Gender Equality Nicaragua Project #8920

Playing (Soccer) For Change in Nicaragua

by Soccer Without Borders

Playing (Soccer) For Change in Nicaragua

Project Report | Apr 23, 2014
Secondary school is critical.

By Mary McVeigh | Program Director

Rosa, 2014 scholarship recipient

Don't you agree? Research shows that expected lifetime earnings for a girl in the developing world increase by about 10-15% for every additional year of secondary school. Still, for girls in Granada, there are significant barriers to secondary school enrollment, let alone completion. Let's break it down for a second:

While primary school enrollment for Nicaraguan girls is 85%, secondary school enrollment is just 45%.
The attendance rate for Nicaraguan girls in primary school is 83.6%, yet in secondary school it drops to 57.9%, meaning girls miss more than 2 days per week of school on average each week.
The school life expectancy for a Nicaraguan girl is 10.2 years.
Nearly half of Nicaraguan girls are pregnant by age 20, with over a quarter of births to girls age 14-18 (this rate is much lower for girls who stay in school!).

It's uphill at every turn. Some of the most significant barriers are:

Cost of uniforms and school supplies, even at public schools
Lost potential income for family
Responsibilities in the home so that parents can work (care for siblings, cleaning, watching the house)
Lack of incentive for long-term visioning and planning
Unplanned pregnancy
Health issues causing high absence rate
Lack of academic support once behind

The list is daunting- but our girls are brave. With that in mind, drumroll....

We are ecstatic to announce the launch of the Fútbol Sin Fronteras Granada Programa Educativo (SWB Granada Education Program). The program was established in 2014 to provide educational and financial support to girls in FSF who have dedicated themselves to learning, to their team, and to their futures. It was created by an SWB family in memory of a young man who exhibited all of the characteristics of a well-rounded student-athlete: humility, dedication to school and team, integrity, hard work, care for self and others.

The program has two tiers:

Tier 1 (accessible to all participants): Material support for school uniforms (public and private) and educational supplies earned through participation in SWB activities. Daily homework hours with access to computers, art supplies, internet, and tutors.
Tier 2 (accessible to selected participants): Secondary school scholarships for matriculation fees, full uniform and educational supplies. Mandatory tutoring and advising hours and quarterly progress reports.

We are humbled to expand our impact to include direct financial, educational support, and excited to be working alongside with our girls' schools to help them get to the finish line. Without six years of trust and program-building, we would not be able to implement such a nuanced and extensive effort. Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way, and for your continued interest in the impact you've made. Get to know all 14 of our scholarship recipients and learn more about the program here!

Links:

Link to Education Program website

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Jan 27, 2014
Two way reflections: Looking back and ahead

By Mary McVeigh | Program Director

Our girls never cease to amaze us. Their energy, enthusiasm, and courage inspire us to build as many avenues to opportunities as we possibly can, so that they can maximize their incredible potential. 2013 was quite a year for Soccer Without Borders in Nicaragua, a year of firsts and of milestones. For example,

2013 was the first time that...

5 of our coaches ever flew in an airplane or visited the U.S.
64 girls participated in their first ever season as a member of one of our teams
all participants had the chance to meet the full Nicaraguan Women's National Team and the President of the Nicaraguan Football Federation- FENIFUT
our oldest girls' team recorded a league win over a boys team

2013 marked the...

5 year anniversary of the program
largest girls soccer event in Granada history, with a 17 team Peace Cup on September 21st
inauguration of a new dedicated field space
expansion to four teams, including the nation's unofficial youngest team, las Mariposa Juniors ages 7-9
formalization of a partnership between SWB Nicaragua and fellow Streetfootballworld member Seprojoven in Costa Rica.

In the year to come we have lofty goals, but our girls and coaches are determined to keep pushing the boundaries by:

implementing a new education program, including access to school uniforms and school supplies for all participants, and the opportunity to apply for secondary school scholarships
expand the program to 1-2 neighborhoods outside of the city center to regularly reach girls who are not within walking distance
attend the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup youth festival hosted by partner Seprojoven in Costa Rica
expand to a 5th team, the Caterpillars, ages 7-8, allowing the Mariposa Jrs. to become more age-specific
build on the momentum of the Peace Cup, Day of the Girl, and International Women's Day celebrations to expand our reach outside of Granada
implement an 8 week gym class curriculum to expose more girls to the program and encourage healthy, active choices

If you'd like to see some pictures from the past year, check out the highlight film that the girls watched at the opening event of 2014 at the link below (warning, major amateurism!).

Thank you for your continued support and for following our girls in Granada!

Sincerely,

Mary McVeigh

Links:

Highlight video 2013

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Oct 23, 2013
Breaking Boundaries- Rompiendo Fronteras

By Mary McVeigh | Program Director

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