BLOG: Football to Protect Vulnerable Women from Exploitation

In January 2024, Zoë Hopkins, the International Partnership Manager at the Homeless World Cup Foundation (HWCF) visited our Member Countries in Kenya and Tanzania to kick-off a new 2-year project, supported by the FIFA Foundation called ‘Football to Protect Vulnerable Women from Exploitation’, which will be implemented with four Homeless World Cup African Member Countries in: Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The first stop was Kenya, since it is here where there will be a HWCF Hub introduced that will act as a centre of excellence for women’s programming in the East and Southern Africa region of Homeless World Cup Member Countries. If this pilot Hub is successful, the idea is to seek opportunities to replicate it in more regions where the Homeless World Cup has member countries; particularly those interested in strengthening their responses to protecting young women from exploitation and guiding them to more healthy and prosperous futures via psycho-social support and vocational training.

Zoe’s visit began in Nairobi, meeting 10 of the regular staff from our Member Country Vijana Amani Pamoja (VAP). Two exceptional women Nancy Naweru and Ann Nduku will manage the HWCF Hub, (based within VAP) with over two decades of combined experience in women’s development through football. On and off-pitch work covers Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Gender Based Violence, and Economic Empowerment. Boys and young men will also figure in the project’s element of encouraging ‘Positive Masculinities’ and challenging gender stereotypes in East African societies. This aims to develop more balanced relationships between the sexes and ultimately reduce exploitation and violence towards women.

From Nairobi, the trip continued by bus to Arusha in Tanzania. Zoë and Nancy met the team from Future Stars Academy (FSA), a Homeless World Cup Member Country since May 2020. We were delighted to find another highly competent group of staff and life-skills coaches at FSA, who are also experienced in women’s empowerment. The team at FSA are excited to build their curriculum on gender equality and to encourage more young women into ‘Jobortunity’ a local partner offering vocational training courses.

Whilst in Tanzania, Zoe observed FSA’s Saturday academy training with both boys and girls, which included football drills and mini-games. These were followed by a fun dynamic on self-awareness, using a parachute, whereby the young women are encouraged to share their reactions to certain questions on health and identity.

In conclusion, both VAP and FSA have strong foundations from which to strengthen their women’s programming, and Zoë is confident that the new HWCF Hub will allow for more sharing, collaboration and progress between Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe in order to develop a model for using football to prevent and protect women from exploitation and help prosper their future aspirations in economic empowerment. 

Zoe’s next visit to the region will involve a visit to our Member Countries in Zambia and Zimbabwe.