CGL fellow starts female soccer club in Tanzania
.jpg)
By Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership in Tanzania
Delivering on her dream of sharing her love of soccer with girls in the developing world, today, Alyssa von Puttkammer (Tufts University student and 2008 Park City High School grad) fielded her first female soccer club in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania.
Under a sunny sky, the lionesses of the Second Chance Education Center took to the field in the first practice of the their inaugural soccer season. Sixteen members strong, the girls celebrated in cheers and song on what is a very special day in their young lives. As one local leader commented, “this may be the first joy these girls have seen in their young lives”.
The girls on the Second Chance Education Center’s team are orphans, victims of high AIDS/HIV fatality rates in rural villages, extreme poverty, and an educational system that only sees 10% of females making it past elementary school. The brain-child of Mama Lucy Renju, the Second Chance Education Center was founded to provide a second chance for girls who have been excluded from public education systems – girls who refuse to give up on their dream of an education.
The Second Chance Education Center’s team didn’t let a lack of uniforms or athletic footwear get in the way of soccer practice. The young ladies played with great passion and filled the field with sounds laughter. While the girls are not yet aware of it, thanks to the generosity of Park City area soccer teams, Tufts University, and the Center for Global Leadership, the girls are about to receive uniforms, footwear, and soccer balls of their very own.
With the formation of several additional teams over the coming weeks, Alyssa’s dream will evolve into the first female soccer league in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. Long the sole domain of males in Tanzania, the new girls soccer league is yet another barrier being opened up in the rapidly evolving cultural shift in Tanzania, as women move out of the traditional background roles and into the forefront of the economic sector.
Monthly archive
- November 2009 (3)
- June 2010 (14)
- July 2010 (11)
- August 2010 (16)
- September 2010 (6)
What others are saying...
"One of the best leadership educators in the country." - Outdoor Industry
"Some people like money, but my dream is to change education for girls." - Mary, village student from Tanzania
"CGL's work will help create a poverty-free world." - Mukunda from Nepal
"We are designing meaningful projects to help my family thrive." - Charles, former street-child from Tanzania
"This is the coolest thing I've done in my life." - Will from Nashville
"I had the best time, with the coolest people in the world. I learned so much about myself." - Dan from Houston
"It was an amazing and eye-opening experience that I would do again in a heart-beat. The combination of learning and outdoor action was perfect." - Alyssa from Tufts University
"I don't usually find myself opening up this much. The dynamics of this group were so different and supportive that it created the perfect learning atmosphere - that and the river." - Emily from Whitman College
"Incredible people, awesome sights, and great adventures. Ton's of deep thinking and realization. A new begining for me." - Brian from Park City
"So fun. Everyone had a chance to get really close through all the adventures. The group closeness made opening up to others and myself easy - I could really learn and take everything in." - Hannah from Colorado State University
"One of my top 10 life experiences." - Braxton from Nashville
"CGL's founder is the best executive I have ever worked with." - William, Fortune 500 Executive and CEO
"CGL's founder is a person of vision & great character. He builds bridges for teams to succeed at the highest performance levels in complex global environments." - Ramses, General Manager in Mexico
"CGL's founder is a forward thinker. His indomitable spirit and keen intelligence are outshined only by his kind and compassionate heart." - Lisa, inspired mother of three from NY