com

The hosting of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa last year has came with many socio-economic challenges on neighbouring countries such as Zambia.
The event was expected to result in considerable income for many countries. But in Zambia, the World Cup was expected to bring challenges such as human trafficking.

Zambia has remained a major transit point for drug and human trafficking. But the focus is now on human trafficking. Zambia has graduated from being a transit point to be an actual place where women and girls are trafficked to South Africa and other destinations under the pretext of a better life. When trafficked to South Africa, the women and girls are coerced into sex work and the envisaged lucrative income is never fulfilled.

In Zambia, some organizations have heightened the campaign to sensitise women and girls on defilement, rape, and human trafficking.
Defilement, rape and trafficking of adolescent girls has become rife in most Zambian Townships.

Some community based organizations and schools are using football to gather adolescent girls to educate them on the vices.
The organizations have also realized that engaging adolescent girls in football keeps them away from other social activities such as pre-marital sex and substance abuse.

Football has been identified as an effective social avenue to communicate because it also offers the girls physical education, entertainment and good mental health.

1.

Girls from Zingalume girls football team and Matero United gather on a platform for a discussion on child abuse, defilement, rape and human trafficking

2.

Pupils from Peace Community School listening to a lesson in class about human trafficking

3.

Girls from Peace Community School leaving the school premises after class. The girls are part of the programme that is aimed at sensitising them on child abuse, defilement, rape and human trafficking

4.

Pupils from Peace Community School raising their hands to answer questions from their teacher

5.

Eight year-old Mwape(not real name) walking home from Peace Community school.

6.

Girls at Peace Community school coming out of class after completing their end of term tests. The girls are going to join other girls who have been imparted with knowledge on sex abuse, rape, defilement and human trafficking.

7.

A nine year-old girl stands at the door step of Peace Community school.

8.

Girls from Matero United girls football team preparing to play football. The girls are part of the programme that is aimed at educating them on sex abuse, defilement, rape and human trafficking which was feared to increase with the hosting of the FIFA 2010 World Cup in neighbouring South Africa in 2010.

9.

Girls from Zingalume girls football team warming up before a game

10.

Girls from Zingalume girls football team warning up before playing football.

11.

Girls from Zingalume girls football team and Matero United

12.

A match between Zingalume girls football club and Matero girls United.Here the girls wait for the referee's whistle before the start of a social game.

13.

Maria 14 (not real name),tries to gain possession of the ball in Lusaka's Zingalume township.

14.

Betty(not real name) races for the ball in Lusaka's Zingalume township.

15.

Mwansa stands guard in front of the goal post during a match between her team Zingalume United and Matero bullets in Lusaka. The girls are playing football as part of the education and sensitisation programme on child abuse

16.

Girls from Zingalume girls football team and Matero United play football.

17.

Girls from Zingalume girls football team and Matero United play football

18.

15 year old Jelita(not real name) arrives at her house in Lusaka's Zingalume slums where she lives with her two sibblings. Jelita runs the child headed household and she is one of the girls from Zingalume United girls football team who are being educated on sex abuse, defilement, rape and human trafficking.Jelita goes to the nearby football ground to attend lessons on human trafficking and to play football.

19.

Jelita 15 years at her house in Lusaka's Zingalume slums

20.

Jelita, 15 years emerges from her house in Lusaka's Zingalume slums where she lives with her two sibblings.

21.

15 years old Jelita washing plates at her house in Lusaka's Zingalume slums where she lives with her two sibblings. Jelita runs a child headed household .

 

14 COMMENTS

  1. Good concept.I bet using this method has had saved a lot of girl from an early ride into the maternity ward.Bravo.

  2. Good concept.I bet using this method has had saved a lot of girls from an early ride into the maternity ward.Bravo.

  3. 47 years of Independence that is what Zambia has to offer for the masses languishing in abject poverty.

  4. Very nice but not a new idea. now imwe ba LT why are you giving us not real name when you have shown us the faces mwalipena bamambala…

  5. I agree with no. 4. I’m sitting in my living room and looking outside where there is a common park and it is all green. To think that back home, the city council and local community cannot even plant grass so the kids can play football on grass is amazing. What does it take to develop a country: brains, leadership, money, organisation, respect of rule of law, skin colour or what? Zingalume/Matero looking like that …

    • Its heart wrenching if you ask me, very painful. What have we got to show since independence? nothing!

  6. Picture 16 and 17 with girls with wearing T-shirts with the slogan ” JUST DO IT” sends the wrong message. The efforts of the peace community school will be in vain if they what someone to just do it.

  7. No. 4, 6…you’ll be perplexed to learn that these dwellings are not too bad compared to those of the low lows (vis-a-vis poorest of the poor)! So sad! :-(

  8. This break my heart. actaully i shouldn’t be here condemning. this is a humble start and i think should be supported by well meaning Zambians. yes damage has been done but stupid and self leaders, but we need to raise to decide for future for our kids. the fact that someone has this brilliant idea mark the journey to freedom for this children. Thank you LT

  9. A child raising other children…GOD HELP US HAVE LEADERS THAT CAN COME THROUGH FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE…

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