Life as an adolescent is not very easy, I remember my encounter with motherhood was when I was very young ,13 years old. I was just going about like a normal child would but unfortunately I had to drop out of school in form 2 due to early pregnancy. If asked, I never set such a goal in life. As a young girl I always dreamt that I would be a teacher in my community.

In life after such incidences you meet people who would ridicule you, I remember very well, when I was back in school they looked at me as a useless being. One international agency staff working with children visited my village and was looking to recruit role models for one of their project and this development worker did not know that we were listening. When my name was mentioned her eyes grew bigger she made it clear that she did not want a girl who had been pregnant as a role model, she said that girls like me would make other girls get pregnant and that the community regarded us as bad role models, I always knew that I will find my footing one day and prove her otherwise.

I was lucky to find my footing at Moving the Goalposts an organization that empowers girls through football. Early pregnancy is a problem in my community; over 75% girls get pregnant while in school. I remember very well during a meeting that was held in a host school near my community the head teacher made us stop playing because she alleged that playing football made girls get pregnant, when I got pregnant I was not playing football, I was a frequent attendant of “disco matangas” in my village. I knew very well that the diagnosis of the problem is wrong.

This is how they managed to kill our dreams; girls in this particular school did not stop getting pregnant despite them stopping us to play football. I hope they questioned their conscience. I knew very well that if the community was not going to do anything about “Disco Matanga” girls destiny in my village continues to be destroyed.

MTG has always believed in girls like me who were disowned by the community at large .When I joined the program in 2005, I got a platform and safe space that restored my confidence, I received training as a coach- Iam currently a World Coach Instructor with KNVB, Peer educator, counselor and a data collector. I love seeing young girls actively participate in programs and activities in order to become empowered and transform their lives.

I got an opportunity to be employed as a Divisional Assistant in Vitengeni Division, in the Leadership Development Department. I have a chance to make a difference in other girls lives, I am called upon to intervene in cases where girls have got pregnant who are afraid of going back to school or whose parent’s deny this chance, I use my story to give hope to the girl and her parents through our football program.

I was able to bring together community members and stakeholders during a public holiday to support and create a safe space for their girls and young women participation through the community service event. I am happy when girls play in a safe playing ground.

I am now in a better position in life because my family and community members get support from my earnings and through my experience and knowledge gained Iam able to offer them guidance and advice, encouraging girls to set goals, to go back to school and to find avenues of becoming financially independent.

I would like to urge all agencies that work with children and youth not to disregard and discriminate against girls who have had children, despite the fact that we have an additional story to tell about our success in life it does not mean that we should be left out when you are setting your criteria to select your “Role Models” Iam a proud role model and girls in my community regard me as one.