Closing the gender gap & increasing gains for young girls in participation & leadership roles is crucial in fostering socio-economic balance communities need to achieve generational prosperity & stability. Strategic deployment of resources & programs must be deliberate in order to accelerate inclusion and allow girls to reach their full potential. Girl child focussed education impacts the entire community.
Redefining the role played by girls in the community is an important step towards paving the way for girls to reach their full potential. We need to promote open dialogue about advancing equal opportunities for girls in a world dominated by their boy counter parts. Gender equity is the flagship of the founding philosophy behind our youth sports program. In every program we run, 50% of the participants must be girls and so must the leadership. Such advocacy helps build girls' level of confidence which translates into the propensity to overcome social challenges. Communities have the powerful responsibility to change the perception of girls in the community.
There is an African cliche that states, "It takes a village to raise a child". Despite the lack of adequate resources, African communities give everything they have to offer to achieve the huge success rate of university and high school graduates that do well in life. We believe that all alumni must assume the social responsibility of giving back to the community in a way that is impactful to children that resemble who they were once upon a time. A successful and effective alumni culture directed at youth empowerment is a useful tool in snowballing a Pay-It-Forward Movement for the benefit of young girls in Africa. In an environment where the alumni concept barely exists, our goal is to shift the paradigm and begin a movement that focuses on giving back to the community with special emphasis on the plight of girls. If everyone were to go back to their village and address a need no matter how small of a contribution, we would have one less community to worry about.
The youth sports program serves as an ideal medium for accelerating development of girls as the next generation of leaders across the continent of Africa. A socio-economic turn around at continental level will require strong input from sharp individuals and that is inclusive of girls. Strategic positioning of Africa as an economic power house will require investment in both boys and girls at grassroots level. Recognition and elevation of girls' potential starts with eliminating the negative stigma associated with sending girls to school prevalent among African communities.
"Teams that never concede defeat can accomplish incredible victories."