Stand Up for Women Soccer in Kenya

"Let us all stand up for women soccer in Kenya. If it is not you, who will stand, defend, speak and empower them?" Wilsen Initiative (Wi)

Kate's Story - Kiswhali Caption translated in English
 
“I started playing in the year 2000 in MYSA (http://www.mysakenya.org) league under 12 years. When I was 14yrs, I played in the Mathare United women senior team and played in the Safaricom Sakata tournament whereby I was chosen to join the football academy where we formed the Matuu F.C women football team which later won the Women premier league. The most disappointing thing is that we haven’t been awarded for winning the league up until now. Communication is always important and if only the federation could communicate on what happened, many women like me would still feel inspired to play to even greater heights. If the federation could support women soccer in Kenya, we stand a big chance in playing in the World cup because I believe there are many talented women who have been frustrated on how women football in Kenya is managed.”

“Playing for the national team is always a great pleasure and listening to the national anthem played before the kick-off really motivates me despite all the challenges whilst it is a rare opportunity for many women in Kenyan soccer”.

“I lost my mother in some years back and my dad is a retired policeman. I love my brother so much and he is the bread winner of the family, he supports my education and incase I need football boots he always buys for me, and I really feel encouraged by him.”

“If the private sector and the media could join hands in promoting and sponsoring women soccer many great players and great leader would be born. I play football to keep fit and network with other great opportunities in life like education”
 
“You can excel in life by using your talents a part from education”

Kate's Coach - Isaack
 
“Words can’t explain Kate’s talent, and at the moment women football hasn’t been getting the required attention and people in leadership have forgotten the grassroots football”



Kate's Profile

Position: Central Defender
Football Icon: Rio Ferdinand (Manchester united)
Best Book: An enemy of the people.
Best Quote: Aspire to inspire before you expire.
Community Club MYSA zonal: Otto- Benecker F.C
Former School: Maina Wanjigi Secondary school since 2006 - 2010
Former Professional Club: Mathare United Women Team.
         
Special Achievements.

• 2014 Played for Kenya women football team, Harambee Starlet.
• 2011 Champions Safaricom Sakata ball challenge tournament and current team captain 
• 2010 Champions Women’s Kenya premier league
• 2007 Champions MYSA U16 championship
• 2007 Champions MYSA girls tournament
• 2006 Champions MYSA girls tournament 
• 2005 First runners up Barclay girl’s tournaments. 
• 2004 Champions MYSA girls tournament.

 International Achievements.

• 2007 first runners –up MYSA international girls tournament
• 2005 Finalist Norway cup u14 girls category in Oslo, Norway 
• 2005 Winners u14 girls Netherlands tournament in the Netherlands. 
• 2005 and 2006 East African cup winners U16 girls held in Tanzania.

Stand Up for Women Soccer in Kenya

"Let us all stand up for women soccer in Kenya. If it is not you, who will stand, defend, speak and empower them?" Wilsen Initiative (Wi)

Kate's Stories 
 
“I started playing in the year 2000 in MYSA (http://www.mysakenya.org) league under 12 years. When I was 14yrs, I played in the Mathare United women senior team and played in the Safaricom Sakata tournament whereby I was chosen to join the football academy where we formed the Matuu F.C women football team which later won the Women premier league. The most disappointing thing is that we haven’t been awarded for winning the league up until now. Communication is always important and if only the federation could communicate on what happened, many women like me would still feel inspired to play to even greater heights. If the federation could support women soccer in Kenya, we stand a big chance in playing in the World cup because I believe there are many talented women who have been frustrated on how women football in Kenya is managed.”

“Playing for the national team is always a great pleasure and listening to the national anthem played before the kick-off really motivates me despite all the challenges whilst it is a rare opportunity for many women in Kenyan soccer”.

“I lost my mother in some years back and my dad is a retired policeman. I love my brother so much and he is the bread winner of the family, he supports my education and incase I need football boots he always buys for me, and I really feel encouraged by him.”

“If the private sector and the media could join hands in promoting and sponsoring women soccer many great players and great leader would be born. I play football to keep fit and network with other great opportunities in life like education”
 
“You can exile in life by using your talents a part from education”

Kate's Coach - Isaack
 
“Words can’t explain Kate’s talent, and at the moment women football hasn’t been getting the required attention and people in leadership have forgotten the grassroots football”



Kate's Profile

Position: Central Defender
Football Icon: Rio Ferdinand (Manchester united)
Best Book: An enemy of the people.
Best Quote: Aspire to inspire before you expire.
Community Club MYSA zonal: Otto- Benecker F.C
Former School: Maina Wanjigi Secondary school since 2006 - 2010
Former Professional Club: Mathare United Women Team.
         
Special Achievements.

• 2014 Played for Kenya women football team, Harambee Starlet.
• 2011 Champions Safaricom Sakata ball challenge tournament and current team captain 
• 2010 Champions Women’s Kenya premier league
• 2007 Champions MYSA U16 championship
• 2007 Champions MYSA girls tournament
• 2006 Champions MYSA girls tournament 
• 2005 First runners up Barclay girl’s tournaments. 
• 2004 Champions MYSA girls tournament.

 International Achievements.

• 2007 first runners –up MYSA international girls tournament
• 2005 Finalist Norway cup u14 girls category in Oslo, Norway 
• 2005 Winners u14 girls Netherlands tournament in the Netherlands. 
• 2005 and 2006 East African cup winners U16 girls held in Tanzania.

Young Champions in Africa - Burundi

Today, I would like to highlight one of my new found friend who his currently a fellow at Amani Institute  by the name Muco.

“My name is Aboubakar Muco, I came to this world after midnight on the 2nd of January 1984, in Nyamugari quarter, a small town in the Gitega province located in the central of Republic of Burundi. Due to the civil war in Burundi started in 1993, many children from my neighborhood left their schools but I managed to continue and completed primary education at Mushasha Primary School in 1996.

Muco Aboubakar from Burundi, Amani Institute fellow 2014

My father passed away when I was a little boy but my mother still alive with my lovely three siblings; one brother and two sisters. At the age of 17, I moved to Egypt after receiving a scholarship from Al Azhar Institute to complete my education where I lived 11 years from 2001 to 2012 and managed to study high school and University and both Arabic and English language, as well as worked as an interpreter/translator for refugees in Cairo. In 2007 I represented the Burundian Students Association in Cairo as a Vice President of the Association”.

 “I worked at Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA) from 2009 to 2012 as an Interpreter/Translator by providing consecutive interpretation from legal and psychosocial service providers to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. As well as accompanied them to other providers in order to facilitate their access to medical, educational and financial services”. “In 2011, I received my first degree in Library Information and Instructional Technology at Al Azhar University. At the end of May 2012 I moved to Mexico City for family reunification where I worked as an English Teacher for a year and six months at a Language Center called S-peak. Having survived a civil war in Burundi and shared with refugees coming from all over Africa, I have learnt a lot from the consequences of war and displacement”. “I moved to England last October 2013 with my partner who is currently studying a PhD at the University of Sussex.

I moved to England trying to find opportunities to improve myself academically but I am currently participating in the five months Post-Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation management at Amani Institute in Nairobi, meanwhile I am doing apprenticeship at Nairobits Trust. Nairobits is well known for its great reputation since was established more than a decade ago by dealing and educating youth from lower class families to create a better place for them and opportunities for their future life. During my five months apprenticeship at Nairobits, I will be learning from its experiences to improve myself and be able to transform my ideas and vision to the real life I would like to be in, as well as sharing in different angles my experiences I gained in different countries as a community interpreter/translator and English teacher”.

“I have a strong passion for peace, poverty reduction and access to education for all and that is why I am looking forward to be a key person facilitator in social transformations to leave the world better than before, where people can live peacefully in their own dignity”.

Written by Muco