By Grace & Winnie | STEAM & Girls' Empowerment Project Leads
In Ndhiwa, many adolescent girls grow up with limited opportunities for sport or safe recreational spaces. Studies in Homa Bay County show that nearly one in four girls is married before the age of 18, and teenage pregnancy rates are among the highest in Kenya. With few structured activities available, girls are often left without safe outlets for building friendships, confidence and leadership skills.
That is why, in partnership with Twende Pamoja, we launched Netball for Empowerment in May 2025 as part of our Girls’ Empowerment Programme. Netball is one of the most accessible and loved sports in Kenya. It offers a simple but powerful way for girls to build physical fitness, teamwork and resilience while also engaging in mentorship and life skills training.
The official launch brought together more than 60 girls from partner schools for a two-day event. On the first day, they trained with two professional coaches from Bungoma, learning core skills, game strategies and teamwork. They also took part in sessions on mental health, self-esteem and positive decision-making, guided by six local mentors.
In June, the energy on the court reached new heights when we hosted a community netball tournament during the visit of four inspiring Team Kenya volunteers: Jess, Ellise, Cache-Dior and Amy. The tournament drew over 300 people from the Ndhiwa community, including parents, teachers and local leaders, who came to cheer on the girls. Four local school teams played friendly matches, creating an atmosphere of pride and celebration. The volunteers joined school visits, listened to girls share their dreams, and spent more than 80 hours supporting programme activities across five schools.
These moments on and off the court showed how sport, mentorship and international solidarity can come together to spark lasting change. The girls are now training weekly for the December county-level tournament, with renewed determination to succeed both in the game and in life.
Thank you for making this possible. Your support funds the kits, the training, the mentorship sessions and the safe spaces that help girls in Ndhiwa grow into confident and capable leaders of tomorrow.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
