The Lilongwe-based social entrepreneur believes girls are capable of realising their potential and achieving more in life if they can be given access to the right opportunities, at the right time and through the right channels. This belief has guided her initiative, Kick Start Girls, which focuses on creating pathways for girls to thrive in life through football and education. Ellina is currently implementing the project in Lilongwe’s outskirtss of Mtsiliza and Banje.
“Kick Start Girls is a programme which uses sport as a tool to build confidence, teamwork and leadership, while also integrating education to expand future opportunities for girls. “To encourage active participation, we establish girls’ teams and provide them with football equipment such as balls, bibs, cones, whistles, kits, learning materials such as exercise books and pens. The programme also provides sanitary pads for girls to ensure they stay hygienic and motivated in school,” she said.
Apart from tournaments, the Kick Start Girls project also entails academic activities to inspire girls to remain in school. “Beyond the tournaments and sporting resources, we also conduct motivational talks that emphasize the importance of education. In essence, we combine football and education, highlighting how this fusion can lead to a brighter future — whether through pursuing professional opportunities in football or related fields, or having education as a strong foundation in case of challenges such as injuries,” said Ellina.
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She added the project exposes girls to other football related careers such as coaching and management. The primary beneficiaries of Kick Start Girls project are girls of different ages who are passionate about football and eager to learn, grow and embrace their talents. “Our primary focus is on adolescent girls who do not only love sports, but also see football as a pathway to building their confidence, discipline, and leadership skills.
Kick Start Girls project has benefitted over 1 000 girls who have gained football skills and remained in school while improving on their academic performance. Ellina has worked as programme coordinator for Ascent Soccer, where she implemented similar empowerment projects in Mangochi and Nkhotakota districts. This experience motivated her start Kick Start Girls with the goal of unlocking girls’ potential and creating lasting impact. She started her initiative in 2023 after noting a gender gap in Malawi’s sports sector.
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