Football Made Me Series - Esther Mazira

#Highlights

DID YOU KNOW

There's more that you can do as an ex-footballer apart from being a coach.

There are a range of jobs and career paths available within football, including finance, legal, media, sales and marketing, digital development, event management, player welfare, partnership management, brand management, community partnerships, and journalism.

Here's a quick list to consider:

1. Brand ambassador
2. Fitness instructor
3. Join the media team.
4. Start a business
5. Administration
6. Coaching
7. Officiating/referee
8. Performance analyst.
9. Volunteership

And so on...

Today I want to appreciate my sister and co-founder Esther Mazira of the Wilsen Initiative (Wi), IAM a sHERO #SheCan, for her dedication, commitment, and contribution within the football fraternity after 'hanging the boots'.

On the other hand, I want to thank her former club, @Kayole Starlets, for providing her space for career growth within the club as a performance analyst.

Esther's story of resilience, focus, giving back to the community, passion, professionalism, football, and education, just to mention but a few, is what inspired the IAM a sHERO, She Can program within the umbrella of the Wilsen Initiative (Wi).

As we bid goodbye to the year 2024 and usher in the new year 2025, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported all our calls to action to support the children and youth from underserved communities through using football as a tool to achieve even better impact on and off the field.

Come 2025, we wish to organise workshops for grassroots football clubs, which will later end with the 3rd edition of the Football and Lifeskill event in December 2025.

Relate links 🔗

https://lnkd.in/dsumRvF7

https://lnkd.in/dtvHmJsF

📌 Quote;

" One of the failures towards creating a positive ripple effect of change is to start by doubting your own abilities in telling your own story. We all have great stories; if well told, we can accelerate positive change in many spaces. " +throughMylens 📸 Wilson Masaka.

The Seven Super - S' @ Wilsen initiative (Wi) Philosophy.

1. Start Small.
2. Stay focused.
3. Start again.
4. Share ideas.
5. Seek for support.
6. Serve with passion and dedication.
7. Self Made (Self Drive, Self Care, Self Love, Super Star,  and more)

Do More / Be More / Be Different
wilsenx.blogspot.com © 2024

Mathare North Festive Season Football Tournament 2024 (MNFSFT)

📌  Football Made Me Series ❤️ ⚽ 📸 

We Are Back In Action!

Every festive season we organise different football tournaments for the children, youth, and seniors teams in our community (Mathare North). I pioneered the Mathare North Festive Season Football Tournament featuring senior teams in 2010.

In 2019, due to a lack of resources and overwhelming pressure on and off the field (family, work, community, and generally life), I took a break from organising the senior team tournament and only concentrated on the kids (U10-U15 boys and girls) because, no matter what, they need our unrelenting support, and I'm happy to do all it takes to put a smile on every child playing football in my community. 

Anyway, never say never; I'm back from where I started with the senior teams in 2019 after I was requested by more than 16 teams to help coordinate this year's edition, having understood the need, especially during the festive holiday when the majority of youth are vulnerable to indulging in unwanted activities. 

Main Objective of The Tournament 

This is a showcase of the best talents and teams in Mathare North. The tournament also helps in scouting for players to clubs playing in different leagues within and beyond Mathare North. 

Even though the 16 teams are from the Mathare North zone, players from other neighbourhoods are allowed to play through the invitation of the club. 

Lastly, the tournament also helps us connect more as a community and stay away from unwarranted activities during the festive season.

All the best to all the teams, and you're all welcome to support your team of choice at Drive Inn Primary School starting 21st December to 31st December 2024.

📍 Only the top two teams per group will qualify for the quarterfinals to be played on the 28th of December, 2024. 

📌 Quarter finals 28th December 

📌 SEMIFINALS 29th December.

📌 Finals 31st December 2024

🏟️ Drive INN Primary School ground..

📌 All well wishers are invited to donate football equipment and related materials

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. +throughMylens ❤️📸

#BeyondFootball #CommunityDevelopmentAndSports

"There are many things that come with football and sports in general only if we open our eyes, hearts, and minds to those seen and unseen possibilities." Wilson Masaka @ Wilsen Initiative 

#BestOfMathareNorthFootball

#MathareNorthNdioMtaa #Grassrootfootball

Do More / Be More / Be Different W

Wilsen Initiative © 2024

Grassroots Football - Photography

 ⚽ 📸 ❤️ Football and Photography Made Me Series 

My adventure as a self-made freelance photographer began in 2009 when my previous employer sent me to Zanzibar for a management and training assignment. In order to hone my creative writing abilities, I began blogging my experience on my blog, Bits and Pieces, wilsenx.blogspot.com, that same year.

You can still find your niche and provide value in your chosen photography genre, even though it may appear overcrowded with photographers using various devices (such as DSLRs and smart phones). 

I'm still expanding my knowledge as of right now, with a particular emphasis on football-related activities that begin in my neighbourhood and go beyond. In 2024 I had the privilege of working  on short contracts with MYSA Kenya, Manuar Kenya, football teams, and the City Cup yearly football competition. 

As soon as I get the resources I need, which are still difficult to get, I hope to use my lens to share additional tales about grassroots football under my Football Made Me Series banner that is also inspired by the Wilsen Initiative (Wi) philosophy and story. These stories will be in both video and picture format.

📌 Important Lessons I Have Learnt in My Photography Journey 

It is important to have good gadgets or devices to capture those moments, but it is also worth noting it isn't everything. To become a great photographer, you need both the creative skills, soft skills, and technical skills. 

In addition to:

1. The way you relate with the subject or event (the knowledge).

2. Your presence ( how you see, the moment ).

3. The story (What, How, Who, Why and Where).

4. The technical ( Camera, light, angle, lens etc)

📌 Pictures highlights

Venue : Mesora, Buruburu, Nairobi on Saturday & Sunday 21&22 December 2024.

📸 Highlights of pictures from the City Cup football tournament featuring U11 and U15 boys and girls. Photographer +throughMylens Wilson Masaka

Quote 

"You can't capture everything, but you can make those great shots if you stay alert." - Wilson Masaka @ +throughMylens 

Do More / Be More / Be Different 

For more photos as captured please follow my page on www.facebook.com/MathareNorthSoccer 

The Genesis of The Football Shoes Campaign

 ⚽ ❤️ FOOTBALL MADE ME SERIES 

+throughMylens Bits and Pieces.  

Play Safe With Dignity @ Wilsen Initiative 

#NextGenerationStars#SelfMade #OlaySafeWithDignity #FootballForHope 

📌 The good news is that on 20th December 2024, I was able to connect four next-generation stars with quality football shoes and two pairs of goalkeepers gloves. So far I have reached more than 700+ kids since I started the campaign in the year 2000.

The Genesis of The Football Shoes Campaign

In the 90s, I remembered most of us played barefoot with MYSA-branded vests, which were shared amongst all the participating teams in the community league. I played barefoot until around 14 years when the transition happened after receiving a pair of donated football shoes from the late Helge from Norway after scoring the only goal against a more talented side, the Mathare United Youth team, in a tournament that was organised in his honour known as the Helge's Cup played in 1996 at St. Benedict parish grounds along Thika road. 

I started the football shoes and resources mobilisation campaign for teams in Mathare North, especially for the age groups U10-U15, to help them play in a more dignified way and in a safe environment. 

My goal is to also restore the children's and youth's hope of becoming the next stars in the future by going through an experience that will encourage them to do more, be more, and be different. I also strive to train them on values that would help them aspire to become role models and change makers in our society. 

I started the mission in the year 2000 under the umbrella of the Wilsen initiative (Wi) Play Safe and with dignity. 

3

📌 🎁 🎁 🎁 🎁  🧺 ❤️  CHRISTMAS BASKET.

It isn't too late to add a pair of football shoes or any related football material and equipment to the Christmas Holiday Basket Play Safe With Dignity Football Campaign. 

Related post from the past calls; 

https://wilsenx.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-easter-holiday-basket-play-safe.html?m=1

https://wilsenx.blogspot.com/2023/06/football-shoe-campaign-play-safe-with.html?m=1

And more...

Do More / Be More / Be Different

wilsenx.blogspot.com © 2024

Photography Assignment 2024

 Life Series #SelfMade Bits and Pieces - Freelancer on the Move.

📌 Consultancy Services: Photography, team building, life skill facilitation, creative entrepreneurship, graphic design, mentorship, and training.

#21stcenturyeducator #21stcenturyskillsTraining

+throughMylens 📸❤️ 

📌 2024 - Short Assignment.

- MYSA Kenya Championship 🏆 

- FC Manuar KENYA (Life Skill in Football Workshop).

- City Cup tournament 2024.

- Grassroots football documentary (clubs and individual shots) Matharenorthsoccer @highlight Wilsen Initiative

Thanks to everyone who gave me an opportunity to tell their story through my lens. #freelancephotography

Wishing you all a happy festive season and thanks to everyone who mentioned or vouched for me in rooms of opportunities in my absence. #JobVsCareer #PersonalBranding #TransitionsLifeWorkBalance

📌 Book me for a master session in early January 2025. 

𝙂𝙊𝘼𝙇 𝙎𝙀𝙏𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙀𝙉𝙂𝙀

What percentage of your goals set did you achieve in 2024?

I'm celebrating my small wins and the many attempts that I consider big wins. In January 2024, everything seemed to be covered with dark clouds of impossibility, but the moment I pressed start and focused on my own race in my lane, I found courage to do more, learn more, and achieve more.

#MerryChristmasEveryone #HappyNewYear

Do More / Be More/ Be Different ©2024

Blog 🌎: wilsenx.blogspot.com

The Second Edition of the Annual She Can—I aM a sHERO) Football Tournament and Life Skills

 The Second Edition  of the Annual She Can—I aM a sHERO) Football Tournament and Life Skills @Wilsen Initiative (Wi).

When we launched the 2nd edition call for support together with my sister, who's the co-founder of IAM a sHERO—She Can, we had many doubts if we could make it considering all the challenges that come with resource mobilisation.

I'm very delighted we did it, and I have learnt that if you have a goal, work on a strategy, and don't be distracted from the silent inner voice that sometimes tells you that you won't make it, just give up, this isn't going to work, and so on.

I'm very pleased with the outcome of the second edition, and I don't take any support offered for granted, but indeed our network is our net worth. Currently, our main sources of support are family, friends, well-wishers, and personal contributions from the founders. My wish is that one day we will get more long-term support that will allow us to target many young people all through the calendar year.

The next event will be in December 2025, but we have a series of activities that we conduct all year that you can support us, namely:

 📍 Play Safe With Dignity - A campaign running through the year to support young people (U10-U15, boys and girls) from the underserved community of Mathare North to acquire the football equipment and materials, the main ones being football shoes and footballs.

📍 Skills Up Master Series - Sponsor a session that seeks to equip young people with the skills they deserve based on the 21st-century skills, which are, for example, communication, creativity, and problem-solving, just to mention but a few. 

📍 Football For Hope - Hosting periodic football clinics, friendly matches, and exposure visits outside the neighbourhood to play in other tournaments or learn a new skill based on our program dubbed Plus One Talent (POT).

DID YOU KNOW

Wilsen Initiative (Wi) is a true reflection of my journey, which opened a new chapter for IaM a sHERO—She Can, having mentored my sister to a level of attaining a degree and employment. 

Our journey in football, education, family, and dreams is the spark that ignited the fire in us, as the founders, to provide a platform that will give us a chance to inspire young people through our story but also, more importantly, learn from each other's stories on how we can make things better, especially living in the underserved communities. The connecting factor is based on the philosophy of Self Made, where we advocate for doing more, being more, and being different. 

The second edition took us to the next level of engagement and achievements. We had a memorable day packed with insightful speakers focusing on motivational talk, education, football, health, wellness, and life skills. We also had a competitive football competition, refreshments, awards, and more.

📌 Inspirational Quote 

"You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you." - John Bunyan

What Next?

In case you missed contributing during the second edition, the next one will be in December 2025, but in the meantime we look forward to reaching out to girls football clubs for skill-up sessions. You can donate a pair of football shoes or a ball under the ongoing campaign, the Play Safe with Dignity Football Shoes campaign, that seeks to equip the youth (girls and boys U10-U15) from underserved communities with football equipment.

📍 Appreciation 

I want to take this opportunity to thank my co-founder, Esther Mazira; Esther's friends; my family; Ineke; Ernesto; Schola; and Grasso, just to mention but a few, for the support offered in different ways that led to the success of the second edition. May God bless the work of your hands, and thanks for believing in my dreams and supporting my efforts of creating a ripple effect of positive change using football, skill-up season, and mentorship.

#SafeSpaces #FootballForHope #SportsMentorship #FootballForDevelopment 

#PlaySafeWithDignity #Right2Play #SheCan #IaMaSHERO

#theChampionInYou

#SelfMade#

WilsenInitiative

Do More / Be More / Be Different

Wilsen Initiative (Wi) © 2024.