October 11^th 2020 marked the 9^th edition of the International Day of the Girl Child. The theme for 2020 - My Voice, Our Equal Future - presents a poignant reminder that it is high time our societies prioritized the welfare and needs of girls. According to the United Nations, nearly 1 in every 4 girls globally between 15 – 19 years is either unemployed or in school, and 1 in every 3 women globally has experienced physical or sexual violence, which has intensified with the emergence of COVID-19. Therefore, tackling issues such as child marriage, inequality in access to education, addressing gender-based violence and addressing their reproductive health and rights needs should be top priorities among each and every society.

Moving The Goalposts (MTG) has prioritized the observance, protection and realization of the rights of girls and young women since its inception in 2002. Throughout its existence, the organization has harnessed the power of football to create 51 safe spaces in Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa and Tana River Counties, where over 60,000 girls and young women to date have received the opportunity to play football and learn skills that boost their self-esteem and contribute to their communities. MTG also ensures that girls participating within their programs either attend school and go on to attain employment, or take up entrepreneurial activities to sustain themselves and their families. This commitment has enabled girls and young women unlock opportunities previously unavailable to them, as demonstrated within MTG itself where at least 50% of its staff were once participants of its programs and are now leaders within the organization and in their communities.

Meet Esse Akida

In February 2020, Harambee Starlets forward Esse Akida joined Turkish giants Besiktas FC Club on a two-year deal, becoming only the second Kenyan female player to play for a top European club after Doreen Nabwire, who played for Warder Bremen from 2009.

Akida’s journey dates back to 2002 in Kilifi, during the inception of MTG. She was among the first girls to join the organization mainly due to her passion for football. At the time, the predominant patriarchal culture within the Mijikenda and Swahili communities where she hails from discouraged girls from playing football. However, thanks to MTG’s grassroots mobilization and awareness efforts in ensuring that girls get the same opportunities as boys in sports, education, health and careers, the community slowly began to embrace the ideology. Akida was immediately drawn to MTG since it provided her with the safe she needed to nurture her talents and eventually positioned her on a pathway to life in professional football.

Akida’s footballing career began whilst playing for the MTG United Team in the National Women’s league, where her outstanding performances opened doors for her to join the Kenya National Football team; Harambee Starlets in 2012, and has since become the all-time top scorer.

She also played in the Kenya Women Premier League, where she featured for Spedag FC and Thika Queens, before joining her former club in Israel, Ramat Hasharon in 2018 and eventually signed for Besiktas.

Akida is a Business Management graduate from Methodist University, thanks to MTG’s support who paid for her partial scholarship. She is also a proud ambassador for change and states that “I firmly believe that gender equality is the key to deliberate women from all forms of oppression and discrimination”.